November 2018

Cladding & Sheeting
A GUARANTEED FINISH
Thanks to technological advances and research and development, pre-finished steel has
come a long way since it was pioneered back in the 1930s. But have you ever wondered
why some manufacturers can offer better guarantees than others? Dr. Peter Barker, Manager
of New Product Development at Tata Steel, gives his view.
Since the launch of pre-finished steel, it has
become one of the most popular envelope
solutions worldwide, thanks to the array of
design advantages and maintenance benefits it
can deliver throughout the whole lifespan of a
building.
However, not all products have the same
performance level, and this is particularly
apparent when you look at the length and how
comprehensive the guarantees are which
accompany them. What’s more, distinguishing
between guarantees based on technical ability
and those which are given because of commercial
necessity can often be difficult.
In fact, guarantees for pre-finished steel are
determined by a number of factors, including
what application the product is used for, the
metallic coating used with the steel substrate, the
paint type and the testing it is subjected to.
“It is vital that the
performance of the
product and the
guarantee is fully taken
into consideration”
The combination of all these layers of prefinished
steel not only have aesthetic
considerations, but they can be indicators of the
durability of a product, which will translate to the
guarantee it offers. Product durability can be
defined by the ability of the pre-finished steel to
have resistance from a number of sources,
including marine environments, chemicals,
abrasives and sunlight. The ultraviolet rays from
sunlight are the most destructive to coatings as
they are directly absorbed. When
exposed to sunlight, prefinished
steel firstly loses its
gloss, chalking occurs and
micro-cracking can appear
on the surface.
Tests
In order to understand how prefinished
steel reacts to certain elements,
there are a number of tests that pre-finished
steel manufacturers should perform. For example,
in accelerated corrosion tests – which are
undertaken in UKAS accredited laboratories – the
product is subjected to salt spray, prohesion,
watersoak and humidity procedures and within UV
testing, pre-finished steel is exposed to artificial
UVA, UVB, high temperature UVA and Xenon to
assess the extent of colour and gloss retention.
Ensuring you choose a pre-finished steel that has
been tested for all of the above will not only result
in the end client receiving a building envelope
that is aesthetically pleasing, but they can rest
assured it will remain looking ‘good as new’ for
years to come – reducing the need for costly
replacements in the building’s lifespan.
Colorcoat Prisma
There are products available on the market which
have reputable guarantees as they combine all of
the above strengths. For example, our Colorcoat
Prisma includes a cutting-edge three-layer
technology, which provides superior ultraviolet
(UV) resistance that maintains the colour and
long-term aesthetic appearance of the product.
This then translates into being able to offer a
market leading guarantee. The Confidex
Left: Tata Steel Colorcoat Prisma.
Guarantee is the product
performance guarantee for
Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra and
Colorcoat Prisma. It offers up
to 40 years of protection when
used in external conventional
building envelope applications – namely
roof and wall cladding – using single skin, builtup
or composite panel construction in industrial
and commercial applications.
Provided directly to the building owner, the
guarantee creates a contractual relationship
between the building owner and Tata Steel,
removing the need for a property owner to
navigate the supply chain in the unlikely event of
a claim.
Requiring no maintenance and inspection to
maintain its validity, the Confidex Guarantee also
reduces the need to go onto the roof of a property,
minimising maintenance costs and improving
safety. Furthermore, the Confidex Guarantee
ensures full rectification in the unlikely event of a
failure from year one to year 40.
When choosing a pre-finished steel building
envelope product for your next project, it is vital
that the performance of the product and the
guarantee is fully taken into consideration. This is
the only way to be truly sure you will meet the
expectations of your client.
Contact Tata Steel
01244 892434
www.colorcoat-online.com
@TataSteelConstr
74 TC NOVEMBER 2018