Gratings

General information about gratings

Gratings are self-supporting structures that can be walked on and, depending on the design, also driven over. They consist of bearing bars (TS) and cross bars (QS), which are usually arranged at right angles to each other and in a specific mesh size (MW). The lattice structure is usually surrounded by a perimeter border. The bearing bars are higher than the cross bars and provide the direction for load transfer from support to support.

Production of gratings

Metal gratings are made of steel, more rarely also of stainless steel or aluminium. Steel gratings can be produced as press-welded gratings, press-fit gratings, push-through gratings or push-in gratings.

• Press-welded gratings are manufactured using the press-welding process. In this process, square or round bars are pressed as cross bars into bearing bars without slots or holes and welded.
• Press-fit gratings or pressed gratings are manufactured by pressing unweakened cross bars into slotted bearing bars under high pressure.
• Push-through gratings are produced by inserting cut cross bars through holes in bearing bars and turning them to secure them.
• With push-in gratings, either only the bearing bars or the bearing and cross bars are slotted. A firm connection is then made between the bars by upsetting, clamping or welding.

Industrial gratings are often designed with profiled bars to increase the slip resistance in the profiled area. To protect against corrosion, steel gratings are usually galvanised at the end of the manufacturing process, but they are also offered raw.

Where are gratings used?

Gratings are available in a wide variety of designs and dimensions and are used in many different areas:

• Garage gratings: as inlay gratings or covering gratings for drainage channels, for example in garages and cellars.
• Industrial gratings: as covers for air shafts, in industry for the construction of platforms, stages, landings, stairways, etc.
• Stair treads: Grating steps are prefabricated as standard steps according to ÖNORM B5371 or individually designed and manufactured.

Gratings are not only used as functional components in industrial and commercial construction, but also as architectural design elements, for example in the design of facades and cladding.

Advantages of steel gratings

• long service life
• high load-bearing capacity with relatively low dead weight
• high stability
• light transmission
• good corrosion resistance
• varied appearance, depending on the design