vehicle grating

[bigmig]

I'm looking for any suggestions on pointing me in the right direction in terms of a residential vehicle grating.

Not just a man hole size, but an entire 'bridge'. The area in front of a house I'm designing is meant to be in the air (picture a bridge running 20 feet, 2 lanes wide from the street to the house garage).
The site is a steep slope.

I'm envisioning this 4" thick, grated metal that would be able to carry a car, but not trap someones foot when they get out the car.

Thanks in Advance.

 

[jayrod12]

You want to clear span the 20 ft with grating, or will the grating be perpendicular to the span with beams spanning the 20ft?

 

[JStephen]

Googling "bridge grating" pulls some stuff up. For example:

http://www.ohiogratings.com/Content/pdfs/product/bridge_brochure.pdf

 

[msquared48]

I would be sure to check the roll-over effect on the individual grating members if the slope is "steep" as you indicate.

Additionally, I found that a lot of the manufacturers do not rate their grating product for vehicle loads, especially HS truck loads, so make sure. Probably don't need truck loads here too though, unless a moving truck could be involved...

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

Google "bridge bar grating", should be what you're looking for. Any reason you're using bar grating and not something like a concrete or wood deck?

Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries

http://www.americanconcrete.com

 

[bigmig]

the grating will be supported via steel frame work. The grating will hopefully be in panels.
The reason is that the architect thinks "this would be cool". The bridge is pitched on a 1% slope....pretty flat. It basically
runs from the street to the house, while the hill descends below.

 

[jayrod12]

You could get some 2 1/2" deep steel grating that will span close to 8ft and support 4000lb concentrated loads. Albeit this is with 1/4" bearing bars at 1/2" o/c so it's super expensive.

 

[Canuck65]

Check out Borden Metal Gratings, in their heavy duty section.

http://www.bordengratings.com

 

[SlideRuleEra]

If you can have interior piers (bents, in bridge terminology), instead of a single 20' clear span, use 4 simple spans, at 5' each (or maybe 3 simple spans at 6'8" each). Then an appropriate size grating (4", maybe less), can be fabricated in panels with no "steel frame work". Of course, the load assumptions need to be finalized before deciding.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

http://www.VacuumTubeEra.net

 

[JedClampett]

Personally, unless I could post or otherwise control the traffic, I would design this for a small (H-15?) truck load. If someone wants to deliver a refrigerator or the fire department shows up due to a chimney fire, can you stop them from parking on the bridge?

 

[hokie66]

Grating is no good for high heels. I would use a reinforced concrete deck. Maybe not "cool", but practical.

 

[ACtrafficengr]

If this is in snow country or near a coast, don't forget to factor in salt corrosion. In addition to section loss, rust stains would kill the cool factor, I think.

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

What about precast deck panels with bondout areas for bar grating. This would give you the best of all worlds; a relatively inexpensive and easy deck design, a nice bridge surface, a "see-through" area with cheaper and easier to replace grating for the "cool" factor.

Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries

http://www.americanconcrete.com

 

[cvg]

try webforge

http://www.webforge.com.au/webforge/access

 

[bigmig]

TehMightyEngineer, so you would basically need a drain hole in each panel....is that right?
I guess I would see that as sort of a leaf / debris trap.....interesting concept though.

 

[JStephen]

If I remember right, on the ferry landing, they have big grating ramps that you drive across, but if you walk on, that part of the ramp is checker plate or diamond floor plate, which comes back to Hokie's comment on high heels. Would you walk across this to get to the mailbox? Or would you ever park on it and get out of your car?

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

TehMightyEngineer, so you would basically need a drain hole in each panel....is that right?
I guess I would see that as sort of a leaf / debris trap.....interesting concept though.

Depends on what your ultimate goal is. Could make it act as a drain but I was thinking more like a divider between slab panels. Sketch:

Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries

http://www.americanconcrete.com

 

[aris.z]

ADA compliant grating that is also high heel friendly including slip resistant surface can be offered.
The support structure and design vehicle load will need to be confirmed in order to value engineer the grating.
Grating panels can be offered with lifters for occasional removal, and attachment provisions if needed.

Ohio Gratings and its engineering department has a lot of experience with these types of applications.