Glossary of Terms
Anchor – A device by which grating is attached to its supports.
Band – A flat bar welded to the end of a grating panel, or along the side of a cutout, that does not extend above or below the bearing bars.
- Load Carrying Band: A band used to transfer load between bearing bars.
- Trim Band: A band which carries no load, used primarily for appearance and protecting open ends
Bearing Bars – Load carrying main elements made from steel, aluminum, or stainless steel, extending in the direction of the grating span.
Bearing Bar Centers – The distance center-to-center of the bearing bars.
Carriers – Flats or angles which are welded to the grating panel and nosing of stair tread and are bolted to a stair stringer to support the tread.
Clear Opening – The distance between faces of bearing bars in a rectangular grating, or between a bent connection bar and a bearing bar in a riveted grating.
Cross Bars – The connection bars which extend across the bearing bars, usually perpendicular to them. They may be bent into a corrugated or sinuous pattern and, where they intersect the bearing bars, are welded, forged, or mechanically locked to them.
Cross Bar Centers – The distance center-to-center of the cross bars.
Curved Cut – A cutout following a curved pattern.
Cutout – An area of grating removed to clear an obstruction or to permit pipes, ducts, columns, etc. to pass through the grating.
Electro-Forged – A process of combining hydraulic pressure and heat fusion to forge bearing bars and cross bars into a panel grid.
Finish – The coating, commonly paint or galvanizing, which is applied to the grating.
Flush-Top Grating – A type of pressure-locked grating in which the cross bars and bearing bars are in the same plane relative to the top surface of the grating.
Grating – An open grid assembly of metal bars, in which the bearing bars, running in one direction, are spaced by rigid attachment to the cross bars running perpendicular to them or by bent connecting bars extending between them.
Hinged Panel – Grating panels that are hinged to their supports or to other grating parts.
I-Bar – An extruded aluminum bearing bar having a cross sectional shape of the letter “I”. (Commonly with a striated walking surface.)
Length – Refers to the span of the grating
Load Carrying Band – see Band
Nosing – A special “L” section member serving as the front or leading edge of a stair tread, or of grating at the head of a stair.
Pressure Locked Grating – Bearing bars are locked in position by cross bar deformation instead of riveting or welding. Several proven methods include:
- Expansion of an extruded or drawn tubular cross bar
- Extruded cross bar deformed or swaged between bearing bars
- Press assembly of rectangular cross bars into slotted bearing bars.
Radially Cut Grating – Rectangular grating which is cut into panels shaped as annular segments, for use in circular or annular areas.
Reticuline Bar – A sinuously bent connection bar extending between two adjacent bearing bars, alternately contacting and being riveted to each.
Rivet Centers – The distance center-to-center of rivets along one bearing bar.
Riveted Grating – Grating composed of straight bearing bars and bent connection bars, which are joined at their contact points by riveting.
Serrated Grating – Grating which has the top surfaces of the bearing bars or cross bars, or both, notched.
Span of Grating – The distance between points of grating support, or the dimension of the bearing bars in this direction.
Straight Cut – Portion of the cut edge of cutout of a grating which follows a straight line.
Swaging – A method of altering the cross-section shape of a metal bar by pressure applied through dies.
Toe Plate – A flat bar attached against the outer edge of a grating or rear edge of a tread, and projecting above the top surface of the grating or tread to form a lip or curb.
Tread – A panel of grating having carriers and a nosing attached by welding, designed specifically to serve as a stair tread.
Trim Band – See Band.
Welded Grating – Grating in which the bearing bars and cross bars are joined at their intersection by either electro-forging or conventional hand welding.
Width – The overall dimension of a grating panel, measured perpendicular to the bearing bars, and in the same direction as the cross bars.