At first glance a load table looks like a mass of numbers. Yet once you know three concepts, you can read it in seconds: span, point load and uniformly distributed load. In this article we read our table line by line and finish with a selection example. The values in the table are approximate values for the 38×38 H25, H30, H38, H50 and 19×19 H38 models and are calculated for each project.
Span: the rows of the table
The span is the distance between the two supports beneath the grating and is given in the table in millimetres. Our table covers seven spans from 300 mm to 1200 mm. For the same model, values drop quickly as the span increases: 38×38 H38 carries a point load of approx. 3,510 kg at 300 mm, but at 1200 mm this falls to approx. 219 kg. So measure the span first, then look at the model.
When the span doubles, the load capacity does not halve; it drops much further. For 38×38 H38, the point load of approx. 1,500 kg at 450 mm becomes approx. 380 kg at 900 mm, just over a quarter.
Point load F and distributed load q
Point load (F, kg) describes a load concentrated on a small area, such as a foot, a wheelbarrow wheel or an equipment foot. Uniformly distributed load (q, kg/m²) is a load spread evenly over the whole panel, such as a crowded platform or stacked materials.
The two values answer different questions for the same panel. At a 600 mm span, 38×38 H30 carries a point load of approx. 425 kg and a uniformly distributed load of 1,160 kg/m². If your platform has both people walking on it and stacked materials, check both values.
To read it, first pick the row (span), then the column (model and load type). The cell where they meet is that model's approximate load capacity at that span. If the value is greater than the load you expect, the model is a starting point for that span.
| Span (mm) | H30 F (kg) | H30 q (kg/m²) | H38 F (kg) | H38 q (kg/m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | 750 | 2,700 | 1,500 | 5,450 |
| 600 | 425 | 1,160 | 875 | 2,325 |
| 750 | 270 | 580 | 550 | 1,180 |
| 900 | 190 | 341 | 380 | 680 |
| 1000 | 150 | 240 | 305 | 500 |
A selection example
Say you are building a maintenance walkway with a support spacing of 750 mm and you assume a load of up to 300 kg on a single point. Look at the 750 mm row of the table: 38×38 H25 carries approx. 150 kg, H30 270 kg and H38 550 kg. The lightest model that meets 300 kg is 38×38 H38.
If you reduce the support spacing to 600 mm, H30 (approx. 425 kg) also becomes sufficient, and the weight per square metre falls from approx. 18.5 kg to 14 kg. So sometimes changing the support spacing rather than the model gives a lighter solution.
For platforms and heavy pedestrian loads the threshold must be higher. If 500 kg is required at the same 750 mm span, H38 at approx. 550 kg is close to the limit; at a 900 mm span H38 drops to approx. 380 kg and 38×38 H50 (approx. 1,475 kg) is needed.
The values for 19×19 H38 mini mesh are close to those of 38×38 H38; at 600 mm it carries a point load of approx. 880 kg. 38×38 H50 leaves a wide margin for heavy loads: approx. 1,475 kg even at 900 mm.
Points to note when reading the table
- Values are approximate and are calculated for each project; the table is a starting point.
- The table values assume that the panel bears sufficiently on the supports and is fixed with clips.
- Drainage channels with vehicle traffic need a separate assessment based on the EN 124 load classes.
- The table has no values for 38×38 H58, 50×50 H50 and 19×19 H30; we calculate these models together for your project.
For all spans and models, open the technical table; to narrow down the model in four questions, use the selection tool.