Z-Purlins: Technical Documentation
Z-Purlins: Technical Documentation
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION
4. Material 8
5. Corrosion protection 8
6. Allowable variations 8
7. Quality control 9
Profile forms particularly aiming at the optimization of the carrying capacity values render the
exceptionally favorable weight / capacity ratio of these construction elements.
Z – purlins can be produced in an infinite variation, ranging from the smallest to the largest
possible profile type, and in different overall heights.
Z 175 Z 400
∅ 18 175 mm
400 mm
2 ∅ 18
Please see factory engineering standard sheets 012, 013, 014 in appendix A for dimensions and
degrees of sheet thickness for the standard delivery program.
The characteristic constructed section properties for standard section depths are summarized in
table 1.
Stabilization of the purlin top flange by the roof sheeting is a precondition for the use of lightweight
purlins. Hence calculations stipulated that the purlin top flanges on the roof level should be
supported sufficiently by trapezoidal sheet panels or sandwich elements. The bearing capacity
values have to be reduced accordingly for other, less rigid, roofing (e.g. trapezoidal sheets with
thermal insulation or fiber-cement slabs sandwiched between purlin and trapezoidal sheet).
Usually lightweight purlins are only verified for bending – with or without additional normal force –
vertical to roof resp. wall level (“bound bending”). The compensation of loads parallel to the roof
level (roof shear force) has to be ensured resp. verified separately by means of constructive
measures.
The roof shear force can be calculated with the following formulas.
For surcharge:
qII = (kII.cosβ - sinβ ± 0.03)qA
and for suction load (simplified):
qII = (kII ± 0.03)qS
The minimum and maximum values for kII for standard trapezoidal metal plate covering were
evaluated in table 2. Thereby min kII are valid for positive position (= broad flange up) and max kII
for negative position (= broad flange down) of the trapezoidal sections.
The following constructive measures can be considered for the absorption of roof shear force:
• Normal force transmit through roofing and ridge coupling along the entire length of the building,
or
• Formation of the roof sheeting as shear zone, whereby the absorption of support
reactions of the roof plate has to be verified separately.
In addition to the strain caused by external loads (e.g. snow, roof live load, wind, etc.) the
connecting devices between purlin and roof sheeting are further loaded by forces resulting from the
stabilization of the purlins.
For optimal utilization of lightweight purlins the area above the supporting girders is usually
strengthened with additional reinforcement or – as in case of ZEMAN Z- PURLINS – by
overlapping profiles. Various ways of overlapping are described under Laying patterns, appendix
C.
Collegium Light Weight Construction has also drawn up design tables for the laying patterns
described in Appendix C, which allow direct reading of the allowable load in kN/m for spans from
2.75 to 10 m. Appendix B presents these load tables in a practicable range from 4.5 m to 8 m.
Preconditions for the use of the load tables in Appendix B are summarized in section 7.
Standards:
[] ENV 1993-1-1, Eurocode 3: Design and construction of steel structures. Part 1.1: general
design rules, design rules for building construction.
[] ENV 1993-1-3, Eurocode 3: Design and construction of steel structures. Part 1.3: general
rules – supplementary rules for cold finished thin-walled construction elements and sheets.
Calculations [1] to [3] are based on Eurocode, status January 1993.
[] DASt-Ri. 103: National application document (NAD) of DIN V ENV 1993-1-1 Eurocode 3.
Directive for application of DIN V ENV 1993-1-1 Eurocode 3: Design and construction of
steel structures. Part 1.1: general design rules, design rules for building construction.
Cologne 1993.
Report:
[1] Static calculation no. 92/212/1, Characteristic cross section and bearing capacity values for
Zeman purlins Z 175/t, Z 250/t, Z 300/t and Z 400/t“, put forward by Collegium Light
Weight Construction, 12.09.1994.
[2] Static calculation no. 92/212/2, Characteristic cross section and bearing capacity values for
Zeman purlins Z 175/t, Z 250/t, Z 300/t and Z 400/t“, put forward by Collegium Light
Weight Construction, 23.09.1994.
[3] Static calculation no. 92/212/3, Characteristic cross section and bearing capacity values for
Zeman purlins Z 175/t, Z 250/t, Z 300/t and Z 400/t“, put forward by Collegium Light
Weight Construction, 18.04.1995.
Z 175 X X --
1 x 18
Z 200 X X X X
Z 250 X X X
Z 300 X X --
2 x 18
Z 350 X X --
Z 400 X X --
Please refer to factory engineering standard sheets in Appendix A for the exact dimensions of the
purlins and the possible web punching patterns.
4. Material:
5. Corrosion protection:
The purlins are conveyor galvanized, grade Z 275 in accordance with EN 10147.
6. Allowable variations:
The stipulations of ENV 1090-2, section 11.2 are applicable.
However, the allowable variations of cross section shape were partly limited compared to ENV
1090-2 and are specified for production quality control in a separate factory engineering standard.
[] ENV 1090-2 (1998): Execution of steel load bearing structures – part 2: supplementary
rules for cold finished thin-walled construction elements and sheets.
8. Purlin fasteners:
TYPE 1 for purlins Z 200/t TYPE 2 for purlins Z 250/t
Purlin fasteners made of cast steel (construction material GTS 35) for the most common purlin
profiles
(Z 200/t and Z 250/t) with two pitches each at the base of the purlin fasteners, are available for the
requirements of different girder profiles.
The exact dimension details can be found in the factory engineering standard sheets G 200/70, G
200/110, G 250/70 and G 250/110 in Appendix A.
Welded purlin fasteners have to be used for other purlin profiles. These may be delivered by the
manufacturer or produced by the user. The latter is particularly useful if the purlin fasteners are
built to the steel substructure.
Technical drawings for such welded purlin fasteners are available on request.
(1) The purlin top flanges are sufficiently supported at the roof level, e.g. by means of
trapezoidal sections or sandwich elements.
(2) The connection of the purlins with the roofing resp. the wall covering features the
following minimum values for non-dimensional connecting rigidity:
- Surcharge: minc δA = 2000 Nm/m/rad
- Suction load: minc δA = 1700 Nm/m/rad
(3) The purlin fasteners serve as suspending support for the purlins to avoid the support
reaction being effective as concentrated load through the edge web/flange.
(4) The purlins are built in with the top flanges orientated towards the ridge.
(5) For static verification loads vertical to the laying area have to be compared to the
allowable loads in the design tables. Loads effective parallel to the laying area (e.g. roof
shear force) have to be verified separately. (see also previous remarks as well as model
calculations in Appendix D).
(6) The space between the connecting points of the profiles and the purlin fasteners
has to be assumed as spacing of the columns. The tables may in terms of approximation
also be used
for multi-span girders with different spans, in case the spans do not vary by more than 20%
and the tables are evaluated for the largest occurring spans.
(7) The tables for overlapping systems are valid for girders with a minimum of 3 spans only.
(8) The bolts at the lap ends of overlapping girders must at least reach the load bearing
capacity of bolts M16 5.6. Starting with purlin type Z 250 a minimum of 2 bolts per overlap
point must be used. The minimum load bearing length of the overlapping must be 535 mm.
(9) Allowable loads for surcharge already include the dead load of the purlins. In case of
lateral loads and the use of sections as secondary girders, the allowable uniform loads may
be increased by their own weight.
On application of the load tables the following verifications have not been taken into account and
must therefore be carried out individually:
(1) During construction safety against overturning is low before connecting the roofing with
the purlins, so that the purlins might have to be stabilized by means of adequate provisions.
It has to be examined individually whether verification for a progressive single load of 1.0
kN (manload) e.g. in accordance with DIN 1055 part 3, section 6.2.1, has to be considered.
(3) The purlin fasteners and the connection of the purlins to the purlin fasteners have to be
verified separately. When normal forces are transmitted through overlapping purlins it is
presumed that the normal force is not passed on at the purlin fasteners. Hence the normal
force has to be taken into account for verification of this connection.