Products

Ask the Expert: When & Why to Use Heavy-Duty Steel Grates

By February 28, 2019

  • [Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating]

From effective stormwater drainage to ventilation and beyond, here’s what durable-yet-cost-effective grating gets done.

Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating

The grate on the left is a 38W4 (1-1/2”X3/8”) grate, with a serrated top and galvanized finish. The grate on the right is a 38W4 (1-1/2”X3/8”) grate, with a smooth top and mill finish. [Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating]

Susan King

Steel grating won’t fold under pressure. In fact, it can support even the heaviest vehicular and aircraft loads. On top of its durability, steel grating can be implemented in a number of ways, from pedestrian walkways to trenches and drainage grates. Since its founding in 1983, Laurel Custom Grating (LCG) has become a leading heavy-duty steel grating manufacturer. A member of the National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers, the company’s mission is to create high-quality products and provide superior service. Bill Adams, sales team lead at LCG, shares why you should consider using heavy-duty steel grating in your next design.

Heavy-duty steel grating is a versatile and economical product. Steel is not only easy to weld into custom designs and 100% recyclable, but it’s also excellent in tension and compression when you compare it to other construction materials like concrete or wood. Steel grating can safely support heavy traffic vehicles and equipment while also meeting drainage and airflow needs in a range of industrial projects.

Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating

Precast options are also available. [Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating]

Steel grating can allow for efficient storm drainage or simplify ventilation. Our customers at LCG use heavy-duty grating in many ways, including for trenches, loading docks, mezzanine flooring, vault covers, sidewalks, ramps, and material screens. Another example is using steel grating for wash racks for concrete trucks or dump trucks. As the trucks drive through a washing system, wash racks allow the dirt, rocks, and debris to fall into a trench underneath the grating. Our customers have also used steel grating on grain farms, where grain passes through the grates before being loaded onto trucks.

Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating

These durable grates are a friend of power washes. [Photo: Courtesy of Laurel Custom Grating]

Heelsafe grating is often used in vaults like the ones you see beneath sidewalks. In this type of application, precasters create a concrete vault with steel grating on top for ventilation. The grating also makes the surface safe for pedestrians to walk on and for cars to drive on. We have even provided steel grating for an airplane hangar. The project team installed grating in the shape of an airplane for maintenance. Steel grating can also be used in bridgework instead of concrete as a more economical option.

Learn more about Laurel Custom Grating and see more gb&d water-management stories.

FROM OUR MAR+APR 2019 ISSUE

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