Smartruss - New Movement for Modern Tiled Roof

In past five years due to the scarceness and high cost of wood, wooden structures for tiled roofs have been used less than before except for the construction of pagodas, restaurants and hotels. Instead, concrete and steel structures have become more popular thank to its low cost and simple execution. Smasstruss, a light-weight steel structure produced by of BlueScope Vietnam, is representative for this movement.

Smasstruss has the advantages of availability in materials, its simple design, and the fact that it doesn’t require highly skilled workers. Construction is based on gathering casings, laying steel and concrete, and then laying tiles. However, heavy steel frames are costly for house beams, posts and foundations. Furthermore, it is difficult for heat to escape with concrete roofs, causing a lot of heat in summer. The tropical weather in Vietnam may shrink concrete, causing breaks and leakage. These defects can be recognized only when the roof is put into operation. It is very difficult to solve the absorbance and leaks and may require anti-absorbent membranes.

To solve these shortcomings, contractors have used steel structure for tiled roofs by welding black steel and un-plated steel into the structure system. This solution has the advantage of being light, easy to install, and able to apply for complicated architectures. However, this black steel needs to be painted with anti-rust primer and requires skilled workers to weld it in the construction site and must also be examined to ensure its quality.

Together with the development of steel production, high-density plated steel has become more popular. BlueScope has launched Smasstruss, a low-weight steel structure, which is able to overcome all the disadvantages of the two above solutions.  Smasstruss uses Zincalume with plated density of 5,500 kg per square centimetre and is plated with aluminium-zinc alloy with  a minimum weight of 150 grams per square meter. With this kind of material, the proof will be about 10 kilograms per cubit meter and needs no anti-rust maintenance.

Smasstruss has applied the most modern technology from design to production and installation. The design is carried out by professional, automatic software which conforms to Australian standard AS4600. The Australian PLC automatic production line allows the production of perfect frames with high productivity. The frames are linked by special screws; therefore installation is very simple and accurate.

Traditional models of construction will be replaced with newer, more modern and advanced solutions to meet the increasing demand of consumers. The launch of Smasstruss has become an indispensable movement in the construction industry as Vietnam integrates into the global economy. Smasstruss has been used by consumers and businesses, helping to bring modern and uniform architecture to Vietnam.   

• Khanh Thuong – Luu Hiep