What is Metal Grating Used For?

Metal comes in all different shapes and sizes, from standard sections such as sheet, beams and pipes, to slightly more specific forms such as grating. Metal grating comes in many different sizes, materials and finishes, each one with its own advantages and disadvantages.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the many different uses of metal grating, and what types are commonly available.

What is Metal Grating?

Grating falls into two main categories, bar grating, and safety or expanded metal grating. The former is made by an automated welding process, the most common style using round and flat bar, bar grating can be very strong.

Expanded or safety grating is made from a single layer of sheet metal that is punched and formed in a high-speed pressing and rolling operation. This produces a material with less strength but has much more grip for those walking across.

Bar Grating

Bar grating is usually made in long sheets, approximately 3’ wide and 20’ long, it is most commonly constructed from longitudinal flat bars on edge, with round or twisted round bars spanning across the width, tying the flat bars together.

The bars are welded together by automated processes and come in a wide variety of sizes. The spacing between the bars, their thickness and their width can all be specified. The heaviest bar gratings can support walkways with structural members at 9’ apart!

Serrated bar grating is also available, giving more grip to the top surface. Bar grating is available in most materials, with mild steel and aluminum bar grating being most commonly used.

Uses of Bar Grating

Thanks to its strength and grip level, bar grating is often found in industrial applications:

• Industrial platforms
• Walkways
• Fire escape platforms
• Safety fences
• Grilles
• Trailer beds

Benefits of Bar Grating

• Strength – Bar grating can span considerable distances in situations like platforms, landings and other elevated structures.
• Open – Bar grating allows rain water and spills to run straight through, rather than creating a slippery surface
• Grippy – alternatives are still slippery when wet, open grid flooring, especially the serrated type, is very grippy at all times.

Safety Grating

Used in a similar way to bar grating, safety grating is made from a perforated and formed piece of sheet metal. It can offer excellent grip properties so is ideal for walkways and platform landings.

As it’s made from sheet metal, and the depth after forming is typically less than 1”, it is not overly strong unsupported, hence most applications call for a more extensive support structure than bar grating.

Safety grating is available in mild steel, aluminum and even stainless steel.

Safety Grating Uses

• Platforms
• Flooring over wet areas
• Fire escapes
• Trailer beds
• Ladder landings

Benefits of Safety Grating

• Grip – safety flooring often uses small serrated teeth to give the raised surface a lot of grip, helping to reduce the likelihood of slips
• Open – Like bar grating, safety flooring does not pool water when wet, it simply flows through
• Cost – Because safety grating is mass produced, it is reasonably cost effective to purchase and use in a fabricated or pre-fabricated structure

What Material is Metal Grating Made From?

The most common metal for floor grating to be made from is galvanized steel, but in situations where lightness is key, such as on trailers and trucks, aluminum is a great alternative.

Bar grating is also often available in self-colour finish, i.e. with no galvanizing, this allows it to be cut and welded to other fabrications without issue.