ARTICLES & FEATURES
What You Need to Know When Purchasing Unpainted Aluzinc Sheets
Roland Williams holds the position of Standard Officer in the Certification Division of TTBS. He has over ten (10) years, experience in certifying products to meet local, regional and international standards, and has assisted in the development of several mandatory programs that are currently enforced by TTBS including: • Roof Sheets (TTS 69: 2019) • Safety Matches (TTS: 2013) • Cold-formed steel products • Purlins (TTS 598: 2019) • Liquid Chlorine Bleach (TTS 58:2018)
Have you spent your hard-earned money to fix your roof only for it to leak after a couple of years? Maybe you tried to seek compensation from the retail outlet where the sheets were purchased but the situation remains unresolved.
The good news is that the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) has developed a National Compulsory Standard TTS 69:2019 (Profiled Steel Sheets for Roofing and Siding Applications – Specifications) to protect you from situations like these. This standard prescribes that all local manufacturers of unpainted Aluzinc roofing sheets have their products certified before it can be offered for sale in the market.
This compulsory standard is enforced by the TTBS Certification Division through a Mandatory Product Certification Scheme.
What is Production Certification you may ask?
Product Certification is an activity/ process used to assess whether a product conforms to a set of established requirements. Examples of established requirements can be sourced from local, regional and international standards or specifications.
In order for Aluzinc roofing sheets to complete the Product Certification process, key requirements must be met as outlined in the standard, TTS 69:2019. Key requirements consist of the following:
• Coating mass – Which is the total mass of zinc and aluminum-zinc magnesium coating on both surfaces of the steel base. This is measured in grams per square meter of steel sheet.
• Lower yield strength – Which is the maximum amount of stress that can be applied before material begins to permanently change shape.
• Tensile strength – Which is the level of resistance that material can handle without breaking under tensile tension.
• Base Metal Thickness (BMT) – Which is the thickness of the sheets without metallic coating and painting coating.
The Product Certification process involves an onsite assessment of the manufacturers’ production processes and quality systems. This process ensures that each manufacturer has the suitable controls in place for receiving, checking, monitoring, tracking and producing product in order to prevent nonconforming sheets from reaching the end-user.
During the Product Certification process, sheets are sampled from the manufacturer’s facility and sent for testing to ensure that the:
• Coating mass is not be less than 150 AZ
• Lower yield strength is not less than 275 N/mm2
• Tensile strength is not less than 320 N/mm2
The base metal thickness (BMT) is also verified through testing. This is done to determine if the BMT declared by the manufacturer is accurate. The labelling information on the sheets is also evaluated by the laboratory to ensure that the manufacturer’s name and/or logo, the base metal thickness (BMT), lower yield strength, production batch code, coating mass designation and TTBS certification mark are stated on the material.
Once the sheets meet all the parameters outlined within the standard, the manufacturer is issued a certificate and the distinctive Product Certification mark of conformity which is placed on the sheet. This mark informs all stakeholders such as government agencies, consumers, and suppliers that the product has met the specified requirements of the standard.
Roofing Sheet Manufacturers certified by TTBS Certification Division also undergo continual assessments to ensure that their product continues to satisfy the requirements of the standard. This is done through random sampling of the product either at the manufacturer’s premises or from the open market.
To date, the TTBS Certification Division has certified twenty-four (24) Roofing Sheet Manufacturers in Trinidad and Tobago which is a significant milestone for these construction related stakeholders.
These manufacturers have benefited from product certification through:
• Enhanced marketability
• Maximization of profitability;
• Increased quality control and assurance in production
• Increased trade opportunities
Products bearing the TTBS Product Certification Mark of conformity gives the consumer the confidence that the product is, durable, reliable and of acceptable quality.
So when you are about to purchase any unpainted Aluzinc sheets look for the product certification mark of conformity on the material or visit our website https://gottbs.com/ to see the list of Certified Roofing Sheet Manufacturers.
