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Turnstiles manage the smooth flow of people

With over 130 installations at sports stadia and race tracks in the UAE, the Far East, South America, Australia, Europe and Africa, Gunnebo can be considered a specialist in application-specific turnstile access systems. The recent completion of the Bahrain National Stadium, Bahrain’s Shaikh Khalifa Sports City and the King Saud University Stadium in Saudi Arabia added to the company’s extensive experience and knowledge base.

Gunnebo Africa’s general sales manager for entrance control, Thomas Porquet, pointed out that in most instances, the entrance control equipment such as turnstiles is only considered late in the stadium development project. The Bahrain National Stadium was a pre-existing venue that was upgraded to host the 2013 Football Gulf Cup of Nations events. The installation called for the supply of 31 RotaTech FH (full height) Stadia turnstiles to accommodate the 20 000 to 50 000 spectators expected at events.

The Shaikh Khalifa Sports City was a new venue which used 14 RotaTech FH Stadia turnstiles. The King Saud University Stadium order for 32 RotaTech FH Stadia turnstiles was based on the successful implementation of the turnstiles at the other two stadia.

The RotaTech FH Stadia turnstiles are hand-operated bidirectional turnstiles with a choice of finishes in powder coated, galvanised or brushed stainless steel. The turnstile arm spacing is designed to ensure a single entry/exit per legitimate activation signal.

In all instances the turnstiles perform two critical functions. “Firstly, one needs to regulate the flow of pedestrian traffic in an orderly fashion to reduce the time taken for each person to enter or leave the stadium. Secondly, the installation of turnstiles ensures that only validated ticket holders will gain access to the stadium. Should their ticket be counterfeit, they will be unable to pass through the turnstile,” said Porquet.

“The first step in ensuring maximised traffic through-flow is to assess the physical site and capacity of the stadium. This allows one to determine the most strategic positioning of turnstiles and the type of turnstile required. All Gunnebo and Alltech by Gunnebo stadia turnstiles are designed, manufactured and supplied in accordance with FIFA’s stringent regulations,” he continued.

“There will always be some customisation of the turnstiles we supply as the needs of the ticketing system agents vary from stadium to stadium. It is therefore imperative that close communication between the architect, the construction or electrical contractor, the ticketing system company and the turnstile manufacturer is maintained,” added Porquet.

“It cannot be over-emphasised that proactive steps taken from all stakeholders involved in the design, commissioning, automated fare collection (AFC) and turnstile providers to engage as early as possible in the overall process will both enhance the project and will most likely reduce the overall costs. Engaging with architects to advise on various options for maximising ergonomics, people flow and sleek integration of turnstile solutions into the overall concept of the stadium is one of our main strengths,’’ said Porquet.

Alltech is a brand of the Gunnebo Security Group which is present in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

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