Turnstar’s Speedgate Express complements the Department of Environmental Affairs’ new green facilities
Very aptly, the new Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) head office in Pretoria is the first government building to receive a 6 Star Green Star SA rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). The 30 654 m2 building was constructed over a 22-month contract period and is designed to operate optimally over the next 25 years to ensure that it stays green during its lifespan.
One of the primary focuses in the project brief was the stipulation that the energy consumption in the building should not exceed 115 kWh/m2 per annum. Modelling of the building was necessary to ensure that the optimal orientation was in place. Solar photovoltaic panels supply almost 20% of the building’s energy needs and a sophisticated building management system and a facilities management system will ensure that energy usage is minimised.
As an example set by the DEA to the South African community, all suppliers were required to ensure that their products are geared around environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. Turnstar’s Speedgate Express was selected for its superior design and engineering.
The DEA selected three Speedgate Express units to be installed at the main entrance to the property. Two of the Speedgate lanes have a walkthrough width of 550 mm and the third lane is
900 mm wide to accommodate wheelchairs, pushchairs and other special needs.
The ultra-heavy-duty, high-speed motor drive and gearbox are designed and engineered to ensure both eco sensitivity and longevity of the motor in the Speedgate Express. Aside from any unnecessary time delays being avoided, this combination provides the unit with a longer life cycle, which in turn reduces the environmental impact.
Not only is environmentally friendliness a major concern and prerequisite for the DEA, but ensuring the seamless flow of pedestrian traffic through the main entrance is important to ensure that bottlenecks do not occur. The Speedgate allows for ultra-high-speed access of 1 second for opening or closing, which is achieved through a combination of a motion detection sensor array, a heavy-duty motor and a built-in intelligent PLC controller. The motion detector sensor dynamically follows the pedestrian through the Speedgate Express and together with a highly sophisticated anti-tamper detection capability, ensures that there is no tailgating, unauthorised directional flow or crawling. Another advantage of this design is the added safety feature provided that prevents the closing of the glass wings when a pedestrian or object is within the closing envelope.
The cabinet of the Speedgate Express is manufactured in attractive and durable 304 grade brushed stainless steel. All elements are 3D designed and components are precision cut using a laser cutter. In order to ensure full operational quality and aesthetic appeal, the units are hand-made using expert welding and polishing techniques. LED lane status and direction indicator lights provide visible feedback on each unit. The glass wings of the Speedgate Express are constructed from 8 mm toughened glass for enhanced safety and the direct motor mount technology eliminates any linkages or bearings which could be prone to failure.
Sustained reliability was another prerequisite of the DEA’s order. All Turnstar products are designed by professional engineers and the company uses cutting edge technology in its 7 700m2 capacity facility to provide customers with the ultimate in operational longevity, as exhibited by the Speedgate Express.