B-Line Eaton series Grip Strut three diamond plank, 144" Grating length, 7" Grating width, Steel, 2.5" Channel size, Mill-galvanized, Grip Strut, 10 g

Each plank runs 144 inches long and 7 inches wide, with a 2.5 inch channel size and 2.5 inch product height. So one piece gives you a 12 foot run of walking surface 7 inches wide. For a wider catwalk you lay planks side by side, counting 7 inches of coverage per plank.

The Grip Strut three diamond plank is listed as OSHA compliant and is made for safe, sturdy footing where a non-slip surface is required. The diamond openings in the tread shed liquid, ice and debris rather than holding them on the surface, which is why it gets used on catwalks, mezzanine walkways, stair treads and equipment platforms.

The plank is steel with a mill-galvanized finish, which is zinc applied to the coil before the plank is formed. That suits dry interior plant areas and sheltered exterior work. Because the material is cut and punched after galvanizing, the sheared edges and punched openings are bare steel, so in a constantly wet, salty or chemical wash-down area you should be specifying a hot-dip galvanized-after-fabrication or stainless plank instead.

It is formed from 10 gauge steel, the heaviest common gauge in the Grip Strut plank range, with a 2.5 inch channel depth giving the section its stiffness. Heavier gauge and deeper channel are what let a plank carry load over a longer clear span between supports, so the 10 gauge, 2.5 inch channel combination is the one specified for wider support spacing and heavier foot and equipment traffic rather than light service catwalks.

Order Eaton B-Line part number 32510 12 GL. That number breaks down to the plank profile, the 12 foot length, and GL for the mill-galvanized finish. It is a single configuration, so there is nothing further to specify on width, gauge or channel depth.

No mounting hardware is part of the plank itself. You get the 144 inch, 7 inch wide formed steel plank only, so plan on ordering hold-down clips, bolts or welding hardware separately along with the supporting steel or channel framing the plank bears on.

The diamond count describes how many rows of the raised, serrated diamond openings run across the width of the plank. Three diamond gives the 7 inch walking width here; a two diamond plank is narrower and a four or five diamond plank is wider. Pick the diamond count by the width of walkway you need per piece, then match gauge and channel depth (10 gauge, 2.5 inch here) to the span between your supports.

Product weight is listed at 10 lb for the plank, so it is a one-man carry in terms of load. The awkward part is the 144 inch length, not the weight, so handling it up a ladder or through a congested pipe rack is usually a two-person job for control rather than for mass.

Yes, the 10 gauge steel plank can be cut down from its 144 inch length on site with a chop saw or torch. Anything you cut exposes bare steel at the edge, since the mill-galvanized coating is on the coil rather than applied after fabrication, so touch up field cuts with a cold galvanizing compound if the walkway sees any moisture.