Guide for Barrier, Swing and Slide gate selection

Automatic barrier arm gates
are simple to install and best used for high traffic access control entry/ exit  points. They are used for vehicle access control and not for controlling pedestrian access. They come fully assembled except that the boom arm must be attached once the base is bolted down. Once supplied with power usually 120 to 240VAC or solar they are ready for operation with safety devices.
Summary-
Use an automatic barrier gate opener to control vehicle traffic at entry and exit points for commercial facilities, parking lots and other places where restricting pedestrians can be done by other means if needed.

Manual barrier gates are hand operated and counterbalanced with weights or springs. They are a good choice for areas that are accessed on a regular basis but not practical to be operated continuously. Since they require no power they can be installed quickly and they are an economical alternative to an automatic barrier arm gate.
Summary-
Use a manual barrier gate with boom arms up to 32 ft long to close off areas to vehicles and shorter boom arm manual barrier gates for guard use or regular operation. Also use in places where it is not practical to supply electricity.

Bollards are best suited to restrict vehicle access while still allowing easy pedestrian access. They are normally used to restrict access to walkways, parks and open areas from vehicles.  Automatic bollards are not normally designed for high use and require more maintenance than automatic barrier gates. There are two main categories of bollards:
Crash-rated bollards.
The crash rating is certified by a testing company that actually crashes a truck into a bollard to measure the distance that it takes the bollard to stop the truck. Because crash rated bollards are very heavily built they are only available in automatic or fixed models.  The fixed bollard is basically a large diameter thick wall pipe embedded in a large concrete foundation. The automatic bollard is commonly hydraulically operated and extends from and retracts to ground level. Installation requires a large concrete foundation and electrical power. Prices for automatic crash-rated bollards range from $25,000 to 35,000 each plus the cost of installation.

Non-crash rated bollards are available in fixed, removable, manually retractable and automatic operation.  They are available in a variety of materials and are about 1/10 the cost of a crash-rated bollard.
Summary- Use bollards where vehicle access needs to be restricted , but welcoming pedestrian access is desired.  Non crash rated bollards offer a good variety of configurations for any needed commercial use.

Swing and sliding gates are best used to keep vehicles and pedestrians out of or in a designated area. One feature of this kind of installation is that the opening and closing speeds of the operator are slow, but they do offer higher security. The site installation cost may be substantial and ETL or UL safety requirements must be met to avoid injury or liability.   The installation will require excavation, metal fabrication of the gate and concrete foundations for the gate.  This type of installation cannot keep up with a line of cars waiting to enter a facility.
Summary- Use for residential / commercial installations, HOAs , apartments, condos, residential  etc. where high speed operation is not needed.