If you ask the guy whose job is the gate installation, which is the messiest and most complicated job, probably the answer will be the concrete job for the base of the cantilever sliding gates. Additionally, it is a critical job. Because if it is done wrong, the whole project can be ruined.
Issues
Usually, when casting a concrete base, you must consider several things: where the gate opener’s base plate or mounting plate must be embedded, where power and control cables must be routed, and the position for anchor bolts for holding roller carriages (Picture 1). And above all, the base top must be on the right level. You must do it by yourself or outsource this job only to reliable subcontractors.
Also, timing can become an issue. The concrete job must be done in advance. For that moment, you must have at least a gate opener mounting plate to embed it into concrete. The roller carriages are coming along with the gate, several weeks later.
How To
Luckily, there is a quite effective remedy to ease life. By using the gate operator platform, you can save time on installation and have plenty of space for tolerance. There are only two things to consider. First is the length of the base, which correlates with the driveway width. And the second is – weight. The base acts as a counterbalance to keep the gate structure stable. The required minimal weight is 800 kg, and the recommended weight is about 1,000 kg. The concrete weight is about 2,100 kg/m³; consequently, to cast the base, half a cubic metre is enough.
The platform consists of two parts (Picture 2). The platform’s bottom part (in green shade) is fixed above the carriage’s bottom plate using the same stud bolts. And the top part (in blue shade) is fixed to the bottom part using M8 bolts. Both parts are designed to allow extensive adjustment to accommodate almost any gate opener.
We recommend using M16 stud bolts and chemical anchoring for roller carriage fixation to the concrete base.
Tips
Use the mounting plate provided with the gate opener as a stencil to drill fixation holes on the top part of the platform. You can use a mounting plate or fit opener directly to the platform.
If the overall adjustment height is insufficient for an opener’s cogwheel to reach the gate cog bar, you can use low-profile DIN 439 bolts, which are 8 mm high, to lift the platform. (Picture 3).
If the concrete base is cast too low, use an extended threaded steel rod to fit the roller carriage at the proper height, as shown in Picture 4. Due to the lightweight aluminium gate, you can extend stud bolts up to 10 cm.
The pictures are for guidance only. The stud bolt length and the concrete base size must be determined based on the actual site conditions.
