Galvanized Iron Gratings (GI Gratings)
Need a price for this?
Send your sizes and quantity on WhatsApp +971 56 227 5722 or through the quote request form, and you get a figure back with a lead time. Cut to length included, mill test certificates with the material, delivery to all seven emirates.
GI gratings, or galvanized iron gratings, are load bearing steel panels, hot dip galvanized after fabrication so the coating covers every cut edge and weld. The open grid drains water, passes light and air, and carries foot or vehicle traffic. Seen Steel supplies GI gratings across all seven emirates, cut to your panel sizes and delivered to your yard.
Bearing bar sizes and pitch
The bearing bar is the load carrying bar that runs in the span direction. Pitch is the centre to centre spacing between bearing bars. Together they decide how much load the panel carries and how much it weighs.
| Bearing bar (depth x thickness) | Common pitch | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 20 x 3 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Light duty walkways, covers |
| 25 x 3 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Platforms, light foot traffic |
| 25 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | General industrial flooring |
| 32 x 3 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Walkways with longer spans |
| 32 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Plant flooring, trench covers |
| 40 x 3 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Platforms, moderate spans |
| 40 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Heavy foot traffic, light vehicles |
| 45 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Heavy duty flooring |
| 50 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Vehicle access, long spans |
| 55 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Heavy vehicle loading |
| 60 x 5 mm | 30 / 40 mm | Heaviest duty, longest spans |
Cross bars are normally 6 mm twisted square bar at 100 mm centres. 50 mm centres are used where a more rigid panel or a smaller open area is wanted.
Nominal weight per square metre
Figures below are calculated from bar geometry at 7.85 g/cm³, with 6 mm twisted square cross bars at 100 mm centres. They are bare steel weights. Hot dip galvanizing adds roughly 3 to 5 per cent, and banding bars or frames add more, so treat these as estimating figures and confirm the final weight against the fabrication drawing.
| Bearing bar | Pitch 30 mm (kg/m²) | Pitch 40 mm (kg/m²) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 x 3 mm | 22.5 | 17.5 |
| 25 x 5 mm | 35.5 | 27.4 |
| 32 x 3 mm | 27.9 | 21.7 |
| 32 x 5 mm | 44.7 | 34.2 |
| 40 x 3 mm | 34.2 | 26.4 |
| 40 x 5 mm | 55.2 | 42.1 |
| 50 x 5 mm | 68.2 | 51.9 |
| 60 x 5 mm | 81.3 | 61.7 |
Panel sizes
A common reference panel under BS 4592 is 1220 x 850 mm, in 25 mm and 40 mm depths. In practice most UAE jobs are cut to size. Send your opening dimensions and we cut and band the panels to suit, including cut outs for pipes, columns and handrail posts.
Galvanizing
Panels are hot dip galvanized to EN ISO 1461 after fabrication, so cut ends, welds and the inside faces of the grid are all coated. This matters in the UAE: coastal humidity and salt spray attack painted or pre galvanized edges first, and a post fabrication dip removes that weak point.
Plain or serrated
Plain bar is the standard and suits most dry internal platforms. Serrated bar has a notched top edge that gives grip underfoot and is the right choice for external walkways, wash down areas, oil and gas plant, and anywhere the surface sees water, grease or fine sand.
Steel grade
Bearing bars are normally supplied in mild steel to ASTM A36, BS 4360 Grade 43A or equivalent, with yield around 265 to 300 N/mm² and tensile 400 to 460 N/mm². Mill test certificates are issued with the material.
A note on load capacity
Safe load depends on the clear span, the support condition at each end, and whether the load is uniform or a point load, so a single number for a bar size is meaningless on its own. Tell us the clear span and the load you need to carry and we will confirm the bar size and pitch that meets it rather than guessing from a catalogue.
Common applications
- Industrial flooring, plant platforms and mezzanines
- Drainage covers and trench grates
- Stair treads, with nosing where specified
- Oil and gas facilities and process plant
- Marine, jetty and offshore structures
- Substation and generator enclosure flooring
Heavy duty and vehicle gratings
Where forklifts, trucks or wheel loads run over the grating, standard walkway panels are not enough. Heavy duty gratings use deeper and thicker bearing bars, typically 50 x 5 mm and above, often at a closer pitch, and sometimes with cross bars at 50 mm centres. Loading bays, fuel stations, port and jetty decks, and trench crossings on site roads all fall into this category.
The right bar size depends on the wheel load, the tyre contact area and the clear span, so heavy duty panels should always be sized against the actual loading rather than picked from a catalogue. Send us the vehicle type or the design wheel load and the span, and we will confirm a panel that carries it.
Trench, drain and pit covers
Galvanized gratings are the standard cover for drainage channels, cable trenches and service pits across the UAE. For covers, tell us the clear opening, the seating detail, and whether pedestrians or vehicles cross it. Covers are usually banded on all four sides and can be supplied with a matching galvanized angle frame to suit the opening.
GI grating price per square metre
There is no single price per square metre for GI grating, because the steel content changes so much between sizes. A 25 x 3 mm bar at 40 mm pitch weighs about 17.5 kg/m², while a 50 x 5 mm bar at 30 mm pitch weighs about 68 kg/m², nearly four times as much steel in the same area. Gratings are therefore priced mainly on weight, with fabrication, banding, cut outs and galvanizing on top.
To get an accurate rate, send the bearing bar size and pitch (or the span and load), the panel sizes or opening dimensions, the total area, and the delivery location. With those we can price the job properly the first time.
What to send for a quote
The more of this you include, the fewer rounds of questions before you get a rate:
- Bearing bar size and pitch, or the clear span and load if you would rather we size it
- Panel sizes, or the opening dimensions to cut to
- Plain or serrated
- Total area in square metres, or number of panels
- Whether you need banding bars, frames, cut outs or stair nosings
- Delivery location
New guide: GI grating sizes, load classes and weights, covering bearing bar sizes, kg per square metre, EN 1433 load classes and what drives the price per square metre.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cut gratings to size?
Yes. Send the opening dimensions and we supply cut and banded panels, including cut outs.
What is the difference between GI grating and MS grating?
They are the same mild steel panel. GI simply means it has been hot dip galvanized. Bare MS grating will show rust within weeks in UAE humidity, so galvanized is the normal specification for anything outdoors.
Do you supply mill test certificates?
Yes, MTCs are issued with the material.
How long does delivery take?
Standard bar sizes move quickly. Cut to size panels depend on the fabrication queue. We confirm a date in writing with the quotation rather than after the order.
Which emirates do you deliver to?
All seven. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, delivered to your yard.
What is heavy duty grating?
Grating built from deeper, thicker bearing bars, typically 50 x 5 mm and up, for areas where vehicles or forklifts cross. It is sized against the wheel load and the span.
Can you supply grating with a frame?
Yes. Trench and pit covers can be supplied with a galvanized angle frame to suit the opening.
How much does GI grating cost per square metre in the UAE?
It depends mainly on the bar size and pitch, because that sets the weight per square metre. Send your size, area and location and we will give you a firm rate.
Send your grating requirement through the steel quote request form or on WhatsApp at +971 56 227 5722. For how the zinc on hot dip galvanized grating compares with galvanized sheet, see our guide to GI coating classes. We deliver GI gratings across all seven emirates.
Welded, press locked, electroforged and serrated panels are compared side by side in our guide to steel grating types, which also covers heavy duty, ramp and fabricated grating.
GI grating supplier in Dubai and across the UAE
Seen Steel supplies GI grating to contractors, fabricators, facilities teams and plant operators throughout the UAE. Panels are specified against your opening and the traffic it takes, cut and banded to size, hot dip galvanized to EN ISO 1461, and delivered to site or to your workshop with mill test certificates.
Who we supply
- Steel fabricators and workshops building platforms, walkways and access steelwork
- MEP and civil contractors covering trenches, gullies and service ducts
- Facilities and maintenance teams replacing corroded panels and trench covers
- Oil, gas and process plants specifying serrated panels for wash down areas
- Marine, port and yard operators who need panels that survive salt air
- Warehouse and logistics operators covering loading bay and forklift routes
Where we deliver GI grating
Deliveries run to every emirate: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain. Site deliveries and workshop deliveries are both normal, and a consolidated load costs less than several part loads, so send the full requirement in one go where you can.
How ordering works
- Send the opening sizes or panel sizes, and the traffic the panel takes. A drawing helps but is not essential.
- You get a quote back with the bearing bar size, pitch, finish and price per square metre, plus a lead time.
- Panels are cut, banded and galvanized before delivery, so no bare cut edges arrive on site.
- Delivered to your site or workshop with mill test certificates issued against the material.
Lead times and minimum orders
Standard panel sizes in the common bar sizes move quickly once the order is confirmed. Cut to size work with cut outs, banding, kick plates or stair treads is quoted with a lead time up front rather than left open. Smaller orders are normal, and if a requirement is better collected than delivered we will say so rather than load the price with freight.
Why specify Seen Steel
- Specified, not guessed. Send the opening and the traffic and the panel gets sized against the load class and the clear span.
- Fabricated before galvanizing. Cut outs and banding are done before the panel is dipped, which is where most grating fails early.
- Certificates with the material. MTCs are issued as standard, and traceability to heat number is available where a project requires it.
- One supplier for the whole list. Grating, structural sections, plate and galvanized tube on the same delivery, from the full product list.
Frequently asked questions about GI grating supply
Who supplies GI grating in Dubai?
Seen Steel supplies GI grating across Dubai, including Al Quoz, Jebel Ali, Dubai Investment Park and Dubai Industrial City, cut to size and delivered.
Can you deliver GI grating to site?
Yes. Site deliveries and workshop deliveries are both standard across all seven emirates.
Do you cut grating panels to my opening sizes?
Yes. Send the opening dimensions and panels are cut and banded to suit, which avoids cutting on site and the bare edges that come with it.
What is the price per square metre?
Price follows panel weight almost exactly, then adds fabrication. Send the bar size, pitch, finish and quantity and you get a figure rather than a range.
Do you supply heavy duty and trench cover grating?
Yes, specified against the EN 1433 load class and the clear span of the opening. Types are compared in our steel grating types guide.
To price a requirement, send it through the steel quote request form or on WhatsApp at +971 56 227 5722.