What is the difference between steel grating and expanded metal?
Steel grating is built from separate bearing and cross bars and carries much higher loads over longer spans. Expanded metal is a single sheet slit and stretched into a diamond mesh — lighter and cheaper but for light-duty walkways, screens and infill, not heavy platforms.
Bar grating's on-edge bearing bars give it a high strength-to-weight ratio and predictable load tables, so it suits industrial platforms, vehicle areas and long spans. Expanded metal has no discrete bearing bars, so its load capacity is far lower and harder to rate.
Choose grating for structural flooring and load-rated walkways; choose expanded metal for light foot traffic, guards, fences, infill panels and architectural screens where loads are modest.
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