STANDARDS
EN 1433 Load Classes, Explained
What A15 through E600 mean on site, and how to read the rest of the standard's scope.
Knowledge Centre - Standards · 5 min read
What EN 1433 covers
EN 1433 is the European standard for linear drainage channels used in areas trafficked by pedestrians and vehicles. It sets requirements for the channel body, the grating, and the assembly as a tested unit, and it classifies that assembly by the load it is rated to carry.
The classification runs from A15 through F900. Each letter-number pair identifies a duty level, from foot traffic at the lightest end to specialist airfield and dock loading at the heaviest. The standard does not require every manufacturer to cover the full range - it gives a common language for stating which part of it a given product is rated to.
Where WTI's range sits
WTI's exterior polymer concrete channel range is rated A15, B125, C250, D400 and E600. That covers pedestrian areas, light and heavier vehicular traffic, carriageways, and industrial yards with high wheel loads.
F900 remains part of EN 1433's scheme for specialist duty such as aircraft pavements. It is the standard's upper bound, not part of WTI's published range - worth knowing when a spec references the full classification scheme.
Matching class to application
A15 suits walkways, plazas and landscaped areas carrying foot traffic and pedal cycles only - the lightest duty in WTI's range, and the one where sightline usually matters more than load capacity.
B125 covers residential driveways, car parks and forecourts carrying passenger vehicles and light vans - the most common specification for private and light commercial hardscape.
C250 is for kerbside and road-edge runs, basement ramps and service yards carrying heavier commercial traffic, where the channel and grating need to hold up under repeated wheel loading rather than occasional passenger vehicle use.
D400 covers carriageways of roads and parking areas for all types of road vehicles - the class to specify when the drain sits in the travelled way rather than at the kerb or in a light car park.
E600 is for docks, industrial yards and other areas imposing high wheel loads, where the assembly has to take concentrated plant loading rather than ordinary road vehicles.