Automated Ground Spikes

High-security vehicle arrest systems that integrate with gates, barriers and access-control workflows.

Request a site assessment Preventative maintenance

Designed around your operation

Commercial performance without shortcuts.

RJL boom gate and ground spikes at a car rental exit lane — RJL project photo

Every RJL solution is planned around traffic flow, security risk, safety obligations, power availability and the way your people use the site every day.

Vehicle arrest system
Integrates with access control
Ideal for high-security sites
Configured for site traffic flow

RJL project delivery

Assessed. Engineered. Installed. Maintained.

Site assessment

We review risk, clearances, traffic, services and access requirements.

Design & fabrication

Our team engineers the right system and fabricates custom components.

Commissioning

Installation, automation, safety setup and operational handover.

Lifetime support

Planned maintenance, rapid response and nationwide portfolio support.

Detailed capability

Choose the system around the site—not from a catalogue alone.

Best suited to

High-security vehicle exit control
Fleet yards, depots and controlled compounds
Entries using gates or boom barriers
Sites requiring a strong one-way deterrent

Available options

Automatic and traffic-sequenced operation
Integration with gates, booms and credentials
Warning signs, signals and safety interlocks
Site-specific manual and emergency modes

What RJL assesses

Traffic direction and authorised vehicle types
Drainage, civil works and underground services
Interlock logic and failure mode
Signage, lighting and driver approach speed

Buyer's guide

Automated ground spikes: what you need to know

Ground spikes are a row of steel teeth set in the road. They lie flat for approved vehicles and rise to puncture tyres if a vehicle tries to go the wrong way or follows without approval.

They are a strong deterrent and work well with a boom gate. They are not crash-rated barriers, and they must be clearly signed, lit and interlocked so they never rise under an approved vehicle.

Pros

Strong visual deterrent against tailgating and wrong-way entry
Lower cost than crash-rated barriers
Works with boom gates, gates and access control
Sits flush when down, so normal traffic drives over it

Cons

Damages tyres, so signage, lighting and slow approach speeds are essential
Not a crash-rated hostile-vehicle barrier
Needs civil works, drainage and cleaning
Safety interlocks must be set up and tested properly

A good fit for your site if

You need to stop vehicles leaving or entering without approval
You have a one-way exit lane
Tailgating through a boom gate is a problem

Look at something else if

Products we pair with ground spikes

Ratings are the manufacturer's published maximums for a well-built gate on level ground. RJL picks a motor with headroom after checking gate weight, wind load, slope and how many times a day the gate runs. Ranges change, so we confirm the current model when we quote.

Gate style or site	Example models	Why it suits
Car park or tenancy lane up to about 4m, high use	CAME GARD GT4 (4m boom, rated 350 cycles an hour) · Roger Technology Agilik AG/004 (4m, brushless) · Roger Technology Bionik BI/004 (4m, brushless) · BFT Michelangelo BT A (24V)	Fast (as quick as 2 seconds on the GT4), built for constant use, battery backup options.
Vehicle detection without cutting the road	Optex OVS-01GT vehicle presence sensor	Mounted above ground. Uses microwave and ultrasonic sensing to detect a stopped vehicle within 5.5m, so it can replace an in-ground loop. Works day and night.
Number plate recognition (ANPR) at gates and booms	Hikvision DS-TCG406-E (4MP access ANPR camera) · Dahua ITC413-PW4D series (access ANPR camera)	Reads plates as the car arrives and opens for approved vehicles. No cards or remotes needed.