Anti-slip composite floor plate

What it is

Anti-slip composite floor plate is a solid floor panel made from a steel or aluminium plate with a slip-resistant surface bonded to the top. The surface is either a layer of hard mineral grit set in a resin binder or a factory-made FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic) top sheet with an embedded grit finish. The result is a flat, closed floor that is far more slip-resistant than bare plate or the raised pattern of checkered floor plate, especially when wet or oily.

It is used where an open floor is not wanted: platforms above process equipment, electrical rooms or walkways where dropped objects must not fall through, spill-retention bunds, decks over food or pharmaceutical lines, trench and pit covers in pedestrian areas, mezzanine landings and stair landings. It is also used to close parts of an existing grating floor. World Steel supplies composite floor plate with the platforms, stairs and support frames it fabricates.

Types and options

Plate thickness and stiffeners are chosen from the load and span; thin plates may need welded flat-bar or angle stiffeners underneath to control deflection. Grit size, colour and coverage are set by the surface system and the slip-resistance class required. The anti-slip surfaces and FRP sheets are proprietary products of specialist manufacturers – World Steel selects a suitable system with the client and coordinates its application.

Design and compliance

The plate is designed like any steel or aluminium floor for the imposed load and span: AS/NZS 1170.1 and AS 4100 in Australia, ASCE 7 and AISC in the US, EN 1991-1-1 and EN 1993-1-1 in Europe, with AS/NZS 1664.1, the Aluminum Design Manual or EN 1999-1-1 for aluminium. Access platforms must also satisfy AS 1657, OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D or EN ISO 14122-2, and solid floors need drainage falls or gaps where water could pond.

Slip resistance is a property of the specific surface product. In Australia it is classified to AS 4586 (wet pendulum P classes and oil-wet ramp R classes); in Europe the ramp test DIN 51130 (R9–R13) is common; US specifications nominate an ASTM coefficient-of-friction method. Test evidence is supplied by the surface system manufacturer where it exists – World Steel does not issue its own slip test reports. Check the required class with the client's safety team and the guidance for the area (wet, oily, sloping or external).

Fabrication and finishing at World Steel

Plates are CNC cut to the layout, drilled for countersunk fixings, fitted with stiffeners where required and marked. Welding of stiffeners and frames follows qualified procedures under World Steel's ISO 3834-2 system and the AS/NZS 5131 and EN 1090-2 frameworks. Steel plates are then hot-dip galvanised by qualified galvanisers or blast cleaned and primed to the paint system – see epoxy coating systems.

The anti-slip surface is applied over the prepared plate strictly to the surface system manufacturer's procedure – surface preparation, primer, temperature and curing – and inspected for coverage and bond. Finished plates are packed face to face with protective sheets so the grit is not damaged in transit, and shipped by area for export.

Installation and maintenance

• Fix plates with countersunk bolts or clips so no fixing head projects above the walking surface.
• Seal cut edges or drilled holes made on site with the repair kit recommended by the surface supplier.
• Clean regularly; heavy oil or grease films reduce slip resistance on any surface.
• Inspect for worn areas and re-coat high-traffic zones with the compatible system when the grit wears smooth.