ACMA releases new edition of National Standard Fiberglass Grating Manual

The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA; Arlington, Va., U.S.) has released the second edition of the “ANSI Approved: FRP Composites Grating Manual for Pultruded and Molded Grating and Stair Treads,” which was prepared and developed by ACMA's Fiberglass Grating Manufacturers Council (FGMC). Available for digital and hard copy purchase on www.acmaeducationhub.org, the manual is said to offer an overview of fiberglass grating and includes load tables, tolerances and ordering information to assist engineers and designers with selection of fiberglass grating.

Fiberglass grating has been manufactured and used since the 1960s. Compared to metal gratings or wood decks, fiberglass exhibits beneficial features like corrosion and rot resistance, light weight, high strength-to-weight ratio, electrical and thermal non-conductivity and molded-in colors. Due to the relatively low modulus of elasticity of glass fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), fiberglass grating is always controlled by the serviceability (deflection) limit state rather than strength limit states. 

According to ACMA, the second edition of the FRP Composites Grating Manual manual provides updates and enhancements for uniform information for safe and efficient design of FRP gratings. The manual has three main sections: load tables, standard specifications and the code of standard practice. Load tables are used as a reference for engineers to compare the performance of FRP pultruded and molded grating under specified load conditions, and to assist designers with grating series selection. Standard specifications offer guidance for engineers and owners when procurement purchases the grating and assist specifiers in the preparation of contract documents associated with fiberglass grating. The Code of Standard Practice introduces the engineer, designer and specifier to accepted standard practices that demonstrate how fiberglass grating manufacturers are guided to make quality products in the composites industry. Additionally, the new resource covers manufacturing tolerances and recommended fasteners to support installers, as well as a testing procedure for quality control and end user product qualification.

“ACMA is committed to the increased use of composites and advanced materials to build more resilient, corrosion resistant, and light weight solutions for many products, including the things we take for granted everyday like the grating on a walkway or reinforced concrete for our bridges and infrastructure. Standards like the ANSI FRP Composites Grating Manual help expand the use of composites by providing reliable data that engineers can use to create innovation,” says Tom Dobbins, ACMA president.

Visit ACMA's Education Hub at www.acmaeducationhub.org for more information.