Strongwell produces more than 100 different FRP grating series to meet a variety of customer needs. Applicable to both DURAGRID® pultruded and DURAGRATE® molded grating, the following advice will help select the most appropriate grating series for an application.

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1. Determine Design Criteria

Find FRP grating design criteria in the project specifications under Section 06 74 13 “Fiberglass Reinforced Gratings”. If unavailable, refer to ASCE 7-16, Table 4.3-1 for minimum live loads. Allowable deflection for FRP grating is usually limited to ¼" (6 mm) for pedestrian comfort. Larger deflections may be permissible for heavy, temporary loads. Deflection greater than ½" (12 mm) is not advisable due to prying action on hold down clips and potential loosening of fasteners. Long panels utilizing multispan conditions reduce panel deflection.Compare design loads to the grating Safe Load and you will find high Factors of Safety. Serviceability (not strength) generally controls FRP design.

2. Identify Constraints

Bearing bar height and/or spacing may determine grating series selection. Issues such as existing supports, ADA compliance, high heels, dropped objects, drainage, sunlight penetration, ventilation, and even vehicular traffic could be a requirement for a particular installation. With all these situations to consider, DURAGRID® I-1", I-1.5" and T-2" remain the most
common pultruded series selected. DURAGRATE® 1.5" thick x 1.5" square mesh is the most common molded grating series.

3. Select Resin

Generally, polyester is suitable for most conditions;vinyl ester for harsh chemical exposure and additional corrosion protection; phenolic where fire / smoke /toxicity are of primary concern.
Most Strongwell load tables are based upon polyester resin (PE) since vinyl ester (VE) resin has only slightly greater mechanical properties. Phenolic grating does have unique properties and separate load tables. As a visual indicator for grating resin, Strongwell cross rods are a light gray color for PE and black for VE. Refer to the Strongwell Corrosion Resistance Guide for specific chemical environments and select the appropriate resin.

4. Maximize Span

With your initial grating selection chosen, review load tables to determine the maximum span to meet load(s) and allowable deflection. Compare this to plan dimensions and determine support configuration. Selecting a taller bar allows longer grating spans and reduces the frequency of beams. This increases the load on each support beam, but fewer slightly larger beams is often more economical than additional smaller beams. If the beam spacing is considerably more/less than the maximum span, review load tables to see if other grating meets the design criteria.

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5. Choose Appearance

A variety of bearing bar colors, surface grit and topcoat treatments are available for FRP grating. Yellow and light gray are standard bar colors. Fine grit is suitable for bare feet; standard medium grit for industrial uses; or coarse grit, if lubricants or debris collection are expected. A urethane top coat adds greater UV protection or custom colors.

Interested in learning more? Read our in-depth article comparing the use cases and performance properties of molded vs. pultruded fibgerglass grating.

Conclusion

5 Signs You Should Invest in FRP Grating

When replacing something as common as grating, it is natural to go with the same material you have always used.  It has worked in the past, so why would you change your preference now?

Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) grating is a great alternative to steel grating.  It will solve problems and save money on major issues that you may not have even known were avoidable.  Here are some things to take into consideration with grating:

 1 - Steel grating prices are on the rise

• With steel prices increasing, it does not make sense to spend so much money on a product that will corrode and have to be replaced in a potentially short amount of time.

2 - Your steel grating is corroded

• So, your steel grating is corroded, and it is time to replace it. Why would you replace it with a product that will just corrode again?  Steel is extremely corrosive and dealing with corrosion is very costly when you factor in maintenance and replacement costs. Take this opportunity to replace that corroded steel grating with FRP grating.

3 - Your steel grating is slippery

• Due to corrosion as well as other conditional factors, metal can become very slippery. FRP grating has superior slip resistance.  In fact, there are various types of slip resistant surfaces you can choose from depending on your need.

4 - You cannot afford the installation of steel grating

• In addition to the rising price of steel grating, the installation of steel grating is much more expensive than the installation of FRP grating.  For more information on the comparison of installation costs of FRP versus steel grating, click here!

5 - You do not like to spend valuable time and money on maintenance

• In order to prolong the life of metal grating, you must conduct regular maintenance.  This maintenance will cost you in many ways.  Not only are the materials costly, it will cost you to hire someone to do this maintenance, and you will have cost associated with downtime - all cost which you should avoid.

As you can see, given the choice between FRP grating and steel grating, FRP grating is the obvious choice.  While the initial investment may be a little more, the cost savings in the long run are incomparable.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of heavy duty fiberglass grating. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.