Controlling Site Access with Commercial Electric Gates and Barriers

In commercial and industrial sites, managing vehicle access goes beyond just keeping unauthorized people out. There is also managing legitimate visitors, deliveries, employee vehicles, contractors, and emergency access. Doing it incorrectly may create terrorist security gaps, or detrimental impasses that slow down business operations.

The ideal mix of gates, barriers, bollards, and other access control technology depends on buildings, property and site fortifications, the vehicles and how many of them there are, and whether it’s important to know who is entering or departing.

Traffic Barrier Systems

Barrier systems are the most visible to the public at car parks, business park entrances, and other sites that need to manage vehicle flow without providing a complete block to stop flowing vehicles. The standard arm barrier is the most ubiquitous: a single arm which lifts vertically to allow vehicles to pass.

Barrier systems like these are ideal for destinations with medium site traffic. Barrier arm systems installed for these destinations are quick to install, inexpensive, and require little to no maintenance. Most barriers swing open and close in less that three seconds, which means vehicles in the queue are not waiting long to enter the car park. Barriers are ideal for control of low traffic sites that experience a few dozen vehicle movements through the barrier in a day.

Barriers with Mack Arms have shorter and longer arms depending on the road you’re covering. Standard arms go out to be about 4 to 5 meters but, if needed, can go for longer. However, longer arms require powerful motors, and they become more vulnerable to wind damage. For wide entrances, two barriers facing each other is usually more effective than one long arm.

Articulated barriers are barriers with folding arms that bend at the elbow as they go up. They are good for sites with low over-head clearance or somewhere with a canopy that is blocking the view of the rising arm. They solve space issues but can be a bit slower to process.

For higher security needs, crash-rated barriers may be necessary. These are built with the goal of stopping vehicles that try to force their way through and are rated for the weight and speed of the vehicles that they’re supposed to stop. For example, a barrier designed to stop a 7.5 ton truck at 50 mph would be built much more sturdily than a typical car park barrier. Their installation involves more work as well since they require more substantial foundations and reinforcement.

Noticing where vehicles are common can be valuable when installing barrier systems. These systems are designed to take an impact and be repaired. The higher the volume and the bigger the vehicles, the construction traffic will impact the barrier systems more often and higher repair costs will be incurred more often. 

Security Gates for Industrial Estates

For industrial estates, storage yards, or any place that has valuable items or materials that need to be protected, a fully enclosed and secure sliding gate, a gate that fully opens and closes without any required entry or exit space, and an arm barrier to the gate is the best option.

For wide entrances, a sliding gate can be the best option. Once opened, the gate opens by sliding along a track to the side, meaning it has no need of any space in front of or behind the gate. This is ideal for more compact sites or where the gate opens onto a road and cannot have the gate freely swinging. 

However, when it is opened, the gate requires space to slide aside to fully open. A 6-metre wide opening requires 6 metres of sliding space beside it. Unfortunately, on some sites, the space is not available, eliminating sliding gates as an option.

Swing gates are automated gates that function like regular gates. They can be a single swing gate or double-leaf depending on how much space needs to be opened. They are great because there\’s no need for an opening beside where the gates are. However there needs to be full clearance for the swinging arc. This can be problematic for sloping driveways since the gates may swing down and catch the ground.

For very large openings like delivery entrances or industrial factory gates, a good option is cantilever gates. They are like sliding gates but instead of relying on a ground track for support, they are held up by a counterweighted arm. This makes them able to span large gaps. They are more expensive, but definitely worth it for their durability and reliability.

If you need security gates, you can choose between palisade, mesh, and solid panels. Palisade is the most secure option since it is hard and industrial looking, making it difficult to climb or cut. Some places choose mesh to allow visibility for safety. Solid panels offer privacy but can leave the other side hidden, which is a potential safety concern.

Automated Bollards

Automated bollards work in places where you need limited vehicle access but need to keep gates or barriers closed. Common places include urban centers, pedestrian-only zones, or streets where emergency vehicles need access but all other vehicles should be blocked.

When not in use, rising bollards are lowered into the surface which keep the road clear. When activated, the bollards rise and block access. They’re even more effective because people can’t drive around them like there are with barriers.

Heavy duty digging is also required for configuring ground drainage for the housing of the mechanism. Utilities below the road can factor into digging, so be mindful of that. Electric motors are in some bollards but most use hydraulics as they are they more common, powerful and suitable for higher security needs.

Crash-rated bollards are even more common in sensitive places like public buildings and shopping centers to protect against vehicle attacks. These are certified and tested like other crash barriers with required vehicle weights and speeds to determine the rating.

Fixed Spacing of Radii

Fixed bollards won’t move, even though they are mostly inexpensive and simple. They are useful around the perimeter of places where native vehicle access is never needed, or in conjunction with speed control and turnstile bollards to form controlled entry areas.

Integration of ANPR with Gate and Barrier Access Control

The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems provides vehicle access and control of barriers and gates. The camera attached to the gate or barrier can read the license plate, verify if it exists, and open the gate or barrier if there is a registered entry. This allows regular access to delivery drivers, employees, and contractors without a need to stop.

The ANPR also automatically records the entrances and exits, which can help with security assessments, incident investigations, and time and attendance systems, which can automatically log the entry and exit times of employees.

ANPR can be challenged by the lighting. Do you have infrared cameras or barriers? The weather can also play a role to make the systems struggle, like if there are heavy rain or dirt on the license plate that can impact the movements.

If ANPR doesn’t work for a site, proximity cards, key fobs, or intercoms with video verification can be used. All of these can work with electronic gate and barrier systems using the same simple principle: the access control system tells the gate motor to open, but only when permission is granted.

Having several systems work together requires some coordination. ANPR cameras, barriers, gates, and bollards all need power, communication, and protection from the elements. Most installers will design this to be a fully integrated system, instead of trying to integrate several disconnected systems.