A data center campus has more stairs and walkways than most people expect. Rooftops and equipment yards are packed with chillers, dry coolers and cooling towers, linked by pipe runs, conduit and cable trays that crews have to step over every day. Standby generators sit high on their fuel tanks, and inside, mezzanines and equipment platforms need their own stairs. SteelFront makes the steel parts that go into these stairways, walkways and catwalks in Hutchinson, Kansas, including bolt-on stair treads, perforated walkway pans, toe boards and punched angle, and sells them online with prices shown.
Where these parts get used
- Crossovers: short stairs and bridges that carry technicians over piping, conduit and cable runs instead of across them.
- Rooftop and yard equipment: service platforms and walkways around chillers, cooling towers, dry coolers and air handlers.
- Generator access: steps and platforms up to the control panels and service doors of generators mounted on sub-base fuel tanks.
- Mezzanines and galleries: stairs and catwalks inside electrical and mechanical rooms.
Most of this access steel is built by mechanical and electrical contractors, steel fabricators and facility maintenance crews. SteelFront supplies the components. The design, including spans, loads, roof attachment and connections, should come from a qualified engineer.
Stair treads for crossovers and equipment stairs
All of our bolt-on treads are 9″ wide × 26″ long and bolt between stringers through side panels, so a short crossover or a generator stair goes together with hand tools:
- Bar grating tread (11 gauge) with its top step. Rain and snow fall through, which keeps rooftop and yard stairs safer in bad weather.
- Formed-grated tread (12 gauge) with its top step, a solid alternative for mixed climates.
- Perforated grip tread (13 gauge) with the matching top step, a good fit for indoor mezzanine stairs.
For welded stairs, the weld-on perforated tread comes in ten configurations, from 4″ × 24″ to 11-1/2″ × 30″. A pitch plate splices two stair sections or adds an extension when a crossover has to clear a taller obstacle.
Walkways and catwalks
The SteelFront walkway grating plank / pan is a perforated steel walking surface with grip holes for traction. It comes 26″ wide (13 or 14 gauge) or an extra-wide 48″ (13 gauge), in 19 lengths from 10″ to 120″. Actual lengths run 1/4″ short for installation clearance. Lay it along a row of chillers, between generator enclosures, or as the deck of a crossover. Where a site already has bar grating platforms, bar grating saddle clips attach brackets and rails without welding, using a 3/8″ hex bolt and flange nut.
Edges: toe boards and rails
Rooftop platforms often sit over walkways, equipment or a roof edge, so dropped tools are a real hazard. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28, a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge 4 feet or more above a lower level needs fall protection, typically a guardrail. Where people work or pass below, toeboards are one of OSHA’s listed ways to keep objects from falling, and 1910.29(k) sets their minimum height at 3.5″. SteelFront toe boards are 4″ tall:
- Bent-leg (flange) toe board: 13 or 14 gauge, 1″ or 1-1/2″ leg, 10″ to 120″ long
- Perforated toe board: no leg, two rows of holes for bolting directly to walkway uprights
Stairs count too. OSHA 1910.28(b)(11) calls for stair rails and handrails on any flight with at least 3 treads and at least 4 risers, which covers many crossovers.
Frames, supports and equipment stands
Roll-formed punched angle and A36 structural punched angle have 0.563″ holes on 2″ centers, sized for 1/2″ bolts, so walkway frames and small stands bolt together without drilling. For welded frames and heavier supports, A36 structural angle runs up to 3″ × 4″ × 1/4″. Lengths run from 1′ to 20′. Add hex nut and bolt sets, and use stanchion / leg support lugs as feet for angle legs.
Generator fuel tanks
Many standby generators sit on a sub-base fuel tank, and some sites add day tanks or larger aboveground tanks. The tank fabricators who build them use our tank manways, Fibreflex manway gaskets, lift lugs, nameplate brackets and forged half couplings. Listing and code compliance belong to the finished tank, so they’re the tank manufacturer’s responsibility. See our fuel storage tank parts page for more.
Typical data center applications
- Crossover stairs over chilled water piping, conduit and cable trays
- Service walkways along banks of chillers, dry coolers and cooling towers
- Steps and landings up to generators on sub-base tanks
- Mezzanine and equipment platform stairs in electrical and mechanical rooms
- Small equipment stands and frames built from angle
Every part is sold individually, so a facility crew can replace one damaged tread or toe board without a quote. Browse Walkways & Stairways and Steel Angle, or see our industrial catwalk parts page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rooftop crossover?
A crossover is a short set of stairs, usually with a small platform or bridge, that lets technicians step over pipes, conduit, cable trays or ductwork instead of climbing across them. SteelFront sells the stair treads, walkway pans, toe boards and punched angle that crossovers are built from.
Which stair tread is best for an outdoor generator or chiller stair?
Bar grating treads let rain and snow fall through the step, so they’re the usual pick outdoors. Formed-grated treads are a solid alternative for mixed climates. Perforated grip treads are the lightest option, at 13 gauge, and work well indoors.
Do you sell complete crossovers or platforms?
SteelFront sells the individual components at posted prices. For assembled stairways, platforms or custom fabrication, call Wifco Steel Products, our parent company, at (800) 258-1392.
How wide are your walkway pans?
26″ (13 or 14 gauge) and 48″ (13 gauge), in lengths from 10″ to 120″. The actual length is 1/4″ shorter than listed to allow for installation.
When does a data center platform need guardrails?
Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1), employees on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge 4 feet or more above a lower level must be protected from falling, for example with a guardrail system. Stair flights with at least 3 treads and 4 risers need stair rails and handrails.