Easy Addition of ADA-Compliant Door Operators Provide East Building Access for All

LOCATION

Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR

OBJECTIVE

To customize unwired openings to offer maximum accessibility and reduce door damage

OVERVIEW

Arkansas State University (ASU) is a renowned public research university and the second largest university in the state. With a student body of over 14,000, the university’s facilities and maintenance teams needed a reliable, ADA-compliant method of operating main entrances, restroom doors, and other high traffic openings.

Arkansas State University’s Disability Services are focused on creating a barrier-free environment for students and staff with disabilities. To truly enable this vision, the university needed to eliminate physical obstacles that could impede access to higher education.

One of the primary physical challenges faced by students with disabilities was the use of entryways or doors. Persons using wheelchairs or motorized scooters would have to push through the opening using their vehicle, increasing the potential for personal injury or inadvertently damaging the door. The university’s Facilities Management team was looking for an ADA-compliant solution that could be easily retrofitted onto existing openings in administrative, academic, and student services buildings.

SOLUTION

As one of the world’s only regenerative power door operators, the Grade 1 certified Norton Rixson 5800 Series operator is available as a stand-alone or powered operator that easily opens a door at the touch of a button. It features a compact footprint that can be installed in even the tightest of spaces and offers an excellent choice for retrofit applications.

After an initial test, the team was impressed with the simplicity of the 5800 Series’ installation onto the university’s existing doors and the ability to easily retrofit in any type of situation, including the ability to install the operator on doors with very limited space. The university now plans to install additional Norton Rixson operators onto the doors of new construction projects at the university.

“Ease of entry and exit for all was a top requirement for ASU, so we addressed this by recommending simple to operate, power-assisted door controls. Unfortunately, many of their doors have only basic functionality, meaning that the doors have no electrical power. So we needed to find a suitable solution that works with what they already had. We’ve had customers work with other brands of automatic door openers in the past, but we always seem to have issues with them. The ASU maintenance staff and their locksmith seem pleased with the Norton Rixson products because they’re very convenient, especially when power is not available.”

Benefits of the 5800 Series door operator

• ADA-compliant operator opens door at the touch of a button
• Regenerative power system eliminates need for electrical power
• GreenCircle-certified to reduce energy consumption by up to 100%
• Easy to install and operate
• Ideal for retrofit applications

Interested in learning more about our ADA-compliant hardware solutions? Check out our interactive solutions page.