Security gates

Security gates control who drives and walks into a site. Rated versions resist forced entry to LPS 1175, vehicle impact to PAS 68, or both. Sliding, swing and bi-folding gates suit compounds, entrances and critical sites, and the rating must cover the gate, its posts and its foundations as one system.

• LPS 1175 and PAS 68Forced entry and vehicle impact ratings
• Sliding, swing, bi-foldingGate types for every opening
• Automated optionsIntegrated with access control
• Tested as installedFoundations and fixings included

What is a security gate

A security gate is the controlled point in a perimeter where vehicles or pedestrians enter. Unlike a barrier line, a gate must open on demand and still resist attack when closed. Rated gates carry test evidence for forced entry to LPS 1175, for vehicle impact to PAS 68 or IWA 14-1, or for both threats on one assembly. They sit within a perimeter and HVM scheme at the points where the barrier line must be passable.

Three arrangements cover most openings. Sliding gates suit wide vehicle entrances and are covered in detail on our sliding vehicle gates page. Swing gates suit narrower openings with room for the leaf to arc. Bi-folding gates fold back in sections where side space is limited. The vehicle impact ratings guide and the LPS 1175 guide explain the two rating systems.

Choosing the right rating for security gates

Rate the gate for every threat at that entrance. A vehicle entrance on a public road needs impact resistance; a compound gate also needs forced entry resistance for when it stands closed and unattended.

How security gates are built

A rated gate starts with a frame sized for the opening, infilled with mesh, bars or solid plate to suit the threat and the setting. Locking holds the leaf against forced entry, and the hinges, track or rollers carry the leaf’s weight through long daily use. Vehicle gates need foundations designed for both the impact load and the automation.

Automation adds a motor, safety devices and integration with the site’s access control: readers, intercoms or automatic number plate recognition. Power and drainage are planned before the civil work starts, because retrofitting them under a finished gate is costly.

Rate the gate for both threats. A gate that stops a ram but opens to a screwdriver fails the site. Where both threats exist, ask for LPS 1175 and PAS 68 evidence on the same assembly.

Combining gates with other ratings

Pedestrian lanes beside a vehicle gate can use turnstiles or security portals so people do not tailgate vehicles. Guard houses and gatehouses take security doors rated to LPS 1175. Where the gatehouse also needs fire separation, fire and security doors combine both ratings in one assembly.

Where security gates are used

Utilities and energy sites gate substations, treatment works and depots. Data centres control every vehicle that enters the compound. Government and defence estates gate perimeters and secure zones, and transport hubs separate service yards from public areas.

What affects the cost and lead time of security gates

The width of the opening and the chosen arrangement set the steelwork scope. Automation adds motors, safety devices and controls, and integration with access control needs coordination with the site’s security systems. Foundations for impact rated gates involve serious civil work. Finish, such as powder coating to a site colour, and any listed setting add time. No prices are given here because every entrance differs.

How to specify security gates

1. Define the threats. Forced entry, vehicle impact, or both at this entrance.
2. Choose the arrangement. Sliding, swing or bi-folding to suit the space.
3. Set the ratings. Name the LPS 1175 and PAS 68 ratings required.
4. Plan power and drainage. Get supplies in place before the ground works begin.
5. Integrate access control. Coordinate readers and intercoms with site systems.
6. Check the evidence. Ask for proof naming every standard and rating.

Security gate FAQs