Bridging Science and Gate Design
Gates have been around as long as humans have been building. A Canaanite gate dating back around 3,850 years was uncovered by archeologists in Israel in the early 1990s. It’s wood and stone construction was used to fortify an ancient port city.
However, cantilever slide gates are a modern development. Their design allows for larger openings to be enclosed without the use of tracks or wheels on the ground. Cantilever gates are sandwiched between covered wheels on posts (usually installed in the adjacent fence,) or its frame runs on post and/or ground mounted hardware. But nothing of the gate touches the ground when closed. It is in essence a rigid beam supported at one end which allows the other side to be suspended through the opening.
To function cantilever gates need a tail, an extension of the gate. When supported correctly the tail allows the other end to float. A tail is roughly half of the length of the opening. A 30-ft opening would require about a 45-ft long gate.
Applied physics and engineering in bridge construction, most notably the Forth Bridge in Scotland, are the reason cantilever gates are possible. When finished in 1890, the Forth Bridge was Britain’s 1st all-steel bridge. At the time it was also the world’s longest spanning cantilever bridge at nearly 8,300-ft. And its creation established the working structural concept used in today’s cantilever gates.
Pictured: Tahoe Fence chain link cantilever slide gate for automated access control in Silver Springs (Lyon County.) 2025
Special thanks to Awaxx Systems for providing the gate operator and accessories!
