Choosing a Gooseneck Pedestal Pole, Post, or Bollard

When you want to mount a card reader, intercom, gate opener keypad or other access control device at a door entrance or driveway gate, you'll likely need what's called a gooseneck pedestal, post, pole, or bollard. These pedestal poles have a face plate with universal hole patterns that will enable mounting this type of equipment.

When looking for a pole, the gauge of the steel is critical. You'll want a pole made of heavy duty steel with 0.120 inch walls. Most pole manufacturers use thinner 0.074 thick walls which is 62% less steel. In fact, with the right steel, they can survive sustained Category 5 hurricane force winds of 157 mph.

The finish on a pole is another one of the important factors. If the finish isn't superb then the lifetime of the pole will be very limited. The steel first needs to be properly cleaned and pre-treated with a rust inhibitor. Then you want it to be powder coated with an outdoor rated polyester finish with UV protectant.

There are lots of styles of poles available for various needs. The first thing to decide is whether you want to mount the pole on a concrete pad, or whether you want to dig a hole, insert the pole, and pour concrete in. See the installation instruction graphic below for more details on this.

Next is the pole height. Will vehicles be pulling up to the pole or is it for foot traffic? What type of vehicles? Are they cars, trucks, or both? Check out the vehicle height chart below for recommended pole height. There are multi-height poles that can handle both if you can put two pieces of equipment on a pole. Or you can install a pole that comes somewhere in between two vehicle sizes.

Watch the video below for more info on how to choose the best type of pole for you.

Also check out the poles available on IntercomsOnline.com here: Pedestal Pole