Sliding Gate

What Is a Sliding Gate?

A sliding gate is a perimeter gate whose leaf travels horizontally along a track channel fixed into the ground. Because it does not swing forwards or backwards the way a hinged gate does, there is no need to leave clear space either side of the opening. That is what makes the sliding gate the most practical solution at factory, warehouse, logistics facility and construction site entrances where vehicle traffic is heavy.

At AnkaraTel we supply sliding gates in ready sizes from our base in Ostim. The leaf frame is fabricated from box section; the infill is either panel fence mesh or plain sheet. Our products are electrostatically powder coated in RAL 6005 (moss green). Because that colour is the common standard for panel fence systems, the gate ties in visually with the rest of the perimeter run. Planning the gate together with the panel fence line is the soundest approach, both for colour and for height alignment.

Types of Sliding Gate

Sliding gates split into three main groups. By the way the leaf is carried, there are ground-tracked and cantilever (trackless, suspended) types. Ground-tracked models transfer the weight of the leaf straight into the ground, so they are more economical and more durable; cantilever types need no track in the ground, but in exchange they require a heavier carriage beam and a counterweight run-back allowance.

By the way they are operated, there are manual and motorised models. The products we hold in stock are manual; the gate is opened by pushing it by hand. Manual operation keeps the initial investment down and is unaffected by power cuts, which is why it is the most popular choice at construction site and rural land entrances.

By infill type, the options are mesh panel, sheet clad and profile railing. A mesh panel leaf is light, catches no wind load and leaves the area beyond visible, which is an advantage at facilities where the security cameras need to see through the gateway. Sheet cladding, by contrast, creates a visual screen and hides the yard from outside. At facilities where screening matters, a sheet clad leaf is often specified together with concertina razor wire along the top line.

Technical Specification

Where Are Sliding Gates Used?

The natural home of the sliding gate is the wide vehicle entrance. Factory and workshop entrances on organised industrial estates, logistics warehouses, fuel and haulage depots, earthworks and construction sites, farmland, solar power plants, mining sites and municipal service yards are where they are installed most often.

On sloping plots or plots with a narrow frontage, a sliding gate is very nearly the only option. A swing gate needs a clear arc in front of it to open into, and on a plot whose frontage gives straight onto the road that space usually does not exist. A sliding gate travels sideways, so it never blocks the road. At facilities where pedestrian access has to be handled separately, positioning a pedestrian gate next to the sliding gate also saves the large leaf being opened and closed all day long.

Choosing the Size and What to Watch Out For

The first thing to look at when choosing a size is the clear opening width. The gate size refers to the overall width of the leaf; once the posts and the locking allowance are deducted, the space actually left for a vehicle is somewhat narrower. For that reason, add at least 80-100 cm to the width of the largest vehicle that has to pass through.

In practice a 400x200 cm leaf is enough for cars, vans and small trucks. The 500x200 cm size is preferred where trucks and concrete mixers need room to manoeuvre. The 600x200 cm size is used at facilities with articulated lorries, trailers and plant machinery. Vehicles that turn into the entrance cannot approach the gate square on, so where the approach angle is tight it is worth going up one size.

The second critical point is the run-back allowance. When the gate opens, the leaf slides sideways into a space as long as the leaf itself. In other words, a 500 cm leaf needs roughly 500 cm of clear frontage alongside the wall. There must be no posts, trees, transformers, lighting columns or parked vehicles in that zone.

The third is ground level and flatness. The ground must be level along the whole line where the track channel is laid; on a slope the leaf will move on its own and the wheel assembly wears out early. Within Ankara, our free site survey lets us measure that line on site and settle on the right size together.

What Determines the Cost of a Sliding Gate?

The first factor in the cost of a sliding gate is size. As the width grows, both the running meters of profile and the profile section needed for the leaf to carry itself increase; a 600 cm leaf is not simply a 400 cm leaf scaled up.

The second factor is profile wall thickness and section. Two gates of the same size are priced noticeably differently, and last differently, according to the wall thickness of the box section used. The third is the infill type: sheet cladding involves more material and more labour than a mesh panel infill. The fourth is hardware; the quality of the wheel assembly, the track profile, the top guide rollers and the choice of lock all feed directly into the total.

On top of that, quantity (more than one gate on the same project), delivery point and installation requirement affect the price. Delivery is charged and varies with distance; deliveries within Ankara are subject to a freight charge as well. Installation is not a standard service; our teams attend site on perimeter projects of approximately 1000 metres and above. All prices include VAT.

How Is It Installed?

Installed properly, a sliding gate gives years of trouble-free service; rushed, it produces the single most common complaint of all, the gate that scrapes. The sequence is as follows:

1. Ground slab: a continuous concrete base is poured along the line the leaf opens and closes over. The concrete has to be at least twice the leaf width in length and fully set; track is never laid on fresh concrete.
2. Laying the track channel: the track profile is set on the concrete perfectly horizontal, checked with a spirit level. No difference in level is left anywhere along the run.
3. Fixing the track: the track is anchored or welded down to the concrete via plates. The fixing centres must be even, and no step in height may be left where track lengths are joined.
4. Setting the posts: the gate posts are concreted in so that they take the load in both the open and the closed position. If the posts are not plumb, the leaf will sit crooked when it closes.
5. Setting the leaf on its track: the wheel assembly is placed on the track, the leaf is lowered onto it and it is checked for free travel.
6. Top guide rollers: the top rollers that stop the leaf tipping over are mounted to the post; the leaf should pass through with a slight clearance, without binding.
7. Stops and lock: the open and closed travel stops are fitted, the padlock bolt is adjusted, and the gate is opened and closed repeatedly for final adjustment.

Maintenance and Service Life

Two things decide how long a sliding gate lasts: the integrity of the paint and the cleanliness of the track. An electrostatically powder coated surface holds up outdoors for many years; but if the paint cracks where the gate has taken a knock, that spot will start to rust in the open air. Touching in scratches and impact marks with repair paint in the same RAL shade is the most effective protection there is.

Gravel, soil and packed snow and ice building up in the track channel make the gate hard to move and wear the wheels. Sweeping the track line out or blowing it clear with compressed air once a month is enough. The wheel bearings should be greased once a year, and the bolts and anchor fixings checked over. With that simple maintenance, a box section sliding gate will give many years of service.

Türkiye-Wide Shipping and Delivery

AnkaraTel ships from its base in Ostim to every province in Türkiye by courier and freight. A sliding gate is a bulky, heavy product, so shipping is planned as part-load or full-truck according to the size and the quantity. If you give us the delivery address before ordering, we will settle on the most suitable transport method and lead time together.

Delivery is charged; the freight cost is not included in the price, and that applies to deliveries within Ankara as well. In Ankara and the surrounding area our site survey is free: our team comes to site, measures the gate position and the perimeter run, and determines the right product and size. Installation is not within the standard scope; on perimeter projects of approximately 1000 metres and above our installation team works on site. On smaller jobs the gate is delivered with installation instructions and can be put up by your local fabricator. If your project also calls for a double swing gate alongside the sliding gate, we can send them in a single shipment and bring the freight cost down.