FRP Grating Case Study | Pharma Cleanroom HVAC Platform — ZeAllgrate
Pharmaceutical & Cleanroom — Project Background
A Grade C (ISO 8) pharmaceutical cleanroom required a maintenance platform above the ceiling void, giving qualified staff safe access to HEPA filter housings, air handling units and ductwork without entering the cleanroom below. The previous steel grating platform had begun to rust, and the operator was concerned that particle shedding from steel would compromise the cleanroom's particulate specification. The platform also had to be wipe-down cleanable (because maintenance is performed in full gown) and non-shedding, with no open cut edges that could harbor microbial contamination or shed glass fiber into the room below.
Engineering specified FDA-grade vinyl ester molded grating with a smooth, non-shedding surface, factory-bonded edge banding, and stainless fasteners. Client identity is kept confidential; the project is described as Confidential Client, a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Engineering Specification
Working values agreed with the client's engineering team during design review.
| Parameter | Selected Value | Standard / Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Live load | 2.5 kN/m² (gownned technician + test equipment) | Cleanroom maintenance design basis |
| Clear span | 0.9 m between ceiling support steel | ZeAllgrate molded grating design guide |
| Deflection limit | L/150 at design load | ZeAllgrate standard |
| Resin system | FDA-grade vinyl ester (ZeAll FDA grade) | FDA 21 CFR 177.2420 compliance |
| Panel thickness | 38 mm molded | ZeAllgrate standard molded grating |
| Mesh | Mini-mesh 19×19 mm (minimize particle fall-through) | Grade C cleanroom requirement |
| Surface | Smooth, post-cured and washed | Wipe-down cleanable, non-shedding |
| Fixings | SS316 clips | ASTM A276 316 |
| Edge banding | FRP flat bar, factory bonded | Sealed edge, no fiber shedding |
| Particle control | Non-shedding, low outgassing | Grade C (ISO 8) cleanroom |
What Was Supplied and How It Went In
ZeAllgrate supplied 420 m² of FDA-grade smooth molded FRP grating in mini-mesh 19×19 mm panels, post-cured and washed before dispatch. All cut edges were factory-bonded with FRP flat-bar edge banding so there is no exposed glass fiber that could shed into the cleanroom below. The smooth surface wipes down easily with the operator's standard disinfectant, and the mini-mesh opening minimizes particle fall-through from the maintenance platform into the room below.
Installation was completed during the cleanroom's fit-out phase, before the room was qualified. Panels were clip-mounted to existing ceiling support steel with SS316 hardware, and the whole platform was wiped down after installation. Because FRP is light, panels were carried by two technicians through the ceiling access hatch without crane assistance.
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Outcomes and Inspection Findings
At 1-year inspection, the pharmaceutical operator reported no particle shedding, no outgassing issues, and cleanroom particulate levels within specification during routine monitoring. The platform has given maintenance staff fast, safe access to HEPA housings without gowning into the Grade C room.
- Compliance: resin documented against FDA 21 CFR 177.2420; post-cured and washed before dispatch.
- Particle control: sealed edges and mini-mesh minimize fall-through; cleanroom particulate monitoring within Grade C specification.
- Cleanability: smooth surface wipes down with standard disinfectant; no harborage.
- Access: platform gives safe HEPA/ACU maintenance without entering the Grade C room.
- Corrosion: immune to disinfectants and cleanroom humidity; no rust shedding vs. previous steel platform.
Engineering Notes
Pharma HVAC platforms sit above cleanroom areas, so the specification balances non-conductivity, low particle shedding and corrosive utilities: non-conductive grating for the platform deck, smooth covered surfaces where particle control matters, vinyl ester where acids and solvents store or flow, and a deflection limit that keeps the deck stiff under the HVAC equipment load. The cleaning and sanitising chemistry is verified against the resin chart — an incompatible sanitiser shortens panel life even though the panel looks unchanged for years.
What to Specify
- Non-conductive grating; smooth/covered surface for low shedding.
- Vinyl ester where acids/solvents contact the deck.
- Deflection limit applied under HVAC equipment loads.
- Cleaning chemistry verified against the resin chart.
- Non-conductive grating; smooth/covered surface for low shedding.
- Vinyl ester where acids/solvents contact the deck.
- Deflection limit applied under HVAC equipment loads.
- Cleaning chemistry verified against the resin chart.
Planning a Similar FRP Grating Project?
Send us your layout drawings, service chemicals and span requirements — ZeAllgrate will return a design proposal, load calculation and reference pricing within 48 hours.
- FDA 21 CFR 177.2420 — Refractory perfluorocarbon resin coatings and food-contact use conditions.
- ZeAllgrate molded grating design guide, load and deflection tables.
- ISO 14644 — cleanroom and associated controlled environments classification (Grade C / ISO 8).
- IEST-RP-CC012 — cleanroom housekeeping and material outgassing guidance.
- Project inspection records supplied by Confidential Client; values quoted as-reported.