Safety Grating Catalog

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Every year industrial accidents – falls, tripping over debris, slipping on wet or greasy surfaces – cost millions of dollars in lost manhours and production. By reducing accidents, insurance costs can frequently be decreased. GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating helps reduce accident rates by providing a safer walking-working surface than other grating products. Its serrated surface gives maximum slip protection and performance under practically all conditions and in every direction.

The serrated surface is designed in an open diamond pattern. This allows drainage of fluids, mud, chips and other accident-causing debris. 

In addition to safety, the resilient surface of GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating cushions the impact of footfalls thereby lessening worker fatigue and increasing efficiency. GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating is your best safety buy. These cost-cutting and production-improving advantages spell out why:

SAFER, SERRATED SURFACE – Grips soles securely – in all directions – in practically every place. These non-slip GRIP STRUT® Grating surfaces are ideal for inside or outside locations where mud, ice, snow, oil and detergents can create hazardous walking conditions. Openings are small enough to catch most falling tools and other dangerous objects.

MAINTENANCE-FREE OPEN DESIGN – Permits quick drainage of fluids, chips, grease and mud. Any ice accumulation shears easily under normal foot pressure. Open design allows convenient access for cleaning. It is easily
cleaned with brush, liquid or air spray to minimize overall maintenance.

HIGH LOAD CAPACITY, LONG LIFE – High strength-to-weight performance is achieved through depth of section and structural design. Bridged struts with integral side channels form a plank that can support loads with minimum transverse and longitudinal deflection. This sturdy construction provides the advantages of heavy load-carrying capacity with minimal deflection; rugged durability with longer-lasting performance.

FAST INSTALLATION – Light, easy-to-handle planks make installation simple and quick. They can be handled by one man. Most sections are rapidly bolted, clamped or welded into place, easily field-cut at virtually any angle, or fabricated to adapt to field conditions. Several attachment devices permit fastening to most existing surfaces allowing for fast installation or disassembly.

ECONOMICAL TO INSTALL, USE – In addition to low material cost and nominal erection cost, GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating also saves with its long-lasting, rust-resisting materials and finishes. Standard mill- galvanized finish resists corrosion to provide lasting surfaces. High-strength aluminum and Types 304 and 316L stainless steel
are available to provide maximum corrosion resistance. Black unpainted steel is available for installations requiring hot dipped galvanized finish after fabrication. These lightweight but brawny panels permit a substantial reduction in structural steel requirements. The open design is self-cleaning and virtually maintenance free.

VERSATILE IN APPLICATION – A variety of Standard widths and channel heights combine with numerous Non-Standard shapes and sizes to meet almost any requirement of strength, size, durability, weight, finish, appearance and application. GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating combines safety and durability with ease of fabrication and versatility. One piece construction minimizes the need for plant fabrication. Special shapes and forming can be accomplished to suit 5/16" unusual requirements.

It’s simple and economical to apply finish coatings because all surfaces are accessible to brush or spray. GRIP STRUT® Grating may be hot dipped galvanized after fabrication, anodized, plated, plastic-coated or otherwise finished to suit job requirements.

SERRATED GRIP STRUT GRATING – Standard Serrated Surface offers excellent slip resistance wherever maximum safety underfoot is essential. Material meets anti-slip values set forth in Federal Specification RR-G-1602A.

NON-SERRATED GRIP STRUT GRATING – For all-purpose use where a high degree of slip resistance is required plus a smoother texture and design. Product is non-stock and subject to extended lead time.

Proof of Performance

Tested by an independent laboratory for slip resistance according to standards and methods established by Federal Specification RR-G-1602D, GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating proved its superiority by exceeding all requirements of this specification. The standards were exacting – five shoe sole materials tested in three directions under five conditions: dry, greasy, muddy, soapy and icy. GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating tested 10% to 180% more slip-resistant than similar materials, depending on shoe materials and surface conditions.

Fewer accidents, with resultant lower insurance costs and reduced workman’s compensation losses, should be the logical reason for specifying GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating for walking-working surfaces and stair treads. Values determined in accordance with standards for  slip-resistance established by Federal Specification RR-G-1602D. The values indicated are an average of values obtained for five sole materials (leather, boot rubber, shoe rubber, Neolite and Hypalon) tested in three directions (longitudinally, transversely and diagonally) for the surface conditions noted. Values are in pounds of force necessary to move a 175 lb. load one inch across the surface of grating.

How to Read Load Tables

GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating, determine load, clear span and deflection requirements. Having this information, select from load table the appropriate plank to meet job requirements. Example: Clear span of 4’-O”, concentrated load requirement of 300 Ib. at 0.25” max. deflection. Select from
the tables following:

For eight-diamond 18-3/4” wide, 2-1/2” channel, 12-ga. steel which carries a load of 416 Ib. at a 0.18” deflection. This is one size to do the job. Other sizes will carry more load if necessary. For more economical selection, choose the greatest width that will support the load consistent with job requirements and choose deeper channels rather than heavier steel gauges.

GRIP STRUT® Safety Grating will generally carry the same concentrated load, tabulated in Ib. at mid-span, for a given span, material gauge and channel height, regardless of width. (See “How load tables were prepared” described below.) The uniform load tables are tabulated in lb. sq. ft., which accounts for the difference in load capacity shown for various widths. Deflection is in inches.

HOW LOAD TABLES WERE PREPARED – The values shown in the following tables are based on actual load tests conducted by an independent laboratory. The tables have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the AISI Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members, 1968 edition. To ensure the safety of the tabulated loads, two aspects of GRIP STRUT® Grating strength must be considered.

The first consideration is transverse bending in the grating surface, which is referred to as strut flexure. This occurs when the  grating is loaded with either a uniform load or a mid-width concentrated load, and the struts (grating surface) deflect relative to the side channels. To determine the allowable strut loads, samples of each grating material and thickness were tested for each plank width. (See Fig. 1, below) The data resulting from these tests was used to prepare strut loading tables, which give allowable loads and deflections considering strut flexure only. These allowable strut loads, along with the results of additional tests performed on 8- and 10-Diamond grating, have been incorporated in the load tables on page 22.

The second aspect of GRIP STRUT Grating strength is channel flexure. This occurs when the channels at mid-span of the plank deflect relative to support points. To verify the performance of the side channels, samples were loaded with concentrated and uniform loads at different spans (See Figs. 2 and 3). To approximate the most severe condition, there were no attachments between the channels and the supports. In cases where spans are shorter, channels deeper and planks wider, strut flexure becomes more critical.

3-, 4- AND 5-DIAMOND ALLOWABLE LOAD AND DEFLECTION TABLES –Since 2-through 5-Diamond planks are relatively narrow (less than 1 ft. wide), it can be assumed that both side channels effectively support the concentrated load and that the grating surface deflection is negligible. Based upon these assumptions, values in the following load tables for 2- through 5-Diamond have been determined.

ALLOWABLE UNIFORM LOAD (U) – Values indicated in the rows adjacent to “U” are the lowest of the (1) maximum allowable uniform loads considering channel flexure and (2) maximum grating surface flexure.

DEFLECTION CORRESPONDING TO “U” – Deflection values are indicated below the uniform loads and are the mid-span side channel deflections for the planks carrying the allowable uniform loads (Fig. 3).

ALLOWABLE CONCENTRATED LOAD (C) – Values indicated in the rows labeled “C” are the lowest of the (1) maximum allowable concentrated load considering channel flexure (Fig. 2), with both channels effective, and (2) the maximum allowable strut load (Cs) for a 1-ft. long sample (Fig. 1).

DEFLECTION CORRESPONDING TO “C” – Deflection values indicated below “C” values in the tables are the mid-span, side channel deflections produced when the allowable concentrated load is placed at mid-span.

If grating surface deflection should be considered when selecting a product to meet a particular specification, then the deflection of the mid-width of the grating, relative to the side channels, can be calculated using both the data in the Strut Loading Tables and the Load Deflection Conversion formula below.

Load data based on yield strength of 33,000 psi for steel, 23,000 psi for aluminum, 35,000 psi for Type 304 stainless steel, and 30,000 psi for Type 316L stainless steel.

8 & 10 Diamond Load Tables

As width increases, grating strut flexure becomes much more important. Eight and 10-Diamond products are wide enough to require a change in the assumptions used to prepare the 2-through 5-Diamond Product Selection/Design Tables. No longer will it be assumed that both side channels are equally effective in supporting a concentrated load. In fact, to provide a high level of safety, one side channel will be required to carry 100% of a concentrated load.

Also, strut deflection for 8- and 10-Diamond products may be significant. The most critical case occurs when a concentrated load is located at mid-span and mid-width. To determine how the struts perform under this loading, 3-ft. long samples of each material and thickness were tested. For these tests the side channels were continuously supported and loads were applied using a 1-ft. long and 1-in. wide bar placed parallel to the side channels at mid-width and at the longitudinal center. 

Results of these tests, included in the 8- and 10-Diamond Product Design Tables, proved the performance of these materials when a concentrated load is applied at mid-span and mid-width. If a concentrated load is to be applied at mid-width at the end of a plank, consult the strut loading table.

The following values have been tabulated for 8- and 10-Diamond grating:

ALLOWABLE UNIFORM LOAD (U) – Values are given in the rows labeled “U” and are the lowest of the (1) maximum allowable uniform loads considering channel flexure, and (2) maximum grating surface flexure. 

DEFLECTION CORRESPONDING TO “U” – Deflection values appear in the rows labeled “D”, below the “U” values, and are maximum deflections the allowable uniform loads  would produce. Maximum deflections will occur at mid-span and mid-width and will be the sum of side channel and grating surface deflections. (Fig. 3).

ALLOWABLE CONCENTRATED LOAD (C) – Values tabulated in the rows labeled “C”, are the lowest of the (1) maximum allowable concentrated load considering side channel flexure (with one side channel supporting the entire load-Fig. 2), and (2) the maximum allowable strut flexure (Fig. 1).

DEFLECTION CORRESPONDING TO “C” – Deflection values are indicated below the “C” values in the table and are deflections the allowable concentrated loads will produce at mid-span and at mid-width. The deflection is the sum of side channel and grating surface deflections.

Standard Grip Strut Fasteners 

All gratings must be firmly anchored in place. Welding planks to the supporting structure provides a superior, permanent installation. In areas where welding is not practical, or for installations where the planks must be removable, the diamond anchors or anchor clamp assemblies illustrated below can provide suitable alternatives. 

DIAMOND ANCHORS
Diamond Anchor Catalog #12262 is shaped to fit in the diamond opening. Punched to receive 5/16” carriage head bolt with square shank. Does not include bolts, nuts or washers.

ANCHOR AND CLAMP ASSEMBLY
Clamp prevents grating from shifting on supports. Holds pieces together with or without clearance between panels. All bolts are below top surface of grating. No holes are drilled in supporting members. 

Assembly consists of anchor plate, 2 J-bolts, nuts and washers all electro zinc plated. Option: anchoring device CHANNEL DEPTH can be cadmium plated on special order.