Buying Guides · 2026-01-08
Molded vs Pultruded FRP Grating: Which One for Your Project?
The two grating types are not competitors so much as different tools. Here is the decision logic our engineers apply.
Molded grating — the versatile default
- One-piece panel with glass woven in both directions: equal strength either way
- Cuts anywhere on site with hand tools — no edge sealing, because the glass is continuous through the cut
- Best for platforms with irregular layouts, many cut-outs, and bidirectional traffic
- Openings between bars let small debris fall through; deep panels available to 50 mm
Pultruded grating — the stiffness specialist
- I-bar profiles with continuous longitudinal glass: roughly 30 % higher stiffness at the same depth
- Wins whenever the span is long or deflection must be tight: pipe racks, machine platforms, bridges
- Directional by design: bearing bars must run perpendicular to the supports
- Cut ends need end-capping or resin sealing — the longitudinal glass is exposed at a cut
Decision table
| Situation | Better choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway spans under 1 m, many cut-outs | Molded 38 mm | Cheapest correct answer; site-cut friendly |
| Spans over 1.2 m or heavy traffic | Pultruded I-50 | Stiffness carries the span |
| Radius or irregular panel shapes | Molded | Cuts anywhere without sealing |
| Tight deflection limits under equipment | Pultruded | Lowest deflection per depth |
| Mixed bidirectional loads | Molded | Strength in both directions |
| High open area wanted | Pultruded I-bar | ~70 % open vs 68 % molded, cleaner look |
On large projects the answer is usually both: molded for the general walkway field, pultruded for the long-span crossings. Both share the same clip hardware, resin systems and surface options, so the mixed deck behaves as one system.