Tensile Strength and Micro-Hardness Properties of Common Roofing Sheets in Ghana.

Background: The request for housing in Ghana is great and as a result the selection of durable roofing sheets have become very significant as roofing plays a vital role in building construction. This study examines some mechanical properties of the most common locally-produced and imported roofing sheets in the housing industry in Ghana to inform decision-making when it comes to roofing. The roofing sheets chosen were One Star Galvanized Japan (G1*Jap), Galvanized Coated (GC), Aluzinc three star galvanized (AlZn3*), One Star Galvanized Indi (G1*Ind) and Aluminium (Al) due to their popularity and wide availability on the market. Samples from these were cut into specific dimensions and placed in a Tinius hydraulic Universal Testing Machine (Model 602) for testing. Results: The results showed that AlZn3* had the highest Young’s Modulus of Elasticity of 18.21MPa, Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of 50.27 MPa; Aluminium (Al) recorded the highest Percentage Elongation of 28% and Breaking Energy 7956600 MJm-2 with G1*Jap recording the least UTS of 26.6 MPa and Breaking energy of 55378 MJm-2 whiles G1*Ind showed the least Young’s Modulus of Elasticity of 7.6 MPa and Percentage Elongation of less than one percent (0.5%). Conclusion: These numbers lead to the conclusion that AlZn3* roofing sheet is generally the best roofing sheet.  Based on this it was concluded that AlZn3* is the best roofing sheet on the Ghanaian market due to its unmatched mechanical strength.