Performance

Why install a temporary roof on a permanent structure?

What would you say to a builder or architect if he casually informed you that the exterior walls of your beautiful new building should last at least thirty, maybe even forty years? You would likely demand your money back, right? Yet, when it comes to roofs, the fleeting thirty-year lifespan is generally accepted without question. It shouldn’t be. With Follansbee Steel materials, a permanent roof (or wall) is achieved efficiently and easily, and for a cost that is far more tenable than other permanent roofing options like slate or tile.

What is the Lifespan of Follansbee Steel Materials?

If reasonably maintained, a Follansbee Steel roof should last for over a century, if not longer.

This bold claim is made on the basis that many original Follansbee Steel roofs (those made from carbon steel and the original lead/tin terne alloy) remain in service today, over a hundred years after they were installed. Newer ZT alloy is proven through extensive testing to be even more superior to its predecessor alloy, both in durability and corrosion resistance.

The True Potential of Architectural Metal

Beyond extraordinary corrosion resistance, Follansbee Steel materials provide numerous other beneficial material characteristics over other architectural materials.

Lighten Up!

Numerous benefits are achieved when buildings can be constructed lighter without compromising strength or durability:

• Less energy is required in the transport and installation of lighter materials
• Fewer structural resources are required with lighter materials
• Lighter materials pose less risk to people and property if they become airborne during high wind events
• Lighter materials are safer during seismic events

With their high strength-to-weight ratio, Follansbee Steel materials excel in the arena of lighter weight construction. When the weight of Follansbee Steel materials is compared to other popular architectural materials, there is a big difference. For example, Follansbee Steel’s Terne II is 1/14th the weight of slate and nearly 1/17th the weight of Spanish tile. Even compared to other metals, Follansbee Steel materials prove advantageous in terms of weight.

Build With Strength

Despite Follansbee Steel materials’ light weight, the same materials exhibit tremendous tensile strength compared to other popular architectural metals, and maintains excellent formability. Follansbee Steel’s TCS II and TCS II Satin, for example, possess more than three times the tensile strength of aluminum.

Keep Expansion in Check

In architectural applications, it is critical to understand and properly accommodate for a material’s rate of expansion and contraction with changing temperature. When not effectively dealt with, results can range from annoying creaking and popping sounds – to a shortened system lifespan – to catastrophic system failure. The greater a material’s rate of lineal expansion, the greater the likelihood of potential problems. Compared to other architectural metals, Follansbee Steel materials exhibit the lowest rates of expansion, making it easier to design and build.