Choosing the right automatic doors for high-traffic entrances is about more than simply selecting a door that opens automatically. Busy commercial and public buildings need an entrance system that can handle frequent use while providing safe, accessible and efficient movement for everyone using the building.
From supermarkets and hospitals to schools, offices and transport facilities, the best automatic door will depend on factors including pedestrian traffic, available space, the required opening width and the layout of the entrance.
So, which type of automatic door is best for a high-traffic entrance?
The three main options are automatic sliding doors, automatic swing doors and automatic folding doors. Each has advantages depending on the building and its requirements.
What Makes an Automatic Door Suitable for High Traffic?
A high-traffic entrance may be used hundreds or even thousands of times each day. The automatic door system therefore needs to provide reliable operation while allowing people to enter and exit smoothly without creating unnecessary congestion.
When choosing an automatic door for a busy entrance, consider:
- The volume of pedestrian traffic
- The available space around the entrance
- The width of the required opening
- Accessibility requirements
- Safety and sensor technology
- The building’s layout and intended use
- Exposure to wind and weather
- Whether access control needs to be integrated
The right choice of automatic doors for high-traffic entrances should be assessed on the requirements of the individual building rather than simply choosing the most popular option.
Automatic Sliding Doors for High-Traffic Entrances
For many busy commercial entrances, automatic sliding doors are an excellent choice. They are particularly well suited to buildings where maintaining a smooth flow of pedestrians is a priority.
Automatic sliding doors are widely used in retail, healthcare, education and commercial buildings. They open horizontally rather than into the entrance area, helping to maximise usable space around the doorway.
They can also be configured in different ways depending on the required opening. Single sliding doors can provide an effective solution where space is restricted, while double sliding doors part in the centre to provide a wider opening. Telescopic sliding doors can provide an even larger opening where space is limited to one side.
For particularly busy entrances, the ability to provide a wide, unobstructed opening can help reduce congestion and allow pedestrians to move through the entrance efficiently.
Sliding doors can also incorporate radar motion sensors and infrared presence sensors, helping to provide hands-free access while supporting safe operation.
Where are automatic sliding doors suitable?
Automatic sliding doors are particularly suitable for:
- Supermarkets and retail premises
- Hospitals and healthcare facilities
- Transport facilities
- Large offices
- Public buildings
- Other entrances with consistently high pedestrian traffic
They can also integrate with access control, fire alarm and building management systems where required.
Learn more about J Manny’s automatic sliding doors.
Automatic Swing Doors for Busy Entrances
Automatic swing doors can also be an effective solution for high-traffic commercial entrances, particularly where a sliding system is impractical or there is limited space for a sliding mechanism.
They are one of the most common types of automatic doors in the UK and can be installed as single or double doors.
One of the key advantages of automatic swing doors is their flexibility. They can be installed onto new door sets or, where suitable, retrofitted to existing manual doors. This can make them particularly useful for refurbishments and buildings where replacing the complete entrance is not practical.
Automatic swing doors can also be configured with different operator arrangements, including on-door and in-head operators. Battery backup systems can also be incorporated to provide a means of exit during a power failure where appropriate.
Where are automatic swing doors suitable?
They can be particularly useful in:
- Offices
- Schools and educational buildings
- Healthcare facilities
- Care homes
- Commercial buildings
- Refurbishment projects
However, the available space around the door needs to be considered carefully. Unlike sliding doors, a swing door requires clearance for the door leaf to open and close.
Automatic Folding Doors for High-Traffic Entrances
Automatic folding doors offer another option where space is one of the main challenges.
Rather than sliding along a track or swinging into the surrounding area, folding doors concertina into a smaller footprint. This can make them particularly useful where a conventional swing door would open onto a footpath or where there isn’t enough space for a traditional sliding arrangement.
Automatic folding doors can also be beneficial in exposed or windy locations. Their folding action can help avoid the “sail effect” that can affect swing doors in strong winds or wind tunnel locations.
Single and double folding configurations are available, with double systems providing a larger central opening for pedestrian movement.
Where are automatic folding doors suitable?
They can be a practical choice for:
- High street entrances
- Commercial buildings with restricted space
- Busy public entrances
- Buildings exposed to strong winds
- Entrances where a swing door cannot safely open into the surrounding area
Which Automatic Door Is Best for Your Entrance?
There isn’t one automatic door system that is best for every high-traffic entrance, so the right automatic doors for high-traffic entrances will depend on the building and its requirements.
Automatic sliding doors are often an excellent choice where there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic and a wide, unobstructed entrance is required. Their ability to provide efficient two-way movement makes them particularly suitable for retail, healthcare and other busy public buildings.
Automatic swing doors can be a better option where space or the existing building layout makes sliding doors impractical. They are also useful for retrofit projects and smaller commercial entrances.
Automatic folding doors are particularly useful where available space is restricted or where wind exposure makes a conventional swing door less suitable.
The entrance itself should therefore be assessed before deciding which system to install.
Don’t Forget Safety and Accessibility
Automatic doors for high-traffic entrances need to be designed with safety and accessibility in mind. Automatic doors should provide convenient, hands-free access without creating unnecessary risks for pedestrians.
At J Manny, automatic door installations are designed around the requirements of the individual site. Systems can incorporate activation and safety sensors, including radar motion sensors and infrared presence detection, to help prevent doors from closing when an obstruction is detected.
Automatic pedestrian doors should also be installed and maintained in accordance with the relevant safety requirements, including BS EN 16005.
A professional site assessment can help determine the appropriate door configuration, sensors and operating controls for the building.
Choosing Automatic Doors for High-Traffic Entrances
When selecting automatic doors for high-traffic entrances, it is important to consider the whole entrance rather than just the door itself.
The expected pedestrian flow, available space, required opening width, accessibility requirements and surrounding environment can all influence which system is most appropriate.
J Manny supplies, installs and maintains automatic sliding, swing and folding doors for commercial and public buildings throughout the UK. Our engineers can assess your entrance and recommend an automatic door system designed around your building and its expected footfall.
If you’re unsure which type of automatic door is right for your premises, contact J Manny today to discuss your requirements and request a quotation.