Cold rolled steel specialist Metsec is supplying lattice trusses and purlins for roofing, and its site fixed Steel Framing System (SFS) for infill walling, for an environment-friendly fire station project in Rayleigh, Essex. The £4.5 million building is designed and project managed by Hunters. This innovative architectural scheme incorporates a single-storey four-bay garage, a training tower, and a two-storey admin and accommodation block. Green credentials are impressive – the new building boasts a geothermal heating system, solar thermal water heating, and a helical wind turbine expected to generate around 8,900kWh of energy per year.

Expected to be operational by the end of 2009, the new building will allow the relocation of crews from the area’s existing fire station at Hadleigh, and staff from Basildon and Castle Point community command.

Main contractor, Mulalley and Company Ltd, is installing a total of 27 Metsec lattice trusses with a maximum span of 15.4 metres, supporting 142mm and 172mm deep Z- and C- section purlins to support the building’s insulated clad roof. The design also features a seven metre cantilevered canopy supported by lattice beams on hot rolled steel posts. Metsec’s SFS exterior wall frame and stud is used to form the skeleton for the appliance bay’s 24m long sloping external gable wall. A total of 357 metres of 150mm SFS stud is incorporated in the 7.3m high structure, fixed at 400mm centres.

Metsec Divisional Director, Roy Burns, commented, “We’re delighted to have been chosen for

this project for a couple of reasons. The building design places great emphasis on environmental friendliness, and the choice of Metsec’s purlins, lattice beams and SFS confirms that the sector

views our products as truly sustainable. Secondly, the fact that the project is using products from

three of our divisions has given us the opportunity to offer the advantages of a one-stop shop to help simplify logistics.”

Metsec’s lattice beams, joists and trusses are lightweight, easy to handle and can span up to 40m. They also use up to 50% less steel than traditional hot rolled beams, which means that increases in raw material prices have less impact on the total build cost, whilst the open lattice design means that routing of services is straightforward.

The purlin range was re-launched by Metsec in June 2008 with more efficient profiles, made from cold rolled galvanised steel with a minimum yield strength increased to 450 N/mm² to give maximum performance for minimum weight. The range includes fully compatible Z- and C-section profiles in depths ranging from 142mm to 342mm.

Metsec’s SFS is factory produced from lightweight, cold rolled galvanised steel sections which are cut to length, bar-coded and “bundled” offsite ready to be simply screwed together on site to create wall panel frames ready to receive interior and exterior cladding or glazing panels. SFS is ideal for projects where fast-track speed of construction and / or a lightweight frame is required.

Email: sally.edwards@matrix.co.uk