Steel Purlins & Purlin Roof Systems

voestalpine Metsec’s Purlins Division is the UK’s largest designer and manufacturer of light-gauge galvanised steel roof purlins, side rails and mezzanine floor systems. As the market leader, we have a commitment to superior design (including bespoke applications), precision manufacturing and constantly targeting on-time delivery on every order.

The division offers a variety of lightweight, cold-rolled galvanised steel purlins, including Z purlins, C purlins, side rails, and mezzanine floor sections, as well as custom-made products. All items are backed by extensive testing at the University of Strathclyde.

voestalpine Metsec’s steel purlin roof systems and components have been developed and refined over many years of design, production and application to deliver solutions which assure optimal levels of structural performance in roof, wall, and mezzanine floor constructions.

Delivering a high strength to weight ratio, and fully recyclable, each section is individually marked with both CE and UKCA conformity marks and barcoded, providing full traceability throughout the manufacturing process. Material for our steel purlin section range is delivered to site pre-punched and cut to length in spans of up to 16m.

To maximise the design efficiency of structures, our market leading MetSPEC design software provides optimised, highly cost-effective solutions for a wide range of developments.

Z Purlins

Z purlins are horizontal beams that are designed to form the roof and wall joists of a building shell structure. They are also known as zed purlins. They sit between the roofing sheets and the building, acting as a support for the sheet to ensure it is firmly attached and safely in place. Z purlins are most commonly used in agricultural and industrial buildings due to their extremely versatile and lightweight properties which make them easily adapted for use in a variety of different sized buildings. Z purlins have different sizes and thicknesses depending on the span length and loads of the structure. They can also be used with other accessories such as sleeves, cleats, eaves beams, side rails, etc.

Our zed purlin product range consists of a fully compatible range of Z-section profiles made from cold rolled steel in depths ranging from 142mm to 342mm deep. In addition, our zed section purlins come with a wide range of compatible accessories and can be supplied for the majority of cladding types and designs.

voestalpine Metsec Z-section steel purlin profiles are manufactured from pre-hot dipped galvanised steel, Z275 coating and with a minimum yield strength of 450N/mm². Further information on all of the following zed purlin systems and their applications can be found in the Purlin Technical Manual which can be downloaded from our downlaod centre.

Key Features of our Z and C Purlins

• Lightweight, cold-rolled galvanised steel roof purlins.
• Individually CE and UKCA marked sections
• Can be designed to bespoke customer requirements.
• All products are barcoded which allows for full traceability throughout the manufacturing process.
• Our market leading MetSPEC design software provides cost effective solutions to maximise the design efficiency of structures.
• Suitable for a wide range of developments.

Significant Benefits of our Steel Purlins & Side Rails

Superior Performance

voestalpine Metsec steel purlins, side rails and mezzanine floor sections are designed to provide secondary support alongside a building’s main structural elements and are suitable for a wide variety of construction situations where high strength and low weight are paramount considerations.

They are manufactured from light-gauge, galvanised steel which is cold-roll-formed on specialised machinery into corrosion-resistant Z, C and Mezzanine Floor sections which deliver a high strength to weight ratio when compared with other designs, materials and production processes.

According to application, the steel roof and wall purlin sections are designed and manufactured to meet all relevant performance standards, including British Standards and Eurocodes, and carry the appropriate UKCA and CE marks.

Sections are manufactured from pre-hot-dipped galvanised steel to BS EN 10346:2015, Z275 coating and with a minimum yield strength of 450N/mm². Other specifications of pre-hot-dipped galvanised steel coatings can be provided on request to suit specific project requirements.

Unrivalled Quality

From design through to manufacture and final delivery to site voestalpine Metsec’s reputation for quality is second to none.

Whether selecting from our standard product range or specifying a bespoke solution, customers & specifiers are assured of a high-quality response to their needs and solutions which deliver optimal performance and value for money.

voestalpine Metsec aims to achieve this through the company’s Quality, Health, Safety, Environmental (QHSE) and Responsible Sourcing policies and procedures.

In the manufacturing process, quality assurance starts with sourcing the galvanised steel which forms the raw material for production. We are exacting in our requirements for material specification, finishing and delivery.

On arrival at our goods-in department, deliveries and documentation are thoroughly inspected prior to transfer to the manufacturing areas.

Highly specialised, computer-controlled cold roll forming machinery then converts the steel to the desired section profiles within precise tolerances which are constantly checked to ensure that the final product meets the design requirements.

To ensure these objectives are realised, voestalpine Metsec has established an Integrated Management System in accordance with PAS 99: 2012, which incorporates the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001 for Quality Management, BS EN ISO 14001 for Environmental Management, and ISO 45001 for Health & Safety Management.

Responsible Sustainability

voestalpine Metsec is committed to undertaking its activities in an efficient and financially sustainable manner in-line with environmental best practice and meeting the requirements of ISO 14001.

Manufactured from fully recyclable materials and possessing a low carbon footprint thanks to material longevity, the sustainability credentials of our steel roof purlins are supported by an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) compiled in accordance with EN 15804+A2 and ISO 14025/ISO 21930.

The EPD covers all aspects of the product’s environmental credentials, from manufacture and transport to end of life. It includes a life-cycle assessment and environmental impact data comprising core environmental impact indicators, use of natural resources and end of life information.

The EPD is a core element of voestalpine Metsec’s commitment to achieving Carbon Net Zero across all operations by 2035, which includes a wide variety of initiatives, including energy savings, switching to renewable energy sources and reducing the CO₂ footprint of products.

Ultimate Value

Delivering value engineered solutions for all clients is at the heart of voestalpine Metsec’s being. From the initial enquiry to design, prototyping, testing, manufacture and on-time delivery, our resources are focused on assuring optimal value across all products.

Throughout the Purlins Division, our commitment to assuring value is evident in the range of products we offer and the customer service we provide: Purlins, side rails & mezzanine floor joists are available in long span lengths of up to 16 metres and can be pre-punched, ink jet marked and cut to length to meet a customer’s specific requirements; an extensive range of components and accessories is available for use with all roofing and side-cladding systems and our systems have been developed with full scale testing and component testing at the University of Strathclyde.