Support for 3/16 D-plate floor?

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I am making a 4' x 6'  raised platform to provide comfortable working height from floor to machinery after blocking up the machinery a few inches to get it off a sometimes wet concrete floor.  I figure on using bar channel laid out on the concrete to support the plate, but need to space it appropriatly to minimise sag in the plate from the foot traffic.  I expect 16" oc as used in residential flooring will not be enough for a single layer of 3/16 plate.  But will 12" oc be enough or should I put the channels even closer?-MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
Reply:Whats the weight of the machinery, and how does it sit on the floor, i.e.  number of legs, spacing, etc.-AaronJet 17.5" Drill Press1942 South Bend 16x84 Lathe1980s Miller 320A / BP --- 2013 Power Mig 2562012 Jet 7x12 Horizontal BandsawVictor O/A Setup
Reply:Originally Posted by rabidchimpWhats the weight of the machinery, and how does it sit on the floor, i.e.  number of legs, spacing, etc.-Aaron
Reply:You will not 'damage' the 3/16 plate by standing on it.It will sag when you stand on it, but should not be permanently deformed unless you only have the plate supported at the edges and you jump on it (probably not even then, if the d-plate is only 2 inches or so off the floor).Steel diamond plate, right?  Aluminum is not as strong or as stiff as steel, so that may slightly change things.If the sag 'bothers' you or if for some reason you need a no-sag 'precision' floor underneath you, then you can either run the sleepers a bit closer together or you can make a perimeter 'frame' and solidly attach the floor plate to said frame.  Weld, bolt, rivet, etc.  Thus you have made the plate into a diaphram-type structure and any sag then has to stress the floor plate in tension and now the floor is 'stiffer' (assuming a reasonbly strong/stiff perimeter frame).Short answer:  Don't worry about it.Longer answer : Don't worry about it.  If the plate sags or is too bouncy for you, put an extra sleeper underneath.  Repeat until you are not worried anymore.disclaimer:  This advice worth what you paid for it, not to be used where chance of catastrophic failure may lead to injury or death, not to be used for overhead lifting or transport of personnel, inflammable objects may be flammable, objects in mirror are closer than they appear, etc, etc.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseYou will not 'damage' the 3/16 plate by standing on it.It will sag when you stand on it, but should not be permanently deformed unless you only have the plate supported at the edges and you jump on it (probably not even then, if the d-plate is only 2 inches or so off the floor).Steel diamond plate, right?  Aluminum is not as strong or as stiff as steel, so that may slightly change things.If the sag 'bothers' you or if for some reason you need a no-sag 'precision' floor underneath you, then you can either run the sleepers a bit closer together or you can make a perimeter 'frame' and solidly attach the floor plate to said frame.  Weld, bolt, rivet, etc.  Thus you have made the plate into a diaphram-type structure and any sag then has to stress the floor plate in tension and now the floor is 'stiffer' (assuming a reasonbly strong/stiff perimeter frame).Short answer:  Don't worry about it.Longer answer : Don't worry about it.  If the plate sags or is too bouncy for you, put an extra sleeper underneath.  Repeat until you are not worried anymore.disclaimer:  This advice worth what you paid for it, not to be used where chance of catastrophic failure may lead to injury or death, not to be used for overhead lifting or transport of personnel, inflammable objects may be flammable, objects in mirror are closer than they appear, etc, etc.
Reply:I'm guessing that you're considering something like 4" - 6" channel. If it matters, the stiffeners are gonna use up a lot of channel.Something like 3/16 plate on  edge and stitch welded to the tread plate would be more than sufficient for "cat walk" stiffeners and it would be no big deal to add a few extras if necessary. Angle or some others shape will do too. For placement on a less-than-level floor the stiffeners could be short of the floor and "bridge" to the channel frame at the cat-walk's perimeter.However, if the amount of material used is no object, just pack the channels in at 12" centers with 12" runners too, to delay the inevitable "washboard" that light plate will see from heavy loading, stacking, jacking, and what not. But considering all that, maybe using  3/16 tread plate is false economy and a heavier plate would be the way to go. Try 1-1/2" Good LuckLast edited by denrep; 06-09-2012 at 12:55 PM.
Reply:Aeehhh, wipe the 3/16 tread plate off the slate; this a job for Grip Strut.