With the built environment generating around 40% of our global carbon emissions, product durability is vital to achieving more sustainable building envelopes that deliver in-use benefits
Considering the long-term performance of the building envelope is key if you are to deliver a carbon benefit over the whole life of the building.
While a building is generally expected to have a lifespan in excess of 40 years, the reality can be very different, with its location, usage and materials used all contributing to the performance.
Imagine specifying and installing a steel cladding system that only lasts 10 years before it deteriorates and requires remedial works. The resources, money and embodied carbon spent on repairing or replacing the building envelope system would be significant.
Instead, by making informed specification decisions and choosing long-lasting, high-quality solutions backed up by comprehensive test evidence, we can do our bit to help build the sustainable projects of the future.
Pre-finished steel
It’s easy to see why pre-finished steel has quickly become one of the most popular building envelope solutions worldwide, thanks to the design advantages, maintenance benefits, and corrosion resistance it can offer throughout a building’s lifecycle. That said, it’s important to note that not all pre-finished steel products can provide the same performance levels. A key feature of pre-finished steel is the numerous layers that make up its composition, with paint layers, primer, pre-treatment and metallic coating all applied to the steel in a carefully controlled process. The quality, type, thickness, consistency and application of these layers dictate the overall durability and quality of the steel, resulting in a truly robust, versatile and aesthetically pleasing material.
Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra®
Developed over 60 years, Tata Steel’s Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® pre-finished steel combines outstanding performance with exceptional durability, designed to withstand even the most demanding and aggressive environments. Up to four times thicker than many other options, its nominal 200-micron structure incorporates a robust and durable top coat and features a unique Scintilla® emboss as a mark of authenticity – resulting in a sustainable option with greater durability. Having been installed around the world in many demanding environments, including the Middle East, South America and the Far East, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® meets the requirements of Ruv4 and surpasses RC5+ as per EN 10169:2022, proving excellent colour and gloss retention and corrosion resistance.
Furthermore, the product is chrome-free, REACH compliant and comes with the industry-renowned Confidex® Guarantee. This offers up to 40 years of protection for industrial and commercial buildings when registered online - the most comprehensive guarantee on the market – with no reduction for the installation of Photovoltaic (PV) frame modules and covering both inland and coastal environments. It is also direct to the building owner, with full rectification in the event of a coating failure.
Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® is backed up by independent certification, including an A+ rating for liberation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) against EN ISO 16000-9. The product is also BBA certified, which recognises “Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® coating and metal treatment will protect the steel substrate against corrosion for a period in excess of 40 years in normal industrial, urban, suburban and rural environments”.
In an era when embodied carbon drives specification choices, product durability is more important than ever, contributing to sustainable building envelope solutions. Built to last and supported by the Confidex® Guarantee for up to four decades, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® demonstrates whole-life carbon benefits over the duration of the building.
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