Driveway entrance gates

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by Joel M, Jan 7, 2019.

  1. Joel M

    Joel M New Member

    Evening all,

    Wonder if anyone can help?

    I'm having a new drive put in with brick pillars for automated gates.

    I'm just wondering if the proposed pillars will be strong enough. They will be;

    2.5 bricks wide and 2.5 bricks long (square shape)
    1.8 meter tall plus pier cap
    Distance between the pillars will be 4 meters.
    Each gate leaf will be 2.25 meters wide, 1.8 meter high weigh roughly 220kg each.

    It's been proposed to strengthen the pillars with rebar and then concrete fill.

    Would this be sufficient?

    Thank you!
     
  2. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select

    Not a structural engineer but I would think you would need steel within the pillars, that's a lot of weight you're proposing.
     
  3. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Concrete in RSJ or steel bos section. needs to be probably 4' in ground, to take loads of gates, then build brick pier around it, is my ususal method.
     
  4. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Seen this method done, nice and strong!
     
    KIAB likes this.
  5. Joel M

    Joel M New Member

    Yeah im thinking it may be best to play it safe with the rsj instead of rebar. What size rsj would you recommend for a 1.8 meter pillar?
     
  6. Isitreally

    Isitreally Super Member

    In this situation the brickwork should be purely decorative.

    As KIAB has said a steel SRI cast into a suitible concrete foundation at least a M3 with the gate hinges welded on to the steel and carried through the brickwork.

    It also sounds like you are hanging the gates either on the front or rear of piers. Why??

    column_specs1.jpg


    Like this but more concrete.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2019
    stuart44 and KIAB like this.
  7. Joel M

    Joel M New Member

    Thanks for that.

    I want to hang them on the back to maximise the opening. I also want to install a flush mounted intercom on the inside edge.
     
  8. Isitreally

    Isitreally Super Member


    What openers are you thinking of using.
     
  9. Joel M

    Joel M New Member

    Not entirely sure yet. Looking at the CAME kits. They'll be above ground though, not underground.
     
  10. Isitreally

    Isitreally Super Member


    Above ground kits might struggle to fit with the gates on the rear of the piers, especially as your piers are quite small.
     
  11. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Spot on. [​IMG]
     
  12. Severntrent

    Severntrent Screwfix Select

    Doing a quick calc based on dims of 300mm square concrete column the max bending moment that this could take is about 8KNm, the bending moment caused by a gate of that weight, with someone weighing 75kg swinging on the end of it would be about 5KNm, Therefore with the correct reinforcement the gate could be hung from this structure. The design of foundations to cater for the overturning moment acting on the column is another matter
     
    Dam0n and KIAB like this.
  13. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Your looking at a sizable lump of concrete for foundations for that RSJ,as to it's depth,I would be looking at 4' minimum,all depends on ground conditions.
     
  14. Severntrent

    Severntrent Screwfix Select

    Agreed all depends on ground conditions, but depth depends on foundation design i.e big blob of concrete in sand with high water table or 4ft square slab founded on rock. "Horses for courses" or "we have always done it this way and never had a problem"
     
    KIAB likes this.
  15. Joel M

    Joel M New Member

    Thankfully I got the weight wrong and they're not as heavy. We're looking at 168.83kgs total.. I think.

    I think it's better to go with the RSJ and welded hinges so I'm also going to need a fabricator.

    Just trying to get my head around how you would know how long the hinge/arms coming off the RSJ/beam need to be, so everything lines up. If anyone's done this, how do you do that? Cheers
     
  16. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

  17. blarblarblarblar

    blarblarblarblar Active Member

    #3 is all you need to know.
     
  18. Isitreally

    Isitreally Super Member

  19. Joel M

    Joel M New Member

    Turning into a nightmare!! The joiner making the gates said concrete, rebar and drilling into the concrete then resin fixing in the fixings would be fine but I'm not sure. I want to use the RSJ method as said above.

    What I can't figure out is how would I know the length of metal bar needed to connect the gate hook plate to the RSJ. Please see the terrible drawing ive done!

    Is there a special type of hinge I can use or something? It's a 2.5 brick pillar.

    Once the pillars are in and the fixings on, I can get the joiners to measure them and produce the gate.

    Thank you again for all the help
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Isitreally

    Isitreally Super Member


    Do you know what hinges you are using on the gates. ??

    Once thats know we can go from there.
     
    Joel M likes this.

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