An access control solution from Access Control Technology (ACT) is being used on the main crossing points between England and South Wales. The two bridge crossings are the (suspension) Severn Bridge and the (cable-stayed) Second Severn Crossing.
The client, Severn River Crossing PLC, needed to be able to create a hierarchical access control system in which a user’s rights to enter specific areas of the two bridges could be based on seniority, job profile, date and even time of day.
Severn River Crossing opted for versatile smart-card technology by using ACTpro DESFire EV1 1040 proximity reader, a panel-mount unit which will read serial numbers from any MIFARE card and can produce ‘Clock & Data’ or ‘Weigand’ output. It can be used both indoors and outdoors.
The bridges are using various door controllers including the ACTpro 4000. This is a two-door controller that can extend to a total of 16 doors via ACTpro door stations. In turn up to 250 ACTpro 4000s may be networked via a PC interface to facilitate up to 4,000 doors. The ACTpro 4000 can support 60,000 users.