For any property to be protected it is necessary to have a fence around its perimeter and gates to control entry and exit from it, especially for vehicles. Boom gates are the simplest form of such barriers, and consist of just one long arm that blocks the traffic when it is lowered. Raising the arm permits entry.
The Structure of Boom Gates
A boom gate or barrier is a bar or pole made up of any rigid material that is fixed at one point around which it can pivot to move up or down. These barriers are generally made of metal or wood, though even bamboo has been seen so to be used. They can be operated by hand or by mechanical means. The mechanical method allows for the use of motors and automation that greatly helps in reducing the workload of guards stationed at the entrance that is guarded by boom gates. To assist the opening these barriers may have a counter weight at the pivoted end. Boom gates need to be manned for their constant operations.
Boom gates have a pillar on one side of the entrance being guarded. On the other side at its full width, another pillar is positioned to receive the free end of the barrier when it is lowered. This end will get locked after it is lowered with the control being with the guards at the entrance.
The Use of Boom Gates
Boom gates are very useful for controlling the movement of traffic into or out of any property that needs to be protected. This control allows for the carrying out of identity checks and permissions of the persons wanting entry or exit.
You will find boom gates installed in parking garages, toll gates, shopping centers, or simply to control traffic in to restricted areas. In parking garages, cars are only allowed to enter after they have been allotted a slot and exit after it is confirmed that that have paid for the use of the garage. Toll gates use them to ensure payment of tolls. In other areas where these gates are installed, entry is permitted only after proper identification.
Boom gates are often used to control the type of traffic entering, for instance, where entry is only permitted for emergency vehicles and not the general public. Traffic police can use such gates to direct traffic in situations where such control is found necessary.
Benefits of Boom Gates
Gates of all kinds add security to the property being guarded and control entry. Security for access control can lead to lower insurance premiums.
Safety of a property is ensured with the use of boom gates and they can go a long way in ensuring the vehicles entering your property have to stop and proceed. This prevents them from speeding in, and this can go a long way in preventing accidents.
The can help to ensure the identity of everyone entering so that only people authorized to do so are permitted entry. At exits these barriers will help guards to ensure that any goods leaving the property are doing so with the right documentation.
Boom gates can be of great assistance for traffic control. It can help in the balancing of traffic, so that movement is constant and unhampered. It can be of great help at toll plazas to ensure that users of a road have paid for its use.
Types of Boom Gates
Boom gates can be hand operated or motorized. The hand operated variety is still widely in use in temporary situations, like security road blocks. It is also widely seen in areas where it is not easy to have a proper electric supply, something that is needed for automatic gate operation. Hand operated boom gates can again have mechanical devices to help in the lowering and opening of gates, or the use of simple ropes tied to the opening end of the barrier. This rope is pulled down and secured when the gate is closed. Loosening the rope will allow the counterweight at the other end to open up the barrier.
All these operations can even be carried out with the use of mechanical devices where cranking handles are used to pull down the barrier and then locked. Unlocking again permits the counterweight to open the gate.
Most modern day boom gates are automatic and their operation requires just the touch of a button, that powers the motor that operates the gate closing mechanism. In some of these gates, the operation is only allowed when ID cards are inserted in a slot. Others work automatically when their scanners identify RFID tags. This is very common in toll gates and unattended parking garages.
The use of boom gates has become quite widespread and its technology is constantly developing in its automation, with their increasingly being coupled with other security needs like automatic scanning of vehicles, people and goods.