(This article was featured in Leading Architecture & Design April/May ’21 Issue)
Today’s trend toward sustainable designs which reduce environmental impact is helping to drive the metal roofing market to new heights. In large-scale metal roofing applications, concealed fix roof systems represent the optimum choice.
Due to the size of investment concerned in these applications, the engineering performance of the entire roof “system” is critical. It allows specifiers to reliably serve the long-term interests of their clients and reduce liability for all concerned.
In concealed fix systems, sheets are fixed to the purlin with a clip system and are not pierced with any fasteners. The clips serve two purposes – they circumvent the need for holes in the sheet (which prevents the possibility of leakage through the perforation), and they allow the roof to expand and contract in a sliding movement over the clips.
The stability of the Saflok 410 roof system enables it to withstand the loads imposed by photovoltaic panels, HVAC units or other utilities, and the foot traffic incurred during the installation thereof.
Because the sheets can slide over the clips, they can be rolled in long lengths which can thermally expand without restriction. A concealed fix system allows sheets to be rolled in continuous lengths up to 120 metres or more.
Saflok concealed fix roofing is one of the most widely specified systems available, with over 10 million square metres having been installed in South Africa alone. The precisely engineered clip and the dimensional consistency of the Saflok profiled sheet provide a robust and reliable roof system.
Saflok 410 is Safintra’s premier concealed fix profile and has been effectively used for over a decade along the notoriously wind-torn coastline of the Western and Eastern Cape. The interaction between the profile’s aggressive geometric design and the performance of its second-generation clip is at the heart of its success.
To reaffirm the profile’s impressive performance data in the field, Saflok 410 was recently tested at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) where it exceeded all expectations. The test report highlighted superior results including exceptional wind uplift and point load performance, as well as unparalleled serviceability.
Key results:
• Wind uplift performance – no ultimate limit state failure at 4.6kPa
• Serviceability – 3.15kPa resistance of the system
• Point loads – excellent rigidity and no deformations following the application of positive point loads.
Safintra now has mobile mills in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, while continuing to service the Western and Eastern Cape regions. Saflok 410 can be ordered in any length required although on-site rolling is recommended for lengths in excess of 13.2 metres due to practical transportation requirements. The profile is backed by a full Safintra warranty and is available countrywide.
