​What is color steel tile roof?

Color steel tile roof is a roof system made of color coated steel plates as the substrate, which are cold-formed into wave shaped profiled plates by rolling and cold bending. It is widely used in industrial and civil buildings, warehouses, special buildings, and large-span steel structure houses. Its core advantages lie in lightweight, high strength, corrosion resistance, and fast construction, making it a mainstream roofing material in modern architecture that combines functionality and economy.

1. Material composition and process: "dual protection" of color coated steel plate

The core material of color steel tile roof is color coated steel plate, and its manufacturing process is divided into two steps:
(1) Substrate treatment: Using cold-rolled steel plates or hot-dip galvanized steel plates as substrates, surface degreasing, phosphating, and chromate treatment are carried out to remove oil stains and oxide layers, forming a chemical conversion film to enhance coating adhesion. For example, Baosteel's aluminum zinc coated color steel plate uses hot-dip aluminum zinc substrate, and the corrosion resistance of the aluminum zinc alloy layer (containing 55% aluminum, 43.4% zinc, 1.6% silicon) is 2-6 times that of ordinary galvanized steel plate, which can resist corrosion in coastal and high humidity environments.
(2) Coating process: Spray organic coatings (such as polyester, silicon modified polyester, fluorocarbon coating) on the surface of the substrate, and bake and cure to form a 0.02-0.03mm thick colored coating. Fluorocarbon coating (PVDF) has the best weather resistance, can resist UV and acid rain erosion, and has an outdoor service life of over 20 years; Polyester coating has a lower cost and is suitable for general industrial environments.

(3) Forming process: Using roll cold bending equipment, the coated steel plate is pressed into wave shaped profiled plates such as trapezoidal, angular, and upright lock edge shapes. The wave design not only enhances the stiffness of the board (increasing bending strength by 30% -50%), but also forms a drainage slope to accelerate rainwater discharge.

2. Performance advantage: Full dimensional coverage from structural safety to environmental adaptability

The "solidity" and "durability" of color steel tile roofs are reflected in the following performance indicators:
(1) Lightweight and high-strength: The density of color steel tile roofs is 7.85g/cm ³, which is only 1/5 of that of concrete roofs and 1/30 of that of brick walls. Taking 0.5mm thick color steel tile roofs as an example, with a unit area weight of only 3.9kg/m ², they can withstand live loads of 60-120kg/m ² (such as snow and equipment), meeting the requirements of the "Steel Structure Design Standard" (GB50017-2017).
(2) Corrosion resistance: The dual protection of galvanized layer and colored coating ensures that the service life of color steel tile roofs can reach 15-20 years in C3 (moderate corrosion) environment and 10-15 years in C4 (high corrosion) environment. For example, a chemical warehouse in Qingdao uses aluminum zinc coated color steel tile roofs, and after 5 years of salt spray testing, the coating integrity rate still reaches 98%.
(3) Fireproof performance: Flame retardant is added to the coating of color steel tile roofs, and the combustion performance can reach B1 level (flame retardant), meeting the requirements of the "Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings" (GB50016-2014) for industrial building roofs.

(4) Thermal insulation and sound insulation: Color steel tiles with sandwich panel structures (such as rock wool and polyurethane sandwich) have a thermal conductivity as low as 0.03W/(m · K) and sound insulation of 30-40dB, which can improve indoor comfort.

3. Application scenario: Wide coverage from industrial plants to civil buildings

Color steel tile roofs, with their performance advantages, have penetrated into various types of building scenes:
(1) Industrial buildings: For large-span structures such as automobile manufacturing workshops and logistics warehouses, vertical locking edge color steel tile roofs are preferred. The locking edge structure forms a continuous waterproof layer, with a wind pressure resistance of up to 1.2kPa (level 12 wind), which can prevent rainwater leakage. For example, the roof of Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory uses this type of color steel tile roofs to support photovoltaic systems and heavy equipment.
(2) Commercial buildings such as shopping centers and convention centers often use angled color steel tile roofs to achieve a balance between appearance and function. Its concealed connection method hides the fixing parts, with a flat surface, and can be matched with accessories such as lighting strips and ventilators to improve indoor lighting and ventilation efficiency.
(3) Civilian residential buildings: Light steel villas and rural self built houses use trapezoidal color steel tile roofs, which reduce costs by 40% compared to concrete roofs and shorten construction periods by 70%. For example, a rural residential project in Hebei Province uses 0.6mm thick color steel tile roofs, combined with a 50mm thick glass wool insulation layer, to achieve warmth in winter and coolness in summer.

(4) Temporary buildings: For construction sites such as dormitories and emergency hospitals that require rapid construction, modular color steel tile roofs are used. Its standard board width is 860mm, with a large coverage area and an installation efficiency of 200m ²/day. It is also detachable and reusable.

4. Construction Key Points: Fine tuned Operation from Installation Process to Quality Control

The "solidity" of color steel tile roofs relies on standardized construction processes:
(1) Grassroots treatment: Ensure that the spacing between roof purlins meets the design requirements (usually 600-1200mm), and the flatness deviation of purlins is ≤ 5mm to avoid uneven stress on color steel tile roofs caused by deformation of the base layer.
(2) Fixed method: Select connectors according to the type of color steel tile roof. For example, the upright lock edge type uses a dedicated lock edge machine for interlocking, the angular snap type uses hidden buckles for fixation, and the trapezoidal plate uses self tapping screws for penetration fixation, with a screw spacing of ≤ 300mm, and needs to be equipped with weather resistant sealing gaskets to prevent water leakage.
(3) Waterproof treatment: At nodes such as ridges, eaves, and daylighting strips, waterproof rolls, sealants, or specialized accessories (such as ridge covers and flashings) are used to seal the gaps. For example, during the installation of a certain photovoltaic power station project on a color steel tile roof, it is fixed to the edge of the roof through guide rail connectors to avoid penetrating the roof, and the waterproof reliability reaches 99%.

(4) Quality acceptance: Check the overlap length of color steel tile roofs (wave crest ≥ 1 wave distance, wave trough ≥ 100mm), screw tightening torque (5-7N · m), and coating integrity (no scratches or omissions) to ensure that the overall bearing capacity and waterproof performance of the roof meet the standards.

5. Future trend: upgrading direction of intelligence and functional integration

With the development of building technology, color steel tile roofs are evolving towards intelligence and multifunctionality. For example, some high-end projects integrate functions such as photovoltaic power generation, rainwater collection, ventilation and cooling; The application of nano coating technology enables color steel tile roofs to have self-cleaning and antibacterial properties, reducing maintenance costs. These innovations will further consolidate the position of color steel tile roofs in modern architecture.
Color steel tile roof, which combines practicality and aesthetics, undoubtedly provides an ideal choice for modern architecture. It can not only effectively protect buildings from wind and rain erosion, extend their service life, but also add unique charm to buildings with diverse colors and shapes. Whether it is industrial projects that pursue efficient construction or civil buildings that focus on individual expression, color steel tile roofs can meet different needs. Let us actively embrace this excellent roofing material, fully leverage its advantages, and strive to create a safer, more beautiful, and comfortable building environment. I believe that with the help of color steel tile roofs, our buildings will showcase even more charming charm.