Barrier Gate Definition

Reasons for Use

• Barrier gates are helpful in controlling the flow of traffic in busy spaces because they will not admit an automobile into a parking lot if the parking lot is full. That means any driver a gate permits into a parking garage should be able to find a parking spot without much circling or competition with other drivers. The gates also can be used to collect a fee for using a parking garage. Additionally, they can limit access to only drivers with parking permits.

Locations

• Barrier gates are used in many kinds of places, from commercial buildings and shopping malls to airports and universities. Still, others -- without the mechanized control system -- are added to hiking trails to keep the trails closed to motor vehicles. Sometimes an attendant is on duty to collect cash and operate a barrier gate, but increasingly the trend is toward automating barrier gates to reduce labor costs.

Variations

• The gates are made in various shapes and sizes, from single-armed gates to gates with multiple arms. They can be adjusted to change the speed with which the mechanical arm is lifted to let vehicles in and out. Other options and features for barrier gates include a vehicle counter, an anti-tailgating device and a mechanism that causes the gate arm to go back up if a vehicle doesn't move in time, preventing damage to the vehicle.

Methods of Control

• While some barrier gates are designed to lift when the correct amount of money is paid, not all work that way. Manufacturers have created systems that lift when a security guard presses a button. Some apartment complexes and buildings with private parking garages have a system programmed to allow entry only to drivers who swipe an authorized parking pass. Still others can be programmed to lift automatically when a sensor detects that a vehicle is waiting to pass through the gate.