WS steel bar grating

What WS grating is

Steel bar grating is an open floor of parallel bearing bars that carry the load between supports and twisted cross bars that are forge-welded into the top of every bearing bar under heat and pressure. The result is a rigid, light panel that drains, ventilates, lets light through and does not collect dirt – the standard flooring for platforms, walkways, stairs, trench covers and plant floors.

Grating is one of World Steel's core products. We make it to the WS code system below, supply it as standard 5800 mm panels or cut to the project layout, and deliver it together with the platforms, stair treads, handrails and support steel of the same package. The complete offer is presented on the WS steel grating solution page.

Standard meshes and panels

Five standard meshes cover most projects. Any bearing bar size can be made in any mesh; panels are supplied at the standard size or cut and banded to the layout.

A 50 mm cross bar pitch is recommended for public areas, stair landings and anywhere narrow heels or small objects could pass through; 100 mm is the economical industrial standard.

Choosing the load and the bar size

Start from the design load: 2.5 kPa – maintenance platform; 3.0 kPa – pedestrian; 4.0 kPa – crowded pedestrian; 5.0 kPa – factory & workshop; 7.5 kPa – heavy loading. Then read the bearing bar size for the clear span from the WS load and span tables, or let our engineers select it from the layout. Wheel loads, forklifts and trenches use heavy-duty grating.

Materials and finishes

• Carbon steel – SS400 / ASTM A36 for standard grating; Q345 (S355-class) where higher strength is specified.
• Stainless steel – SUS304 and SUS316 for food, pharmaceutical, chemical and marine areas – see stainless steel grating.
• G – hot-dip galvanised after fabrication, the standard finish for industrial and outdoor grating; PP – paint coated to a specified system; U – untreated for coating by others.
• M – plain or S – serrated bearing bars – see serrated grating for wet and oily floors.

Size, dimension and tolerance

Every panel is checked for width at both ends (W, W1), squareness by the two diagonals (D, D1), cross bar alignment, bearing bar lean and bow before galvanising.

Fabrication at World Steel

Flat bars and twisted cross rods are forge-welded on the grating line, straightened, cut to the shop drawing, banded around ends and openings and marked panel by panel. Welds, sizes and squareness are inspected under World Steel's ISO 3834-2 quality system, then panels are hot-dip galvanised and palletised by area so each platform can be installed from one bundle.

Installation

Fix panels with saddle clips (minimum four per panel) or by welding at the first bearing bar of each corner where the floor will never be removed. Leave about 10 mm between panels, keep bearing bars spanning between supports, and never cut extra openings on site without the designer's approval.