Choosing the right type of access solution can be difficult if you don’t know where to start. Once you have decided between steel and GRP, you may be surprised to discover the number of GRP grated products that are available. While all our GRP products are built to suit a range of industries, each has unique properties that may make one more suitable than another, depending on your needs. Their gritted surface offers increased slip resistance, making GRP grating an excellent choice for marine industries and their non-conductive properties make GRP an ideal choice for even the harshest of environments.
Flowgrate and Flowtread are two of the most popular GRP flooring products, both with very different properties. We will explore both our Flowgrate and Flowtread designs to help you decide which is the best GRP access solution for your project requirements.
GRP
Glass reinforced plastic (GRP), or Fibreglass as it is often known, is an extremely long-lasting, lightweight and strong composite plastic. GRP is partly comprised of very fine glass fibres, and because of this, it behaves slightly differently from conventional plastics, making it a more versatile industrial material that’s useful for various applications in many industries including rail and energy.
The long-lasting nature of GRP and its high resistance to corrosion make it very cost-effective as it requires much less frequent replacement. The average lifespan of our GRP products is 50-100 years.
GRP as an Alternative to Steel
Steel has long been used for the manufacturing of access products and floor gratings, in fact Lionweld Kennedy have been manufacturing steel products for over 100 years. Although steel remains an excellent choice for access solutions, opting for GRP grating and structures is also a popular choice.
GRP’s unique anti-slip gritted surface make it perfect for high traffic areas that experience a lot of treading. Steel gratings can be heavier and therefore more challenging to assemble. GRP is a much better option for environments where metal conduction needs to be considered, such as in the rail industry, as it is entirely non-conductive.
What Is Flowgrate?
Flowgrate is an open mesh, moulded grating with excellent anti-slip properties. It can be applied to various uses depending on your needs. Flowgrate works well on walkways and platforms, as well as being used vertically as a debris screen. It can also be safely used for permanent ladders, elevated walkways and structures. All of our Flowgrate panels are also available in Phenolic, a fire retardant resin that meets BS476 Part 7 Class 0 Section 12 of the London Underground Standards for low smoke and low toxicity use in tunnels.
Benefits of Flowgrate
There are many benefits to using Flowgrate grating. It performs extremely well and provides a strong, lightweight GRP flooring surface that’s suitable for all kinds of walkways, mezzanine decks and trenches. Here are more reasons why it’s such a popular type of GRP flooring:
- High strength to weight ratio
- Extremely hard-wearing & low maintenance
- Mesh size allows for effective drainage
- Debris fall prevention
- Compliant to 35mm and 20mm ball proofing requirements (Flowgrate and Micromesh respectively)
- Up to 50% lighter than steel grating alternatives
- Gritted top surface for increased slip resistance
- Resistant to UV exposure and deterioration
- Life expectancy of 50-100 years
- Non-conductive & corrosion resistant
- Compliant with National & International standards
Uses For Flowgrate
While GRP grating products have many uses, Flowgrate’s specific design makes it particularly beneficial to the rail, power and marine industries. These industries, in particular, benefit from safe, slip-resistant and non-conductive access solutions to ensure the safety of their workers. Most importantly, Flowgrate is chemical and corrosion resistant, so it won’t be affected by any spillages. It is available in various thicknesses, which means it can be adapted to suit your project. The micromesh panels can also be utilised vertically as a protective screen to keep out litter debris and work well as machine guards.
The Unique Features of Micromesh
- Reduced square apertures
- Compliant to 20mm ball proofing
- Gritted top surface
- Great for wet & oily surfaces, e.g. marinas, jetties, pontoons & gangways
- Available in Phenolic
What Is Flowtread?
Flowtread is another type of GRP product with a unique design. Its pultruded open mesh grating is designed for applications where increased spans and higher loads are required. It uses an ‘I’ shaped load bearing bar, which is mechanically locked and bonded to transverse bars to ensure maximum strength.
Benefits of Flowtread
Flowtread is specifically designed with strength in mind and bears heavy loads safely, making it ideal for high traffic areas. Its other benefits include:
- It has a glass to resin ratio of 65:35, providing increased rigidity and strength
- Up to 50% lighter than steel grating alternatives
- Gritted top surface for increased slip resistance
- Resistant to UV exposure & deterioration
- Life expectancy of 50-100 years
- Non-conductive & corrosion resistant
- Compliant with National & International standards
- Available in Phenolic
- USCG & DNV L2 approved
Find Out More
Contact us today if you want to learn more about the products and services we offer. Our products, both steel and GRP, suit many different industries and applications. A member of our expert team will be happy to help you find the right product to suit your needs. We customise and fit all our GRP flooring to each project, so you know you will have the best possible flooring and access solution for your project.