Automatic barriers for commercial sites
Control which vehicles come onto your site, and when. We supply, install and maintain automatic rising arm barriers for car parks, yards and site entrances, linked to access control and ANPR where you need it.
- Supply, install and maintain
- Local engineers
- Free site visit and quotation
At a glance
- Based in
- Huntingdon
- Covering
- Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
- Barriers
- Hydraulic and electro-mechanical rising arm
- Control
- Access control, ANPR, intercom or push button
- Services
- Supply, installation and maintenance
- Scale
- Single entrance to multi-site and multi-storey car parks
Overview
Automatic barrier installers covering Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
BDi Advance supplies, installs and maintains automatic vehicle barriers for industrial and commercial sites across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, from a single entrance barrier to large multi-site applications and multi-storey car parks. We fit hydraulic and electro-mechanical rising arm barriers, and link them to the access control and ANPR cameras that decide who gets in.
- Local engineers based in Huntingdon, covering Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
- Fully automatic or basic manual systems, installed in full
- Opened by access control credentials, ANPR, intercom or push button
- Safety devices and warning signs recommended for every automatic barrier
- Maintenance contracts with a full check twice a year
- 24-hour emergency technician call-out, 365 days a year
Quotations start with a free site visit. Call 01223 566 599 or send us your details and we will get one booked.
Costs
What affects the cost of an automatic barrier?
The price of a barrier depends on the entrance it controls, so we look at the site before giving a figure. These are the main cost drivers.
Number of entrances and barriers
Biggest factor
Each lane needs its own barrier, safety devices and control equipment. Entry and exit lanes, or two barriers working together across a wide road, add to the total.
Road width and barrier type
Varies
Wider roads need longer beams and heavier units. Rapid barriers for busy entrances cost more than standard models, and hydraulic and electro-mechanical barriers are priced differently.
How vehicles are identified
Site specific
A push button or intercom costs least. Access control readers and ANPR cameras add equipment, but let authorised vehicles in without anyone having to open the barrier.
Safety devices and groundworks
Required
Induction loops, photo electric sensors, warning signs and, where needed, traffic lights. Loops are cut into the road surface and cables are ducted to the barrier, so the ground conditions matter.
Options and finish
Optional
Barrier skirts, beam lights and beam supports, and cabinets in a colour to suit your corporate identity or in stainless steel, all add cost.
Maintenance
Ongoing
Barriers are outside in all weathers and moving every day. A maintenance contract includes a full check twice a year, which extends the life of the equipment.
Automatic barriers
Rising arm barriers for car parks and site entrances
A rising arm barrier lifts its beam to let an authorised vehicle through and lowers it again once the vehicle has cleared. It controls the flow of traffic at car park entrances and exits, delivery yards, staff parking and site gates, and gives you a record of who came in when it is linked to access control or ANPR.
We supply hydraulic and electro-mechanical automatic barriers with beam lengths from 2 metres to 7 metres or more, depending on the model, from standard models for everyday traffic to rapid barriers for busy entrances. Where a site needs more than a barrier can stop, we can advise on bollards and road blockers.
Safety built in
A barrier moves on its own, so we specify the safety devices and warnings with the barrier rather than as an afterthought.
Loops and sensors
Vehicle detector induction loops and photo electric sensors stop the arm lowering while a vehicle is underneath. All automatically controlled barriers should have a safety device fitted.
Signs, lights and sounders
Traffic lights, Stop and No Entry signs, Danger Automatic Barrier warning signs, flashing lamps and sirens tell drivers when the barrier is in operation.
Barriers are for vehicles only. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and vehicles towing trailers should have a separate route, with signs on both sides of the barrier.
Control and integration
Barriers that work with your other systems
A barrier is only as good as the system that tells it when to open. We link barriers to the access control, ANPR, intercoms and CCTV on your site, so authorised vehicles get in without delay and every entry is recorded.
A relay board can signal the barrier status to traffic lights or other equipment, and a slave board lets two barriers work together across a wide entrance.
Access control
Cards, fobs and readers
Staff and regular visitors present the same credential they use on the doors, and the access control system opens the barrier and logs the entry.
ANPR
The number plate is the key
ANPR cameras read the registration, check it against your authorised list and raise the barrier, while unknown vehicles can be sent to an intercom.
Barrier brands
Matched to the entrance
For barrier and gate automation ranges, see our pages on Magnetic AutoControl and FAAC, or ask us which suits your site.
Barrier options
Choosing the right barrier
The right barrier depends on how wide the entrance is and how much traffic passes through it.
Most commercial entrances suit one of these four set-ups, and options such as skirts, beam lights and beam supports can be added to each.
Standard barriers
Electro-mechanical or hydraulic barriers for everyday car park and site entrances, with beams of around 2 to 5 metres.
Best for: staff car parks, business premises and single entrances.
Worth knowing: a round or rectangular beam is available, and an articulated beam where headroom is limited.
Rapid barriers
Faster barriers that open in around 1 to 3 seconds and are built for continuous use.
Best for: busy entrances where queues build up at peak times.
Worth knowing: the fastest models use shorter beams, so they suit narrower lanes.
Long-span barriers
Heavier barriers with beams of around 7 metres for wide roads and yard entrances.
Best for: delivery yards, HGV access and wide site gates.
Worth knowing: two barriers can also be set to work together across a very wide entrance.
Fully automatic barriers
Barriers opened by access control credentials or ANPR, with induction loops closing them once the vehicle has passed.
Best for: sites with regular staff, contractor and delivery traffic.
Worth knowing: an automatic manual release can let the beam be raised by hand in a power cut.
Barrier design and installation
How an installation works
Every barrier project begins with a free visit to the entrance. We check the road width, the traffic and how vehicles will be identified, and only then design and price the system for your site and budget.
Site visit
Free site visit and quotation
Design
Barrier type, beam length, control method and safety devices planned around your entrance
Installation
Barrier fitted, loops cut in and the system tested with your access control or ANPR
Handover
Your team shown how the barrier works, including the manual release
Ongoing support
Maintenance contracts with a full check twice a year and 24-hour call-out
Barriers linked to certified access control and CCTV
The barrier itself is mechanical equipment, and SSAIB certification does not cover it. Where a barrier is opened by an access control system or ANPR cameras, that access control and CCTV work is carried out under our SSAIB certification. We supply, install and maintain the barrier and the system that controls it, so you have one company to call for the whole entrance.
Automatic barriers across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia
We are a Cambridgeshire business with local engineers, providing responsive maintenance and long-term support for the barriers we install.
Areas we cover
We install and maintain automatic barriers across Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, including Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough, St Ives, St Neots, Ely, Wisbech, March, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds.
Our engineers are local to the region, and we also work with national clients across the UK.
Sectors we work in
We fit barriers for industrial and commercial sites, including factories, food production sites, warehouses, logistics sites and retail premises.
- Manufacturing
- Food production
- Warehouses
- Logistics
- Retail
Vehicle movements differ from one site to the next, from HGV deliveries and contractors to staff parking, so we plan each entrance around the traffic that will pass through it.
“Papworth Trust have worked with Advance Security since 2012 on all aspects of security maintenance works, including door control, intruder alarms, Net2 access systems and project works such as gate installations. We have found them professional and attentive in their approach and would recommend them as an organised service provider within the security industry.”
Property and H&S Facilities Manager, The Papworth Trust
Next step
Free site visit and quotation
Every entrance is different, so we price a barrier only after seeing where it will go. An engineer checks the road width, the traffic and how vehicles will be identified, then puts together a design and quotation for your site and budget. The visit is free.
Talk to us about your barrier requirements
Book a free site surveyCall 01223 566 599No charge for the visit
Frequently asked questions
A rising arm barrier is an automatic vehicle barrier with a beam that lifts to let a vehicle through and lowers once it has passed. It is the most common way to control vehicle access to car parks, yards and site entrances.
Related reading
CCTV and data protection: a guide for UK businesses
A plain-English guide to CCTV and data protection for UK businesses, covering UK GDPR, ICO guidance, signs, DPIAs, retention, subject access requests, audio, ANPR and covert cameras.
ANPR Security: More Than Just Parking
Automatic Number Plate Recognition, or ANPR, is often associated with car parks, payment systems and parking enforcement….
Biometric Access Control Systems Explained: A Guide for UK Businesses
How Biometric Access Control Works and What Businesses Need to Know Traditional keys, PIN codes and access…