Factory-direct steel gratings & stair treads, shipped worldwide
Metal Trench Drain
Steel trench drain systems built to your drawings, with frames and covers matched.
Itemized quote within 24 hours · Free run drawing review included
In-house weld & press lines
Grating panels and trench bodies from one workshop
Certified & tested
Reports on request, MTC with every order
Samples in 5–7 days
Production in 15–25 working days
FOB Tianjin
Shipped worldwide, EXW / CIF negotiable
Continuous capture vs point capture
Trench or Gullies? How a Run Differs from Scattered Points
The first decision on any drainage layout is geometric, not metallic. A metal trench drain captures along its entire length, so water only has to reach the line. Scattered gullies capture at points, so every litre has to be sloped to a specific hole. Neither is universally better — the shape of your catchment decides.
| Decision factor | Metal trench drain | Scattered gullies |
|---|---|---|
| Capture geometry | Linear — collects along the whole run | Point — collects only at each grid |
| Slab or yard falls | One slope plane toward the line | Two-way falls shaped to every grid |
| Connections below | One outlet per run, positioned anywhere along it | One connection per gully |
| Joints in the surface | Continuous grating run, panel joints only | Four or more separate covers and frames |
| Clearing debris | Sweep along the open run, flush to the outlet | Lift and clear each grid separately |
| Best fit | Water arriving along a line: kerbs, doors, yard edges, roadway shoulders | Water already gathering at a few low points |
Still weighing point capture? We make gully grids too — see metal gully grids and catch basin drains.
Not sure which geometry your site needs? Send the layout — we will mark the capture line and quote it inside 24 hours.
One system, three parts
The Metal Trench Drain as a System: Body, Grating, End Details
A metal trench drain only works when three parts match: the body sets the width, the grating spans that width at the class your traffic demands, and the end details turn an open channel into a finished run. Trench drain metal choices — black steel, hot-dip galvanized, SS304 or SS316 — apply across body and grating alike, so nothing corrodes at a different rate.
1 · Trench body
The channel that carries collected water to the outlet. Fabricated from steel plate to your internal width, depth and run length, then hot-dip galvanized after fabrication — or left black, or in stainless for washdown duty.
2 · Grating
The traffic surface and the water inlet in one panel. Welded or press-locked grating with bearing bars from 20×3 mm to 100×8 mm at 30/40/60 mm centers, banded at every panel end, with close mesh where heels share the surface.
3 · End details
End caps, outlets, sumps, edge frames and fixings close the system. These are sourced companion items — honestly framed as such — quoted as line items and shipped with your order so one delivery closes the run.
Body and grating are made in our own workshop; end details ride along as matched line items. Ask for the full system on one quote — itemized, never bundled into a vague lump.
Why specify a run
Why Contractors Order the Steel Trench Drain as One Run
Built to your drawings, frames and covers matched
Send the run layout and the whole system is made to it — body widths, panel lengths, banding and edge frames matched on one drawing review, free inside the 24-hour quote.
Load-rated for the lane above
From pedestrian precincts to truck lanes and roadway shoulders, panels are selected to the load class you specify — referenced to EN 124 classes A15 to D400 — with test reports on request.
Banded edges, mill cert with every run
Custom lengths and banding come as standard — banded panel ends sit true in the trench and pour cleanly against concrete. Every heat ships with its mill test certificate to EN 10204 Type 3.1.
Applications
Where Metal Trench Drains Work
Anywhere water arrives along a line rather than at a point, a galvanized steel trench drain run keeps the surface trafficable while the channel below moves the water away.
Roadways & shoulders
Linear edge runs classed for truck wheels, replacing a row of gullies with one capture line.
Yards & washdown bays
Yard and wash bays where hoses and rain both drain along the door line, in HDG or stainless.
Precincts & door rows
Pedestrian runs in close mesh, where people walk straight over the line in any weather.
Kerbsides & car parks
Kerb-line collection where the fall of the bay can be brought to one linear edge.
Specifications
Trench Drain Load Classes and System Specifications
Class names are referenced to EN 124, the European classification for gully tops and covers in drainage applications. The class you specify is confirmed per project and stated in your quote — documentation on request, never assumed.
Load class, referenced to EN 124
| Class | Test load | Typical location | Typical panel from our range |
|---|---|---|---|
| A15 | 15 kN | Pedestrian precincts, gardens, basements | Light welded or press-locked, bars from 20×3 mm |
| B125 | 125 kN | Kerbsides, car parks, driveways | 25×3 to 30×3 mm bars at 30/40 mm centers |
| C250 | 250 kN | Carriageways, delivery yards | 30×5 to 40×5 mm bars at 30/40 mm centers |
| D400 | 400 kN | Truck lanes, loading docks, aprons | 50×5 to 100×8 mm bars at 30/40 mm centers |
Class names referenced to EN 124 as a selection guide only; panels are produced to the class you specify, with test reports on request.
System parameters
| Parameter | Range |
|---|---|
| Trench body | Steel plate fabricated to drawing, internal width and depth per run |
| Grating bearing bars | 20×3 mm to 100×8 mm, plain or serrated |
| Bar spacing | 30 / 40 / 60 mm centers; press-locked close mesh to 11/11 mm |
| Panel size | Up to 1.25 m wide, up to 6 m long, cut and banded to the run |
| Finishes | Black · hot-dip galvanized to ASTM A123 / ISO 1461 · SS304 / SS316 |
| End details | End caps, outlets, sumps, edge frames, fixings — sourced, quoted per run |
Load tables & fixing layouts → · Steel trench grating specs →
Standards & compliance
Produced to Recognized Standards — Documents on Request
EN 124 class reference
Grating classes referenced to EN 124 for selection guidance only. Panels are produced to the class you specify, and the confirmed class is stated in your quote.
ASTM A123 / ISO 1461 HDG
Galvanized trench bodies and grating are coating-checked by sampling on every batch at our long-term galvanizing partner near the mill, before any run is released.
CE & SGS tested
Certified & tested, reports on request. Every heat arrives with its mill test certificate verified, and a DoC plus MTC EN 10204 3.1 ship with the order.
Custom made
Runs Cut and Banded to Your Drawings
Send your trench layout
Run lengths, internal width, class, outlet positions — or just a site sketch and photos. Drawing review is free.
Quote within 24 hours
Project pricing for contractors, itemized line by line — body, grating, end details — FOB Tianjin as standard, EXW or CIF on request.
Samples in 5–7 days, production in 15–25
Working days after drawing confirmation, hot-dip galvanizing included. Installation drawings and fixing layout ship with the order.
Factory-direct quote
Send Your Trench Layout
Send your trench layout for a factory quote — covers and drains in one order, itemized line by line and answered within 24 hours.
- Five-stage QC, from MTC verification at goods-in to final inspection
- DoC, MTC EN 10204 3.1 and inspection report with every order
- Factory audits welcome — see the lines before you commit
Prefer to talk? WhatsApp us or sales@dtsteelladder.com
Request your quote
Five fields — we do the rest.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lead time for a metal trench drain system?
Samples ship in 5–7 working days and mass production runs 15–25 working days after drawing confirmation, hot-dip galvanizing included. Rush production in 10–15 days is possible with a surcharge — ask in your quote.
When should I choose a trench run instead of scattered gullies?
Choose a trench drain when water arrives along a line — kerbs, door rows, yard edges, roadway shoulders — because one run captures along its whole length and needs a single slope plane to one outlet. Scattered gullies suit water that already collects at a few known low points. We make both: grating for trench runs and gully grids for point capture.
Do you supply the complete trench system or only the grating?
Grating panels and trench bodies are fabricated in our own workshop to your drawings. End caps, outlets, sumps, edge frames and fixings are sourced companion items, quoted as line items and shipped with the order so one delivery closes the run.
Related pages
Related Drainage Pages
Steel Trench Drain System
The full system spec across steel materials, finishes and end details.
View page →Trench Drain Covers
Cover fundamentals: spans, locking options and edge frames.
View page →Trench Grating
The linear trench grating line — the panels that roof the run.
View page →Steel Trench Grating
Spec-table view of steel grating for trench duty.
View page →Plastic Trench Drain Covers
Honest comparison: polymer covers versus steel grating.
View page →Metal Gully Grid
The point-capture alternative when gullies fit the site better.
View page →