Floor Surface Options

Various different top surface floor coverings are available for the interior of trailers and bodies (click on image to enlarge):

  • Polyester Floor Surface on a Gray & Adams Trailer/Body
  • Chequerplate Aluminium Floor Surface on a Gray & Adams Trailer/Body
  • Barleyseed Aluminium Floor Surface on a Gray & Adams Trailer/Body
  • Option of heavy duty barleyseed section at trailer entrance

Polyester:

This floor surface is made from hardwearing fibreglass matting and resin, which gives a tough, non-slip finish and a waterproof seal preventing water ingress into the floor panel. Polyester floors have the option of being gritted for extra grip on some operations, such as those where the floor is likely to get excessively wet.

In some cases where polyester floors are opted for, a section of either chequerplate or barleyseed aluminium can be added at the entrance to add extra protection when loading with electric pallet trucks.

Barleyseed / Chequerplate Aluminium:

These are more robust options that are suitable for operations where there is a lot of potential wear and tear on the floor, such as when electric pallet trucks are used on a regular basis. The non-porous nature of these types of floor surface make them ideal for dairy or fish operations since the odours associated with these products will not be absorbed into the floor. These floor types are welded to the sidewall angles where they meet the floor to form a watertight seal, which again prevents water ingress to the floor panel.

Both of these types are also non-slip but have the added advantage of being more resistant to corrosion, abrasion and impact than the polyester type.  They are also very easily cleaned.

Barleyseed aluminium would have the advantage over chequerplate in terms of noise levels as it would be quieter when roll cages are being used.

Marothaan:

Marothaan is a polyurethane floor finish, which although initially used for waterproofing trailer floors, has excellent sound-dampening properties and therefore is PIEK compliant. Marothaan would therefore be the floor surface associated with low noise / night time distribution operations.

Although Marothaan has not been trialled extensively in the UK, it is a standard floor in Europe and has been widely used for a number of years.

It is hard wearing, resistant to chemicals and is easily cleaned and repaired.  Marothaan flooring can also include finishing coats that enhance the anti-slip capability.

All floor constructions are designed to suit the application of the trailer or body, but in every case:

  • Floors are one piece ‘sandwich' panel constructed from plywood
  • Top surface is 18 or 26 mm Birch plywood overlaid with floor surface
  • Scarf-joint construction for increase strength to avoid joint failure / collapsing of floor
  • Top ply sits over bearers giving as close to one sheet of ply as possible
  • Floor is a load bearing structure in its own right
  • All floor surfaces meet the hygiene code for the transport of foodstuffs (HACCP)