Crocodile-Mouth Grip Strut vs. Traditional Checker Plate: A New Selection Standard for Industrial Walkways

Traditional checker plate has long been one of the most familiar materials used for industrial floors, stair treads, equipment platforms, truck steps, maintenance passages, and temporary access routes. It is widely available, easy to cut and weld, and simple for procurement teams to compare.

However, modern factories, power stations, wastewater plants, chemical facilities, ports, mining operations, food-processing workshops, logistics terminals, and outdoor infrastructure require walking surfaces that address water, oil, mud, debris, corrosion, repeated washdown, structural weight, frequent personnel movement, and limited maintenance shutdowns.

OSHA requires walking-working surfaces to be maintained free of hazards such as corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice. It also requires each surface to support its maximum intended load and to be inspected and repaired when hazardous conditions are identified. See OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22.

The UK Health and Safety Executive and the International Labour Organization also emphasize that wet or contaminated floors are major contributors to slipping incidents and that suitable flooring must be combined with cleaning, maintenance, housekeeping, footwear, and risk assessment.

For a broader introduction to raised perforated walking surfaces, see our guide to anti-slip perforated metal safety grating for industrial walkways.

1. Understanding the Two Products

1.1 What is traditional checker plate?

Checker plate is a solid metal sheet with a raised pattern rolled or pressed into its upper surface. Depending on the market, it may also be called diamond plate, tread plate, floor plate, chequered plate, embossed steel plate, or raised-pattern steel plate.

The raised pattern may use diamonds, bars, teardrops, lentils, or other repeated shapes. ASTM A786/A786M covers several categories of steel floor plate used for flooring, stairways, transportation equipment, and general structural purposes. A material specification does not by itself establish the slip resistance, load capacity, support arrangement, or suitability of the finished walkway system.

Checker plate can be cut, welded, bolted, folded into stair treads, reinforced, painted, galvanized, or manufactured from stainless steel and aluminum. Its solid upper surface is both its main advantage and its main limitation.

1.2 What is crocodile-mouth Grip Strut?

Crocodile-mouth Grip Strut is produced by punching and forming metal sheet into raised serrated openings. These openings create raised edges that contact industrial footwear, open paths through which water and suitably sized contamination can pass, and formed geometry that contributes to plank stiffness.

The product may also be called crocodile-mouth anti-slip plate, Grip Strut safety grating, serrated safety grating, diamond-hole safety grating, traction tread plank, industrial anti-skid grating, raised perforated walkway, or open metal safety plank.

Grip Strut is often formed into a channel-shaped plank rather than supplied only as a flat sheet. The side channels and return flanges help the finished product span between structural supports.

For a detailed structural overview, read Grip Strut walkway grating for heavy-duty industrial access.

2. Drainage Performance: Solid Retention vs. Open Discharge

2.1 Checker plate retains liquids on the surface

Checker plate has no openings through which water, oil, washdown liquid, or sludge can pass. Drainage therefore depends entirely on floor slope, edge gaps, drain channels, surface cleaning, squeegees, pumps, and correct installation levels.

When checker plate is installed completely flat or develops local deformation, liquids can remain in low areas. In outdoor or process environments, retained material may include rainwater, condensation, cooling water, lubricating oil, hydraulic fluid, mud, sludge, food residue, metal dust, and cleaning chemicals.

The raised pattern may remain visible, but contamination can cover the tops and fill the spaces between the raised shapes. The user is then walking on the contaminant rather than on a clean steel texture.

This does not mean checker plate is always unsafe. In a dry indoor route with effective housekeeping, its solid construction may be entirely practical. The problem appears when a product designed around surface texture is expected to manage continuous liquid or contamination without a through-drainage path.

2.2 Grip Strut allows contamination to leave the primary surface

Grip Strut uses open serrated perforations. Water and suitably sized loose material can move through the panel rather than remaining entirely under a worker’s footwear.

Potential benefits include reduced standing-water depth, faster rainwater removal, less retained washdown liquid, lower accumulation of loose mud or sand, improved airflow around the surface, easier observation of blocked openings, and less total contaminant retained on the upper panel.

The actual result depends on opening dimensions, panel direction, walkway slope, contaminant viscosity, fibrous content, cleaning frequency, and clearance beneath the plank.

Grip Strut should not be described as permanently dry or impossible to clog. Thick grease, hardened sludge, fibers, cables, packaging strips, or oversized debris can still block openings. Its open structure provides a direct drainage route that solid checker plate does not have.

3. Anti-Slip Performance and Long-Term Surface Condition

3.1 How checker plate produces traction

Checker plate relies on shallow raised patterns to increase surface texture. When the surface is clean and the pattern is in good condition, this texture can improve footwear contact compared with a completely smooth plate.

Its performance may decline when the raised pattern becomes rounded by abrasion, paint fills the spaces between patterns, oil covers the contact area, mud or sludge creates a continuous layer, corrosion produces loose scale, ice forms over the surface, or cleaning residue remains after washdown.

It is not accurate to state that every checker plate loses its anti-slip function after a fixed one- or two-year period. Service life varies with traffic, material grade, pattern height, contamination, footwear, coating, cleaning, and maintenance.

The more useful procurement question is whether the raised pattern will remain exposed and effective under the actual contamination expected in the facility.

3.2 How Grip Strut produces traction

Grip Strut uses raised serrated edges that create multiple pronounced contact points with industrial footwear. The contact mechanism is more aggressive than the shallow embossing on typical checker plate.

This structure is commonly evaluated for wet industrial platforms, oily maintenance corridors, muddy outdoor routes, snow-exposed stairs, wastewater facilities, sloped access ramps, mining and aggregate plants, port walkways, and process areas exposed to loose debris.

Because the serrated edges are part of the formed opening rather than a shallow decorative pattern, the surface can maintain a pronounced geometry over extended service. Its exact durability still depends on base-metal thickness, material hardness, traffic frequency, abrasive contamination, corrosion loss, cleaning method, impact, and fabrication quality.

Aggressive serrations also create limitations. Grip Strut may not be the best choice where people wear soft footwear, frequently kneel, drag hoses, or need a smooth public-facing surface.

4. Structural Weight and Building Loads

4.1 Why checker plate can add significant dead load

Checker plate is a solid metal sheet. Its weight is closely related to material density, sheet thickness, panel dimensions, reinforcing frame, and added coatings. Across a large platform, total dead load can become significant.

This may affect structural beams, secondary supports, existing mezzanines, stair stringers, roof structures, renovation projects, manual installation, lifting equipment, and transportation cost.

In an older facility, replacing one solid plate with another thicker solid plate may require the engineer to review the existing structure.

4.2 Why Grip Strut can offer structural efficiency

Grip Strut removes part of the base sheet through its open pattern and uses formed edges and side channels to create a plank. The result can offer a useful strength-to-weight balance.

Potential project benefits include lower panel mass than a comparable solid sheet system, easier manual positioning, reduced lifting requirements, faster modular installation, lower dead load on some support structures, and easier replacement of individual planks.

Weight savings should never be assumed from photographs. A deep-channel Grip Strut plank with thick material may weigh more than a thin checker plate. The correct comparison should use weight per square meter, clear support span, distributed-load capacity, concentrated-load capacity, allowable deflection, fastener weight, reinforcement requirements, and service-life corrosion allowance.

NAAMM grating publications illustrate why weight, span, load, and installation should be assessed as one system.

5. Cleaning and Maintenance

5.1 Checker-plate maintenance

Because checker plate retains contamination on its upper surface, routine cleaning may require sweeping, squeegeeing, pressure washing, degreasing, manual scraping, drain-channel cleaning, rust removal, repainting, and repair around welds and cut edges.

Solid plate may still be preferable when process material must not fall to equipment or personnel below. In that situation, the additional cleaning effort may be an acceptable trade-off.

5.2 Grip Strut maintenance

Grip Strut allows water and loose debris to pass through, reducing the volume retained on the primary walking surface. It may simplify routine washdown in suitable applications.

Maintenance still needs to address blocked openings, hardened deposits, corroded fasteners, damaged serrations, distorted side channels, loose clips, debris beneath the walkway, sharp field-cut edges, coating damage, and unsupported cutouts.

Open drainage is useful only when the area beneath the plank remains accessible and the discharged contamination has somewhere safe to go. A walkway installed directly over an inaccessible ledge can simply move the cleaning problem from the top surface to the space beneath it.

6. Corrosion Resistance and Material Selection

Neither checker plate nor Grip Strut is inherently corrosion-proof. Corrosion resistance depends on base material, surface treatment, environment, chemical exposure, fabrication quality, drainage, crevice design, fastener compatibility, and maintenance.

6.1 Carbon steel

Hot-rolled carbon steel sheet may be supplied under specifications such as ASTM A1011/A1011M, depending on thickness, grade, and project requirements. Unprotected carbon steel is normally most suitable for dry environments or projects where a controlled coating system is applied.

6.2 Hot-dip galvanized steel

Hot-dip galvanizing can provide practical corrosion protection for industrial walkways, outdoor stairs, utility platforms, warehouses, and infrastructure.

ASTM A123/A123M covers zinc coatings applied by the hot-dip process to various iron and steel products. The American Galvanizers Association also provides guidance on repair of damaged galvanized coatings.

Specify the coating standard, coating thickness or category, venting and drainage for fabricated components, repair method after cutting or welding, fastener coating, inspection requirements, and packaging.

For more corrosion-protection information, see our article on galvanized perforated metal safety grating panels.

6.3 Stainless steel

Stainless steel may be selected for food production, wastewater treatment, coastal facilities, chemical environments, and projects requiring improved cleanability.

Possible options include 304 or 304L for many general indoor and freshwater conditions, 316 or 316L for more demanding chloride or coastal exposure, and duplex grades for selected severe environments.

World Stainless emphasizes that stainless steel can still experience corrosion and that suitable grade selection is necessary for each application.

6.4 Aluminum

Aluminum checker plate and aluminum Grip Strut can reduce panel weight and provide useful atmospheric corrosion resistance. They may be considered for vehicle steps, rooftop access, removable platforms, mobile equipment, lightweight maintenance routes, and architectural or commercial applications.

The engineer must still verify alloy, temper, support span, deflection, fatigue, chemicals, fasteners, and galvanic isolation from other metals.

7. Installation and Construction Efficiency

7.1 Checker-plate installation

Checker plate is commonly welded or bolted to a support frame. Advantages include familiar fabrication, easy sealing of openings, simple field cutting, compatibility with ordinary framing, and the ability to create enclosed surfaces.

Challenges may include high panel weight, large lifting requirements, heat distortion during welding, coating damage, difficult removal, water trapped at welded edges, and long site fabrication time.

7.2 Grip Strut installation

Grip Strut planks can be manufactured in modular lengths and widths. They may be installed using bolts, hold-down clips, saddle clips, welded connections, custom brackets, or removable locking systems.

Potential advantages include faster modular positioning, easier individual-panel replacement, reduced field welding, lower manual handling weight, integrated stair-tread fabrication, and repeatable spacing.

Some crocodile-mouth patterns have a preferred direction. Installation drawings should identify walking direction, drainage direction, ramp slope, stair-nosing direction, support orientation, and fastener locations.

ISO 14122-2:2016 provides requirements for working platforms and walkways used as permanent means of access to machinery. Project teams should confirm applicable local regulations and current editions rather than assuming that a product name automatically establishes compliance.

8. Application-by-Application Selection

8.1 Dry indoor passages

Checker plate remains practical for enclosed warehouses, dry utility rooms, temporary service routes, low-contamination platforms, and areas where objects must not fall through.

8.2 Wet outdoor walkways

Grip Strut should normally be evaluated first where the route is exposed to rain, condensation, snow, mud, drainage water, or frequent washdown. Checker plate can still be used when slope, drainage channels, cleaning, and slip control are properly addressed.

8.3 Oil-contaminated factories

Oil can cover shallow surface patterns. Grip Strut’s raised serrated openings can provide stronger mechanical contact and allow some liquid to move away from the upper surface. Neither product eliminates the need to control leaks and clean spills promptly.

8.4 Inclined ramps

Inclined access routes increase the consequences of poor traction. Grip Strut is often the stronger starting option for loading ramps, conveyor access routes, tank platforms, outdoor slopes, and industrial bridge approaches.

8.5 Wastewater and sludge areas

Open serrated grating can be useful where water and suitably sized sludge need to leave the walking surface. The hole size must be matched to the contamination, and the area below must remain cleanable.

8.6 Public or commercial areas

Checker plate or a less aggressive round-hole safety grating may be more suitable where users wear varied footwear or where contact comfort and appearance are priorities.

8.7 Areas above sensitive equipment

Solid checker plate may be preferred where liquids, tools, sparks, or process material cannot be allowed to fall through. Alternatively, an open walkway may require catch trays, secondary screens, drip pans, restricted access below, toe boards, or tool-retention procedures.

9. Side-by-Side Comparison Table

10. Composite Customer Case: An Aging Factory Walkway Upgrade

The following example is a composite industrial case based on recurring project conditions rather than a claim about one named customer.

The original installation

A component-manufacturing facility used painted checker plate across an elevated maintenance route beside its production line. The route included a covered indoor section, an outdoor connection bridge, a short inclined access ramp, an area beside hydraulic equipment, and a platform above sensitive electrical cabinets.

The original plate was selected because it was inexpensive and easy for the local contractor to weld. After several years of service, rainwater remained on the outdoor bridge, oil contamination near the hydraulic equipment covered the shallow raised pattern, paint had been reapplied several times, the solid panels were heavy to remove, and corrosion repeatedly appeared around welds and cut edges.

The customer initially planned to replace every panel with Grip Strut.

The engineering review

A site review showed that a complete one-for-one replacement was unnecessary. The facility was divided into operating zones.

Zone A: Dry indoor route. The indoor checker plate remained structurally sound and was not exposed to significant contamination. It was retained, cleaned, repaired, and recoated.

Zone B: Outdoor connection bridge. Galvanized Grip Strut planks were selected to provide open rainwater drainage and a more pronounced industrial walking surface. Support spacing and fasteners were verified before production.

Zone C: Inclined access ramp. Grip Strut was used because the combination of slope and occasional water exposure required stronger mechanical shoe engagement. The opening direction was shown on the installation drawing.

Zone D: Hydraulic-equipment access. Grip Strut was selected, but the customer also repaired the source of the hydraulic leak. Changing the floor without controlling the leak would not have provided a complete safety solution.

Zone E: Platform above electrical cabinets. Solid checker plate was retained because liquid, bolts, and tools could not be allowed to fall onto the equipment below. The plate was installed with improved edge drainage and removable bolted connections.

Project result

The customer used open serrated grating where drainage and aggressive traction added value and retained solid plate where containment was more important.

The redesign achieved better drainage on the outdoor bridge, more suitable traction on the ramp, easier modular panel replacement, reduced unnecessary material replacement, better protection above sensitive equipment, clearer maintenance responsibilities, and more accurate life-cycle budgeting.

Industrial walkway selection should be based on operating zones, not on one product being declared superior everywhere.

11. Life-Cycle Cost Comparison

The lowest initial material price does not always produce the lowest total project cost. A life-cycle comparison should include initial material, cutting, forming, reinforcement, surface treatment, fasteners, transportation, lifting, installation labor, cleaning, drain maintenance, coating repair, corrosion inspection, fastener replacement, access closure, panel removal, slip incidents, production interruption, emergency repairs, structural reinforcement, premature replacement, and damage to equipment below.

Checker plate may have the lower initial price in a dry indoor area. Grip Strut may provide a lower life-cycle cost in a wet outdoor route where reduced liquid retention, modular installation, and lower cleaning effort are valuable.

12. Engineering and Procurement Checklist

Operating environment

• Indoor or outdoor

• Dry, wet, oily, muddy, snowy, or chemically exposed

• Flat, inclined, stair, or platform application

• Cleaning method

• Temperature range

• Coastal or inland location

• Expected contaminants

Structural requirements

• Clear support span

• Panel length and width

• Distributed load

• Concentrated load

• Deflection limit

• Personnel, trolley, or equipment traffic

• Support-frame condition

• Fall-protection requirements

Material requirements

• Carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum

• Exact material grade

• Sheet thickness

• Corrosion allowance

• Surface treatment

• Coating standard

• Fastener material

Fabrication requirements

• Grip Strut opening pattern or checker pattern

• Channel depth

• Folded edges

• Stair nosing

• Cutouts

• Removable sections

• Drainage direction

• Walking direction

• Deburring

• Welding method

Documentation

• Material certificate

• Coating certificate

• Dimensional drawing

• Weight per square meter

• Load and span data

• Deflection information

• Fastener details

• Installation drawing

• Inspection report

• Maintenance instructions

13. Common Purchasing Mistakes

Mistake 1: Comparing only price per square meter. Two products may require different supports, reinforcement, lifting equipment, fasteners, and maintenance. Compare installed life-cycle cost.

Mistake 2: Assuming checker plate is always unsafe. Checker plate remains useful in dry, enclosed, sealed, or containment-sensitive areas.

Mistake 3: Assuming Grip Strut is always lighter. Weight depends on material, thickness, open area, channel depth, and reinforcement. Request actual unit weight.

Mistake 4: Ignoring material grade. A hole pattern does not provide corrosion resistance. Specify the base material and coating separately.

Mistake 5: Selecting by photograph. Similar products may use different opening sizes, forming heights, thicknesses, and side channels. Approve a dimensioned drawing.

Mistake 6: Ignoring what falls through the panel. Open drainage can also allow tools, sparks, liquids, and debris to reach lower levels. Evaluate the area beneath the walkway.

Mistake 7: Ignoring fasteners. A strong panel with corroded or loose fasteners can still become hazardous. Specify the complete fixing system.

Mistake 8: Claiming permanent anti-slip performance. All walking surfaces require inspection, cleaning, and maintenance. Establish a documented inspection plan.

Final Selection Standard

Choose traditional checker plate as a practical starting option for dry indoor passages, temporary low-risk routes, enclosed platforms, areas requiring a completely solid surface, locations where tools or liquids must not fall through, and projects where simple field welding is a priority.

Evaluate crocodile-mouth Grip Strut first for wet outdoor walkways, oil-contaminated industrial routes, muddy or debris-prone areas, inclined ramps, wastewater facilities, ports and loading areas, mining and aggregate plants, rooftop maintenance routes, industrial stairs, and projects requiring modular open drainage.

The final decision must also consider load, span, deflection, corrosion, footwear, fasteners, maintenance, falling-object risk, and applicable regulations.

A modern industrial walkway standard should not be defined as checker plate being obsolete or Grip Strut being universally superior. The more accurate standard is: use a solid surface where containment is essential, and use an open serrated surface where drainage and aggressive industrial traction are the dominant requirements. Engineer both as complete systems.

Is Your Current Walkway Costing More Than It Appears?

Does your existing checker plate retain rainwater, oil, mud, or cleaning liquid? Are repeated repainting, rust removal, difficult panel handling, and temporary shutdowns increasing the real operating cost?

Send us application photographs, existing plate thickness, walkway dimensions, support spacing, expected loads, contamination type, indoor or outdoor location, required material, surface treatment, and project quantity. We can compare checker plate and crocodile-mouth Grip Strut options according to the operating zones of your project.

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