Industry Specific Terminology

Load Bar

Flat Bar from which grating is made. The Load bars have to be supported by steelwork at the allowable spacing.

Nosing

A member attached to or on the leading edge of a stair tread, or at the top of a flight of stairs to assist slip resistance.  AS1657 requires that the nosing of the tread is clearly visible against the background.

Can be;

• abrasive plate
• floor plate

Cross Rod

In mild steel this is a twisted square rod, forged into the top of the load bar.
In stainless steel grating, this is a round rod, forged into the top of the load bar.
In aluminium, this is a square rod inserted through punched holes in the load bar and swaged to hold it in position. (image is of Aluminium cross rods)

Kick Plate

Heavy section flat bar welded to the ends or sides of panels and around cut outs, when specified.  AS1657 requires that top edge is 100mm above grating top surface.  Plate is usually 130 x 6.

Banded

Refers to the process of welding a flat bar (normally 5mm) to the loadbars after they have been cut to size, to provide a uniform appearance around all sides of the grating panel.  This process also helps to keep panels flat and prevent injury from laceration during installation.

Cut to size only

Refers to the process of leaving panels with a raw cut edge.  NOT banded, as described above.

Exact size

Refers to the requirement to make the panels to an exact dimension, and not to be adjusted to the nearest width load bar across the standard pattern of the load bars.

Cut Out

Grating areas removed from the panel to permit clearance for the installation of pipes, plant, structural and handrail components.

Penetrations

As above, but typically within the grating panel, not on the edge.

Gross Area

The total area of grating as shown on drawings, using overall width and length dimensions.

Fingers

In FRP Grating this describes a panel cut that does not run adjacent to the load bar.

Serrations

Small notches made in the top edge of the load bar to assist in slip resistance.
NB Banded edges are not serrated.

Span

Overall dimension of a panel, measured parallel with the load bar.

Width

Overall dimension of a panel measured at right angles to the load bars.  Always called 'width' even if it is greater than the length.

Knuckle

The intersection of 2 strands.  It is always the width of 2 strands.

Long Way Mesh (LWM)

The distance from a point on a knuckle to the corresponding point on the following knuckle, measured across the Long Way. LWM is similar to span in grating.

Short Way Mesh (SWM)

The distance from a point on a knuckle to the corresponding point on the following knuckle, measured across the Short Way.

Long Way Opening (LWO)

The distance measured from the inside of one knuckle to the inside of the next knuckle in the long way.

Short Way Opening (SWO)

The distance measured from the inside of one knuckle to the inside of the next knuckle in the shortway.

Overall Height

The height of the mesh as measured at the knuckle.