Walkway geometry and guarding follow EN ISO 14122 and BS 4592; the grating panel itself is rated by span + load, not a fixed class. Use 30/40 mm pitch welded grating for plant floors, size the bar from the support span (40×5 @30 mm ≈ 900–1000 mm pedestrian), and order stair treads prefabricated with serrated or checker-plate nosing and pre-welded end plates.
The access structure and the grating panel are governed by different documents.
EN ISO 14122 sets the requirements for permanent means of access to machinery — walkways, platforms, stairs and handrails — including widths, guarding and slip resistance for the access route as a whole. BS 4592 specifies industrial-type metal flooring, walkways and stair treads in detail. ANSI/NAAMM MBG 531 defines the bearing-bar, pitch and load terminology for the bar grating product itself.
In practice you design the walkway to the access standard first, then select the grating panel that meets the resulting span and load. The full referenced list is on the steel grating specifications page.
Set the width from the access standard, then size the bar from the span.
| Service level | Bearing bar (typical) | Pitch | Support span |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian / walkway | 40×5 mm | 30 mm | ≈ 900–1000 mm |
| Plant / heavier load | 40×5 mm | 30 mm | ≈ 600 mm (much higher load) |
| Heavy platform / trench | 50×5 or 60×5 mm | 30–40 mm | Per load table |
Rule of thumb: halving the support span about quadruples the allowable load. Always confirm against your deflection limit — typically L/200 for floors. Send us the clear span, applied load and limit and we will confirm the bar section.
A stair tread is a finished safety component, not just a cut panel.
Zhaobang supplies stair treads as prefabricated panels: a serrated or checker-plate nosing for slip resistance at the leading edge, pre-welded end plates (with or without bolt holes) for direct fixing to the stringers, and an optional yellow warning nosing for visibility. They are cut to the required going width and stringer spacing, so they arrive ready to fit.
For wet, oily or outdoor stairs, take the serrated bearing-bar option so the whole tread — not just the nosing — resists slip. The same 30/40 mm pitch and carbon-or-stainless base material choices apply as for the walkway panels, so a stair and its landing can be matched in one specification.
The grating panel is only one part of a compliant platform.
Walkways and platforms above a fall height need guarding — handrails and, where objects could fall, toe plates — to the access standard. On the grating side this is handled with banded edges (a welded flat bar around the panel perimeter for rigidity and a safe finished edge) and optional toe plates where the specification requires them. We produce panels with banded edges, cutouts for pipes and columns, and tagged marking so the deck assembles to your layout without site cutting.
Because every project is drawn differently, the fastest route is to send the platform sketch with span, load and guarding notes; the steel grating product page covers our standard supply envelope, MOQ and lead times.
Permanent means of access such as walkways, platforms, stairs and handrails are covered by EN ISO 14122, while BS 4592 specifies industrial-type metal flooring, walkways and stair treads, and ANSI/NAAMM MBG 531 defines bearing-bar, pitch and load terminology for bar grating. We manufacture and inspect steel grating to this framework; the grating panel structural rating is then set by your span, load and deflection limit rather than by a single fixed load class.
Start from the support span and the load. A 40×5 mm bar at 30 mm pitch spans roughly 900–1000 mm between supports for pedestrian and walkway loads; the same bar at a 600 mm span handles substantially heavier plant loads. As a rule of thumb, halving the support span about quadruples the allowable load. For heavy plant platforms and vehicular trench covers, move to 50×5 or 60×5 mm bars at 30–40 mm pitch, and confirm against your deflection limit (typically L/200 for floors).
Yes. Stair treads are supplied as prefabricated panels with a serrated or checker-plate nosing for slip resistance, pre-welded end plates (with or without bolt holes) for direct fixing, and optional yellow warning nosing. They are cut to the required going width and stringer spacing, so they arrive ready to fit to your stair stringers.
A typical deflection limit for industrial flooring is L/200 of the support span, though the governing standard or the plant specification may call for a tighter or looser value. Tell us the limit, the clear span and the applied uniform or point load, and we will confirm the bearing-bar section that meets it. The same load table logic also sets the selection for walkways and trench covers.