Revolving security doors

Security revolving doors control entry to busy lobbies without the need for a staffed barrier line. They suit offices, transport interchanges and public buildings where a specifier wants managed access and a steady flow of people. ArxBridge supplies and installs them across the UK as part of a complete entrance strategy.

• Anti tailgatingInterlocking drum control
• Works with access controlCard, fob and biometric readers
• Fail safe optionSet to suit the fire strategy
• UK wideSurvey, supply and installation

Revolving security doors explained

A security revolving door is a drum of glazed wings set in a circular enclosure. Each wing divides the drum into compartments, and the drum turns to admit one person at a time. Sensors watch every compartment, so the system knows exactly where each person is as the drum rotates.

Unlike a standard revolving door, a security model adds control logic. The drum only turns when the access system authorises the person inside the compartment. If a second person steps in behind them, the drum stops and locks. This interlocking behaviour is what separates a security revolving door from an ordinary entrance that simply keeps the weather out.

Revolving doors also manage air movement. The drum is never fully open, so heated or cooled air stays inside the building. For large lobbies with high footfall, that draught control is a practical benefit next to the security function, and it is one reason specifiers choose revolving entrances for headquarters buildings and public concourses.

Which rating do you need for revolving security doors

Revolving doors are specified by control level rather than a single test rating. The right level depends on what the entrance must stop: casual tailgating, determined intrusion, or attack on the glazing itself.

Most commercial lobbies use the first two levels. The third and fourth suit sites where the entrance itself sits on the tested security line, and they are specified together with LPS 1175 rated doorsets elsewhere on the same facade. Where the threat is stealth rather than force, LPS 2081 products cover quiet attack on adjacent doors.

Specifier note. A revolving door is not an escape route on its own. Plan hinged escape doors alongside it and agree the arrangement with the fire strategy before the entrance is ordered.

How revolving security doors work

The drum wings carry each person through in a partial turn, depending on the configuration. Presence sensors in the ceiling of each compartment track movement, and the control unit compares what it sees with the authorisation from the reader. If the two do not match, the drum stops, an alarm can sound, and the compartment stays locked until security staff reset it.

Speed is controlled so the drum cannot be pushed faster than its set rate. On power failure the door follows the fire strategy: fail safe lets the drum turn freely for escape, fail secure keeps it locked. Night locking is mechanical, so the entrance is physically secured when the building is closed.

Revolving doors need an accessible route alongside them. Wheelchair users, people with luggage and anyone who cannot use a revolving compartment enter through a hinged security door next to the drum. Equality duties make this a design requirement, not an optional extra.

Revolving security doors with combined ratings

A revolving entrance rarely stands alone in the security line. The drum can carry glazing rated to the FB classes described in the ballistic ratings guide, matched to the rating of the surrounding facade. For higher threat sites, the revolving door handles day to day access while bullet resistant doors protect the escape and service routes on the same elevation.

Outside the entrance, hostile vehicle mitigation keeps vehicles away from the glazing line, so the revolving door only has to deal with people. The access readers tie into the building management system, and the fire alarm releases the drum to its agreed fail state.

Sites that use revolving security doors

Transport hubs use security revolving doors at staff and premium passenger entrances, where flow must continue but access must stay controlled. Data centres place interlocking models at the entrance to the secure zone, ahead of the mantrap or security lobby.

Banking and finance buildings use them at the main lobby to give a managed welcome without a visible barrier. Government and corporate headquarters pair them with rated doorsets so the public face of the building stays open in appearance while the access line stays firm.

Cost and lead time factors for revolving security doors

Drum diameter and the number of wings set the size of the unit and the builders work around it. The glazing specification matters: standard toughened glass, attack rated glazing and ballistic glazing each change the weight, the drive and the lead time. Reader and software integration with the existing access control system adds commissioning time.

Site conditions matter too. A new build opening is straightforward; a retrofit into an existing facade may need structural work and new power supplies. Finish choices, from stainless steel to powder coated colours, and the approval cycle with the client team all affect the programme. A site survey and a clear brief are the only reliable basis for a quotation.

How to specify your revolving security doors

1. Define the threat and the flow. State what the entrance must stop and how many people pass through at peak times.
2. Choose the control level. Access controlled, interlocking, attack rated or ballistic, using the table above.
3. Set the fire and escape strategy. Agree fail safe or fail secure behaviour and the position of escape doors.
4. Agree the interfaces. Confirm readers, the access control platform, the building management system and the fire alarm connections.
5. Confirm the opening. Check structural support, floor levels, drainage and power at the entrance.
6. Request a detailed quotation. Send drawings, the threat level and the access requirements for a fixed proposal.

Frequently asked questions