Installation of checker plates

[imsengr]

Hi everyone,

I am checking some shop drawings on the installation of checker plates forming the platform for a food processing facility. My platform are of various sizes, but let's say a typical platform is about 20 feet by 40 feet. My beams, typicall HSS, are spaced about three feet apart, say.

I have got a question about the installation of checker plates. How are they installed? Do you try to install them as a single piece, or do you cut them into, say 4 foot strips, matching the spacing of the beams supporting the checker plates. That is, cut the checker plate so that they will span from center to center of the supporting beams? I guess one thing to do is to try and minimize the number of plates to be used? What is the widest checker plate that can be conveniently transported to the field? Your thoughts and advice, and what you normally do, please?

Thanks, y'all.

 

[JedClampett]

We usually make the fabricator limit the weight of any one panel to 75 lb., figuring that is the heaviest one worker can handle by theirselves. It makes for some very weird sizes. If access is not an issue, I would continuously span them over the beams. Better structural behavior and less hold down details. Also, for food processing, less gaps for crud to collect in.