Rooftop Walkways, Work Platforms, and Crossover Platform Systems

Protect your roof … and keep your team safe

We understand the need to keep workers safe along with protecting the roof below them. This is why we offer Unistrut rooftop walkway systems, work platforms, and crossover systems.

Our rooftop systems:

• Provide a safe walkway for rooftop traffic
• Protect the roof from foot traffic
• Resist weather in either galvanized steel or aluminum finish
• Attach to all metal standing seam roofs, including metric sizes

Our rooftop systems do not:

• Penetrate rooftop surface (except on rib roofs)
• Trap water or disappear in snow like rubber pads
• Rot or disintegrate like wood or patio blocks

Learn more about the many ways Unistrut rooftop solutions can help save you time and money.

Contact us for a quote

Easy to Assemble & Install

Unistrut rooftop walkway systems, access platforms, and crossover systems are available as factory assembled systems (for built-up, membrane and urethane foam systems only) or as assemble-on-site components.

Each system is built with lightweight metal grating and features special anchoring hardware requiring no roof penetration. Best of all, rooftop walkway systems and work platforms from Unistrut Service Company are versatile and adapt to virtually any roofing system.

Our designs are easy to assemble and install by one or two workers without the use of special tools, and in most cases, without using hoists or cranes.

Non-Penetrating Rooftop Clamps and Supports

Guaranteeing the safety of your employees and contractors while preventing damage to your roof can pose significant challenges. Rubber pads can trap water or become covered during snowy weather, while wooden structures or patio blocks don’t hold up well when exposed to heat and moisture. Walkways constructed from structural steel add significant loads to both the roof and the support structure below.

Unistrut rooftop walkways can attach to roof seams using non-penetrating clamps or rubber bases to allow workers of all sizes to safely walk on the roof in all types of weather without damaging the roof. These same systems work equally well on membrane, built-up, foam and coated roofs because the walkways protect against puncture, abrasion and wear while providing a safe, clearly defined, anti-skid walking surface.

There are a variety of mounting options available regardless of your roof’s composition or pitch.

Secure Installation on Standing Seam Rooftops

For standing seam roofs, each of our rooftop systems feature S-5! clamps to ensure a strong and safe, yet non-penetrating connection that won't harm your roof or void your warranty. Installation of our rooftop systems allows workers of all sizes to walk safely on the anti-skid surface without causing seam distortion, “dishing,” or harmful stress to the roofing panels.

The Versatility of Unistrut Channel

Contractors have long hailed Unistrut framing channel as one of the most versatile building materials on the market. Building pros choose Unistrut because it is easy to work with.

Thanks to the material’s innovative design, time-consuming fabrication steps such as cutting and welding are minimized or even eliminated during most installations. These benefits also make Unistrut an easy choice for people with little or no building experience.

Safety Steps, Treads and Platforms

Combine Unistrut framing channel with United Interlock Grating to create walkways and platforms that prevent skids, slips, and falls.

United Interlock Grating comes in two standard surfaces:  slotted/smooth and anti-skid.

Anti-skid is typically specified when safe walking conditions are important. Dieformed teeth in the transverse ribs offer 360° of shoe-gripping traction even when the grating is wet, oily, muddy, or icy.

United Interlock Grating is available in a variety of zinc coatings:

• Pre-Galvanized Zinc (PG)
• Electroplated (EG)
• Perma-Gold (ZD)
• Hot Dipped

Cost-Efficient Pre-Assembly

Unistrut reduces labor costs by minimizing time spent drilling and cutting. Unistrut also eliminates many of the headaches associated with inaccurate measurements during the quote phase (e.g., dimensional variations in areas assumed to be plumb and square). These surprises often require costly in-the-field modifications, especially when working with structural steel. Unistrut channel can save contractors time and money with its easy-to-assemble, modular design that reduces the need for cuts and welds.

But did you know Unistrut can be even more cost-effective thanks to pre-assembly? With walkway installations, pre-assembling the Unistrut to the grating can save hundreds of hours of labor.

Unistrut Service Company can kit, stage, and even pre-assemble significant portions of your installation in our shop to drastically save you time and money.

Engineered Rooftop Systems

The keys to any successful building project are twofold: the right materials and an easy-to-follow plan.

By partnering with Unistrut Service Company, you can purchase all of the materials and engineering drawings needed to complete your project from a single source.

Please note: Drawings below are generic details to show design intent only. The drawings will help you gain a better understanding of engineered rooftop walkway design, but they are not intended for construction purposes because each system is application specific.

Your rooftop walkway system will likely include sections that are less than 10 feet in length, and we may need to make modifications to an existing design to accommodate mechanical systems such as rooftop HVAC units, vent stacks, etc.

Contact Unistrut Service Company for pricing on site-specific engineered system drawings.

The tables below contain downloadable standard design detail drawings for typical Unistrut rooftop walkway applications.

Please Note: Drawings below are generic details to show design intent only. The drawings will help you gain a better understanding of engineered rooftop walkway design, but they are not intended for construction purposes because each system is application specific.

Your rooftop walkway system will likely include sections that are less than 10′ in length, and we may need to make modifications to an existing design to accommodate mechanical systems such as rooftop HVAC units, vent stacks, etc. Contact Unistrut Service Company for pricing on site specific engineered system drawings.

Rooftop Walkway Applications

Walkways are common rooftop fixtures in areas requiring frequent inspection and maintenance. HVAC units, air handling equipment, and pipe rack systems require frequent access, just to name a few. Accessing these systems poses a number of challenges, including fall hazards and the potential for roof damage due to pedestrian foot traffic.

Walking directly on the roofing surface can cause punctures and excessive wear on rubber roofs (which typically voids the manufacturer’s warranty on membrane roofing materials). It can also cause seam distortion with excessive stress on metal roof panels.

Safe, secure rooftop walkways and platforms from Unistrut eliminate these problems while providing fall protection for your team.

With the expansion of our sister company, Diversified Fall Protection, Unistrut Service Company has garnered decades of experience in meeting fall protection requirements. Our complete line of in-stock Unistrut materials combined with our expertise in fall protection can create the perfect solution to keep workers safe.

View the rooftop walkway applications below to see Unistrut walkways installed.

Applications

BEFORE: Climbing from lower levels to upper levels on an exposed roof is unsafe and is a violation of OSHA regulations as well.

AFTER: A rooftop walkway constructed using non-skid grating, integrated stairs and handrail. This solution provides OSHA-compliant, safe access to a raised section of roof.

Handrails and toeboards are all 100% OSHA-compliant and durable.

 

Safety platform for rooftop cooling tower access.

Unistrut and structural steel rooftop walkways.

Unistrut rooftop walkway allows safe access to several rooftop air conditioning units.

This rooftop walkway system allows workers to service rooftop units (RTUs) and access all items of the walkway, without contacting the roof.

Case Study: Engineered Rooftop System

With this engineered rooftop system, identifying a solution providing safe rooftop access for our client was easy, but the real question centered on who should complete the build. Our client's preferred contractor was not available, so the client opted to complete the project with the assistance of their facility maintenance personnel.

The specifics of the project are simple: the facility had a standing seam metal roof, and the client wanted to ensure that installation would not require any penetration of the roof surface. This is a common request, since even well-sealed holes are prone to eventual leaks.

Our client also required a skid-resistant walking surface, handrails, and shop drawings to complete their work. Although the infinite adjustability of Unistrut channel eliminates most cutting, this design did call for some cut-to-length material.

We performed this operation in our shop with our programmable production saw and then bundled all of the materials into clearly labeled lots so our customer could easily identify the needed pieces for each walkway section. The finished 500-foot walkway took about a week to complete.

One of the challenges with roof walkways is finding a way to secure the walkway without penetrating the roof surface. Our non-penetrating design concept used Unistrut S-5! clamps to attach the base of the walkway to the roof. The clamps created a solid connection to the roof ribs, eliminating the need to drill holes that might cause leaks.

Thanks to the flexibility of the Unistrut clamping system, walkways can be installed parallel, perpendicular, or diagonally to the rib pattern on a standing seam roof.

The railings and base framing were constructed using P1000, P1000T, P2346, and P1068 channel. To ensure a safe walking surface that can stand up to snow and ice build-up, we specified Unistrut Anti-Skid Grating (G11282, G12282, G9128) attached with G714 recessed washers and P3007 Channel Nuts.

As is often the case with DIY installation projects, there were some unexpected adjustments in the field. One section of the walkway required re-routing due to structural interferences that were not called out in the original sketches provided by the client. Fortunately, the modular nature of Unistrut channel made it easy to overcome the challenges presented by these modifications.

By using our Design and Materials Program, our client received everything needed to make this project a success.

Case Study: OSHA-Compliant Rooftop Walkway

A client facility located in Pittsburgh, Pa., featured two buildings with pitched roofs that have been connected with a lower section of flat roof.

Building maintenance personnel required access to both sections of the roof to service HVAC equipment, but were able to access only one side prior to this project.

Due to this roof section's orientation to the sun combined with prevailing winds, the flat lower section tends to be shady and subject to ice buildup and drifting snow during winter months.

Unistrut Service Company field engineers did a site inspection and recommended a rooftop walkway to provide safe, efficient access to all of the HVAC equipment servicing this plant.

Using stock sections of Unistrut framing channel eliminated the need for cutting and welding. Welding on rooftops is particularly problematic because it requires one worker to weld while another watches for sparks flying from the work area. By using Unistrut materials, both workers are able to work on the fabrication of the walkway, which results in reduced labor costs and faster installation times.

The finished rooftop walkway was constructed from Unistrut P1000 and P1001 as well as United Interlock Grating. The rooftop walkway is 6 feet high and 2-1/2 feet wide and features toeboards and guardrails.

OSHA regulations pertaining to this installation include regulations 1910 and 1926. The rooftop walkway is OSHA-compliant and it has a mid-rail rated at 150 lbs. and a top rail rated at 200 lbs.

Your Rooftop Walkway Partner

If you are looking for a cost-effective rooftop solution that protects both your employees and your roof, be sure to consider the addition of a Unistrut rooftop walkway.

To learn more about the advantages of Unistrut rooftop walkway systems, discuss your project, or receive a quote, contact Unistrut Service Company.