Floor grating is a critical element in process plants and similar structures, yet it is often the Cinderella of components when it comes to the design and engineering work. For this reason, Andrew Mentis is urging design houses and EPCM contractors to pay particular attention to the selection of appropriate floor grating products.

Lance Quinlan, national technical sales consultant at Andrew Mentis, says that while floor grating could be considered an off-the-shelf product and popular sizes are generally available ex-stock, it is a serious error to believe that this product complies with the one-size-fits-all-rule.

“There is more than one option available when it comes to floor grating, and we have increasingly found that many younger engineers are not aware of this, and this is where Andrew Mentis’ strength of technical expertise and applications knowledge plays a vital role in industry,” Quinlan says.

In urging design houses and engineering operations to speak to the company’s technical team prior to the feasibility stage on projects, Quinlan says that the company concedes that architects and engineers do not know all the ins and out when it comes to floor grating. “This is why we interact so closely with our customer base enabling them to make appropriate and fit-for-purpose choices when it comes to floor grating,” he says.

“Because strength to weight ratio is important to our customers, we discuss each customer’s exacting needs. This information, together with structural steel drawings supplied by the customer, is then used by our processing department to compile a layout for the required products. An evaluation of the ambient climatic conditions, the volume of traffic expected on the floor grating and a thorough understanding of the load bearing capacity of grating combine to ensure that the correct floor grating product is selected for an application,” Quinlan says.

Load bearing capacity is critical in all floor grating applications, and it is essential that engineers review the manufacturing processes of the supplier to ensure that the product selected will provide optimum safety of people walking or working on the walkways, catwalks, platforms and ramps.

“While taking into account the customer’s application needs, there are specific non-negotiable factors that Andrew Mentis applies in the production of all our floor grating products,” Quinlan says. “The manufacturing method we use, for instance, ensures that the transversals are positively and permanently locked to the bearer bars.”

The production process ensures that the round transverse bar fits tightly through the pierced bearer bar. This not only guarantees the superior structural integrity of the product, but also eliminates vulnerability to corrosion.

Floor grating is available in a variety of finishes including unpainted mild steel, bitumen coated mild steel or hot dip galvanised. The product can also be manufactured in stainless steel or 3CR12, depending on the application requirement.

Significantly, Andrew Mentis is a single source supplier of floor grating, stair treads, handrailing and expanded metal, and through access to the level of technical expertise residing within the company customers can be assured that products selected will be fit-for-purpose.