Cantilever Gate

What is a cantilever sliding gate and how does it work?

A cantilever sliding gate opens by sliding sideways with no rail, no wheels and no groove in the ground. Its technical name is the cantilever gate. The bottom beam of the gate runs the full length as a carrier rail, and the gate hangs in the air on two roller assemblies (bogies) fixed to a concrete base cast into the ground at one side. Nothing at all carries the gate across the opening itself, and that is exactly where the system takes its name from.

We keep two sizes in stock: 400x200 cm and 600x200 cm. Both are finished in electrostatic powder coating in RAL 6005 green and are sold by the unit. The gate can be pushed by hand, and it is equally ready to take a motor later; the motor is not included in the gate price.

Sizes and Technical Specifications

The Real Difference Between a Cantilever Gate and a Sliding Gate

Both systems slide sideways, but they behave differently. Here is the honest comparison:

• Ground conditions: A sliding gate runs on a rail set into the ground. Once the rail groove fills with snow, ice, mud, sand or leaves, the gate jams; that is the complaint we hear most in winter. A cantilever gate has nothing in the ground, so the problem disappears.
• Slope and uneven ground: A sliding gate wants a flat, level surface; where the entrance falls away, laying the rail becomes difficult. A cantilever gate works independently of the ground, which makes it the stronger choice on sloping and broken surfaces.
• Space needed: This is where you pay for the benefit. A cantilever gate has a counterweight tail that reaches beyond the opening; when the gate opens, that tail travels sideways with it. A 400 cm gate needs roughly 6 metres of clear side space, a 600 cm gate roughly 9 metres. A sliding gate does not demand anything like that allowance.
• Foundation: A sliding gate has its foundation cast along the line of the rail; a cantilever gate has a single reinforced block base under the bogies, and that base carries the whole weight of the gate along with the overturning moment. Cast the base too light and the gate will droop forward in time.
• Weight and cost: A cantilever gate is a heavier construction, and the investment is higher than for a rail-mounted system.

In short: if the ground is flat, space is tight and budget is your priority, go for the sliding gate; if winter conditions, mud, slope and the chance of the gate going unmaintained are your priority, the cantilever gate is the right choice.

Working Out the Side Allowance: Will the Gate Fit Your Site?

This is the one critical measurement to take before ordering. In the direction the gate opens there must be a clear run equal to the gate width plus the counterweight allowance. Nothing may stand in that strip: no wall, tree, lighting column, electrical cabinet, waste container or parked vehicle.

The situation we meet most often is this: the customer measures the opening, orders the gate, and when the gate reaches site there turns out to be too little room at the side. That is why we ask you to give us the clear distance on the side the gate will slide to as well as the opening. Where the side allowance is not enough, the answer is not a cantilever gate but a double swing gate or a rail-mounted system.

Wind Load and Choice of Infill

Because a cantilever gate is carried at just two points, it is more sensitive to lateral forces than a sliding gate. The more solid the face of the gate, the more the wind works on it like a sail, and that force goes straight into the bogies and the concrete base.

For that reason, on exposed land, hilltops and industrial estate entrances, an infill that lets air through is preferred to solid sheet cladding. Panel infill or perforated sheet keeps the visual line intact and cuts the wind load noticeably at the same time. Where full privacy is wanted, the gate and the base have to be specified stronger to match the added load.

The second effect of the wind is on comfort in use. A cantilever gate with a closed face becomes noticeably heavy to push by hand in a strong wind; under motor operation the motor is constantly strained and its life is shortened. So in windy regions, if the face of the gate is to be closed in, the motor should be specified one class up from the start. On sites where the gate stands open for long periods, positioning a stop at the end of the tail helps to keep the open leaf from shaking in the wind.

Where It Is Used

• Factory, workshop and logistics warehouse entrances — a wide clear opening is needed for articulated lorries and trucks to manoeuvre.
• Housing estate and apartment block vehicle entrances — suited to motorised operation and card access.
• Construction site and yard entrances — where the ground turns to mud again and again, it gives far less trouble than a rail-mounted system.
• Power plant, mine site, farm and livestock unit entrances.
• Entrances to facilities in the inland and eastern regions where snowfall is heavy.

What all of these have in common is this: the entrance has to work in every condition. A gate that will not open for the morning shift at a factory holds up production; a gate that will not open on a snowy day at a housing estate leaves the residents out in the street. The rail groove of a tracked system is the source of those risks, and the cantilever gate is chosen precisely to take that risk away. Against that, on narrow-fronted entrances with no room at the side, a cantilever gate is physically impossible to fit; in that case the choice of system changes from the outset.

What Determines the Price of a Cantilever Gate?

• Size: A 600x200 gate means both a longer tail and a heavier construction than a 400x200.
• Section size and carrier rail class: As the weight of the gate rises, the rail and the roller assembly move up a class.
• Infill type: Panel infill, perforated sheet and solid sheet are priced differently.
• Motorised operation: The motor, photocells, warning lamp and remote control are separate items; they do not come with the gate.
• Shipment: A cantilever gate is a long, heavy product, and its carriage is shown separately in the quotation.

Our prices include VAT. The concrete base and the electrical supply are prepared by the customer; these are not included in the gate price.

Products Used Alongside It, and Maintenance

A cantilever gate is usually one part of a perimeter security line. On site it is most often installed together with panel fence along the run, a separate pedestrian gate for staff access, and automatic barrier systems at entrances with heavy vehicle traffic. Opening the pedestrian gate separately saves the staff from operating the main gate every time they pass, which extends the life of the motor and the roller assemblies; on busy sites this single measure does more good than any other.

Maintenance is a short list, but not one to neglect. Dust, sand and weld spatter working their way into the roller assemblies are the most common cause of failure; cleaning the rail path a few times a year is enough. There is a simple way of keeping an eye on the gate's alignment: with the gate closed, the gap between the bottom edge and the ground should be even along the whole run. If that gap narrows at one end and opens up at the other, either the base has settled or the roller adjustment has drifted; caught early, both are put right with a simple adjustment, and left too late, the carrier rail is permanently deformed. Touching in cut and welded points with paint also keeps the RAL 6005 finish intact.

Ordering, Site Survey and Shipping

We manufacture and sell the cantilever gate and ship it from our warehouse in Ostim to every province in Türkiye. To place an order, all you need to give us is the opening dimension, the clear distance on the side the gate will slide to, and the condition of the ground; if the measurements do not work, we will warn you before the gate is despatched.

Within Ankara the site survey is free of charge; we measure the entrance in place and settle together whether the side allowance is enough and where the base should go. Delivery is always charged, and this applies to deliveries within Ankara too; we run no carriage-paid or zero-cost delivery scheme. Gate installation is not one of our standard services; our teams attend site on perimeter projects of approximately 1,000 metres and above, and gate installation is covered within that scope. On single-gate jobs the product is shipped and technical support is given by telephone during installation.