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Category: News

COVID-SAFE PLAN (STAGE 4 RESTRICTIONS)

R&S Grating remain open for sales, contactless deliveries and contactless pickups, operating under the following COVID-SAFE plan.

In response to the rising COVID-19 caseload and stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne, R&S Grating have implemented a COVID-SAFE plan. This plan details the changes to standard operations that have been implemented, what is required of staff and what is required of third parties during the course of conducting business with R&S Grating.

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

As per order of the Victorian government and stage 4 restrictions, the following are required of all R&S Grating staff and any customer or member of the public engaging with an R&S Grating employee in the course of their duties:

  • a face mask or covering must be worn at all times, except when impractical (such as when eating).
  • A minimum of 1.5m distance must be maintained at all times (social distancing).

R&S Grating’s staff have been instructed to discontinue engagement with customers or the public if these conditions are not being adhered to.

CONTACTLESS PICKUP ORDERS

All R&S Grating pickup orders are now strictly contactless.

PICKUP HOURS:

MONDAY – FRIDAY: 6AM – 5PM
SATURDAY: 6AM – 12PM

When arriving, please:

  • Enter the property via the left driveway.
  • Remain in your vehicle and call (03) 9238 5888.
  • You will receive further instructions then on where to park.
  • If you need to clear space on your vehicle for the goods to be loaded, please do this once parked where instructed and return to your vehicle for loading.
  • No printed delivery docket can be provided at this time. If you would like a copy you can provide an email address for it to be sent to.
  • Customers who do not remain in their vehicles unfortunately cannot be loaded.
  • After loading you may exit the vehicle to secure your goods.
  • At all times while on the premises you must wear a mask or face covering. Unfortunately we cannot serve customers who are not adhering to this rule.

As a result of these procedures wait times and loading times may take longer than normal. R&S Grating thanks you for your cooperation and for helping keep us all safe.


All orders must be placed via our sales team over the phone or by email. You can call us on (03) 9238 5888 or email sales@grating.com.au.


Customers who arrive at the Despatch Office without having placed an order will be asked to return to their vehicle and call the Sales Team to seek product information and/or place an order.


Unfortunately we cannot show people around our showroom or warehouse at this time.

NO CONTACT DELIVERIES

To minimise contact between our delivery staff and the public, we are now offering contact free delivery. Our drivers will unload your order by crane or hand and place it where instructed. In lieu of signing a delivery docket, the driver will ask for the receiver’s full name and take a photo of the position where the goods were left. If you would like a copy of this photo/receiver’s name, please contact our office. All our drivers are carrying antibacterial hand sanitiser should anyone wish to use some.


We ask that all customers and contacts wear a mask while taking delivery of goods from us.

QUARANTINE GROUPS

R&S Grating has taken the decision to quarantine various working groups within the business to minimise the risk of spread or exposure to COVID-19.


These groups have designated safe zones within the premises and all staff must follow strict guidelines if required to move outside their own safe zone, in addition to the government guidelines on social distancing and hygiene practices while in their own safe zone.


Production is now operating on staggered shifts to reduce numbers in communal spaces and a rigorous cleaning regime has been implemented.


All staff have been strongly encouraged to get tested should they experience any symptoms. R&S Grating is offering a Pandemic Leave payment to all staff should they require testing.

ON SITE SALES

As a distinct quarantine group, our on site Sales Team of Steve Skinner, Neil Ward and Steve Nixon are available to meet customers on site with strict social distancing and hygiene guidelines. Our on site Sales Team are no longer attending the warehouse/factory and limiting their own interactions as much as possible to protect themselves and our customers. On site measures and site meetings are only going ahead where it is safe to do so.

LOOKING FORWARD

As with everyone, we’re disappointed to see a return to the threat of COVID-19 in Victoria. We understand that the restrictions we are now imposing on ourselves may begin to impact the quality of our service and lead time. We are doing everything that we can to minimise these impacts, however our top priority remains the safety of our staff, customers, suppliers and the broader community.


Should you wish to discuss anything relating to our COVID-19 response, please feel free to contact us.

Water Flow Test of Weaved Grate

Full Scale Hydraulic Inlet Testing of a Weaved Grate

At R&S Grating, we’re no strangers to extreme testing, whether it’s throwing a fully loaded B-Double at a grate at 100km/h or putting a weaved grate through one million load repetitions, we take great pride in the quality of our product range and relish the opportunity to test them to the harshest conditions that the Australian environment can throw at it.

 

In our latest test, the University of South Australia conducted a full-scale hydraulic inlet test on one of our signature products, the weaved grate. The 17m x 3.2m Roadway Surface Drainage test rig, the only of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, was constructed in 1991 at the University of Adelaide and allows for longitudinal slopes between 0% – 16% and cross-fall slopes between 0% – 5%. With an adjustable approach flow between 0 – 400 l/s, the test rig features a capture and bypass pond to measure the collected water at varying slopes and approach flow rates. The rig was fitted with two R&S Grating weaved grates, measuring 1900x600mm and 1900x900mm respectively, with an additional inlet of 1900x450mm being measured by the use of plates covering part of the grates.. Weaved grates are a high strength product that offer between 65-75% open surface area, while still easily achieving the bicycle tyre penetration resistance (BTPR) requirements of AS3996.

 

Click to read more.

 

Both a standard grated inlet pit and combined side entry and grated pit inlet configuration were tested. All tests were conducted with a cross-fall slope of 3%, to simulate typical road conditions, with the longitudinal slope and approach flow rate being varied. The longitudinal slope was varied between 0.25% and 8% and was a fixed variable for each test. The approach flow rate was varied between 0 l/s and 400 l/s, with the contents of both the capture pond and bypass pond being measured.

 

The test rig in operation.
Figure 1: Hydraulic test rig setup at full flow rate operation.

With the grates fitted, the longitudinal slope was set for each test and the approach flow was gradually increased. The large variety of configurations and clear opening inlet sizes offered great insight into the hydraulic capacity of the weaved grate.

 

One of the fitted weaved grates.
Figure 2: A 1900x900mm pit size weaved grate, fitted to the rig.

With larger inlets, and the lowest longitudinal slope of 0.25%, the grate captured 100% of the water supplied, up to a 180 l/s approach flow rate. As the approach flow rate continued to increase, the grate continued to capture staggering quantities of water. At the full approach rate capacity of 400 l/s, the weaved grate captured 340 l/s, or 85% of the water supplied.

 

At the other end of the longitudinal slope rate spectrum, with an 8% decline, the weaved grate captured 100% of the water supplied, up to an approach flow rate of 80 l/s. At the rig’s approach flow rate capacity, 400 l/s, the grate captured 265 l/s, or 66% of the water supplied. The full results for all longitudinal slopes featuring three 1000x800mm grates are given in Figure 3.

 

Results for largest opening.
Figure 3: Results for the largest opening tested.

For the smallest inlet size tested, 1000x450mm, the grate captured 100% of the approach flow water up to 85 l/s with the smallest longitudinal slope of 0.25%. For the largest slope, 8%, the grate captured 100% of the supplied water up to 38 l/s. The full results of the smallest inlet size are given in Figure 4.

 

Results for smallest opening.
Figure 4: Results for the smallest opening tested with the weaved grate.

The impressive test rig conducted a total of 48 tests of varying inlet sizes, kerb profiles and longitudinal slope inclinations, providing superb data on the hydraulic capacity of weaved grates for almost any situation imaginable. The schematic of the test rig is shown in Figure 5.

 

A schematic of the test rig.
Figure 5: The hydraulic test rig setup at the University of Adelaide.

The hydraulic capacity testing of the weaved grate adds yet another tick to the impressive range of tests that the weaved grate has been subjected to and passed. Designed and manufactured at R&S Grating’s Dandenong South factory, the versatility of the weaved grate allows it to be manufactured to load ratings from class C through to class G of the Australian Standard AS3996.

 

The load-bearing capacity of the weaved grate has been extensively tested with both static, repetitive loads and also dynamic, high-impact loads. Now used extensively throughout Melbourne’s network of arterials and freeways, the weaved grate has stood the test of time in every application.

 

To learn more about weaved grates, how they’ve been tested, where they’re used and what the possibilities are, please visit www.grating.com.au/weaved.

 

Download our publication in the Spring 2017 Access Magazine (2.42 mb) below, or access a copy from the MWOA website:

 

Download this article in PDF format here.

If you’d like a full copy of the test results from the University of Adelaide, please contact R&S Grating by phone on (03) 9238 5888 or email sales@grating.com.au.