Cantilever versus tracked sliding gates: choose from the ground up
The mistake is choosing a cantilever gate because it looks cleaner, or a tracked gate because the leaf is shorter, before measuring the side space and ground. Both are sliding gates, but they send weight into the site in different ways. That changes the total moving length, foundation, drainage, maintenance and tolerance for snow, gravel or settlement.
A cantilever leaf rides on trolley carriages fixed behind the opening and projects across the driveway without touching it. Its rear counterbalance section makes the moving frame longer than the clear opening. A tracked leaf runs on wheels over a rail fixed across the entrance. It can be shorter overall, but the rail must remain aligned, supported and clear.
The practical comparison
| Question | Cantilever sliding gate | Tracked sliding gate |
|---|---|---|
| Across the opening | No ground rail in the traffic path | Rail crosses the full opening |
| Run-back | Longer because the leaf includes a balancing tail | Usually close to the opening width plus clearances |
| Foundation | Concentrated base for carriages and support post | Continuous, stable support needed for the track |
| Debris and winter | Less sensitive in the opening | Leaves, stones, ice and packed snow can obstruct the rail |
| Frame | Deeper or triangulated rear section is normally visible | Simpler rectangular leaf may be possible |
| Setting out | Carriage geometry controls movement | Rail level and straightness control movement |
Measure the full parking length
Do not compare systems using only the clear driveway width. Measure from the closing post to the last obstruction on the opening side: wall, hedge trunk, utility cabinet, rising bank or neighbour's boundary. A cantilever tail occupies real land when open. The required proportion is a design outcome based on hardware, leaf geometry and loading, not a universal percentage to copy from a diagram.
Check the same corridor at low and high level. A foundation may fit below, while eaves, branches or a wall return collide with the upper frame. Allow for posts, guides, stops, safety devices and access for adjustment. The made to measure steel gates category is the product route, while the knowledge base contains the separate measuring and foundation checks.
A cantilever gate moves the problem beside the opening
Keeping the driveway surface uninterrupted is valuable where heavy traffic, uneven paving, drainage channels, dirt or winter conditions make a rail awkward. The gate is supported on carriages set apart along the rear beam. Those reactions enter a local foundation, and the frame must limit sag and twist through the open and closed positions.
The tradeoff is not only extra steel. The longer leaf is heavier to handle and presents more wind area when solid infill is used. Carriage spacing, guide rollers, receiver and end stop must match one system. Mixing an arbitrary beam with unverified trolleys is not a specification. Ask the gate and automation designer to coordinate hardware, frame, wind exposure, use frequency and foundation.
A tracked gate depends on one straight route
The ground rail distributes support under the leaf and can make efficient use of limited side space. It is often sensible on a level, well-drained entrance where the track can be founded continuously and kept clear. The wheels, rail profile and stops must form a compatible system, and the rail must not become a loose strip fixed only to paving blocks.
Settlement is the quiet risk. If one part of the route sinks, lifts or twists, wheel contact and guide alignment change. A drainage channel crossing the entrance, transition between concrete and paving, or buried service can interrupt support. Map these before choosing tracked. Cleaning access also matters: a narrow groove that traps gravel at the closed position will be used every day, not only during maintenance.
Slope has to be drawn in section
A sliding gate moves horizontally relative to its own support system. If the driveway falls across the opening, a level bottom rail creates a changing gap below it. Following the paving with a sloping gate changes geometry and must be agreed with the hardware and automation design. A cantilever system avoids a ground rail but does not erase the visual gap or the relationship to a sloping closing post.
Survey finished levels along the entire closed and open route. Record drainage falls and high points, not one reading at each post. If paving is not finished, state the future construction and who controls its level. The gate cannot compensate for a surface that is still undefined.
Wind and infill can reverse the easy choice
An open bar infill allows more air through than a solid sheet or closely spaced timber. Privacy therefore increases wind action on leaf, guides, carriages, posts and foundations. Do not choose motor or hardware from leaf weight alone. Dimensions, exposure, solidity, operating speed and duty all influence the completed system.
For motorised gates, foreseeable crushing, impact, shearing, drawing-in and trapping hazards must be addressed by the completed installation. Applicable EN requirements, national law and site risk assessment govern the automation. The fabricator needs agreed motor brackets, rack or drive line, stops, cable routes and safety-device interfaces before the finish is applied. Confirm responsibilities through the ordering and delivery FAQ, because steel fabrication and local commissioning may be separate scopes.
Information to approve before fabrication
- Clear opening and total unobstructed run-back at every height.
- Finished levels through the closed and open positions.
- Cantilever or tracked principle and one compatible hardware system.
- Existing and proposed foundations, paving and drainage.
- Gate height, open or solid infill and site wind exposure.
- Manual operation, immediate automation or future preparation.
- Closing receiver, guides, end stops and pedestrian access.
- Cable ducts and locations of controls and safety devices.
- Corrosion protection, any RAL colour and visible surfaces.
- Who designs, installs, risk assesses and commissions the completed gate.
Choose the cantilever system when an uninterrupted entrance justifies the longer frame and concentrated groundwork. Choose a tracked system when side space is tight and a straight, drainable, maintainable rail can be built. In either case, the correct gate and steel structure begins with the site section, not the catalogue name.