Roof decking looks simple. Choosing the TATA RoofDek profile is where the thinking happens.

Tata RoofDek: From the ground, a metal roof deck is just a sheet doing an obvious job. The decision that actually matters, and the one that quietly shapes the steelwork below it, is which profile you specify. Get it right and the roof structure is efficient and quick to build. Get it wrong and you are either carrying more secondary steel than you need, or asking a shallow profile to do a job it was never meant to.

This guide walks through the Tata RoofDek range and, more usefully, explains what the choice actually comes down to.

The one idea that runs through the whole range: depth buys span

Every profile in the range is defined first by its depth. The naming tells you directly: D35 is a 35mm deep profile, D60 is 60mm, and so on up to D200 at the top of the range.

That depth is not cosmetic. A deeper profile is stiffer, so it spans further between supports. And spanning further is worth real money, because it means fewer purlins or frames beneath the deck, which means less secondary steelwork to design, fabricate, deliver and erect.

So the trade runs like this. A shallow profile is a lighter, cheaper sheet, but it needs its supports closer together. A deep profile is a heavier sheet that lets you open up the structure below it. Neither is better in the abstract. The right one depends on your roof.

The metal roof deck range at a glance

Indicative maximum spans are taken from Tata’s published range summary. The final choice must always be confirmed against the manufacturer’s load and span tables for your actual loading, span condition and fixing arrangement.

The shallow end: closely spaced purlins, lighter loads of TATA RoofDek

The shallow profiles, such as RoofDek D35, suit roofs where the supporting structure is already fairly closely spaced and the loads are modest. On the right roof they are efficient and straightforward. They stop making sense the moment you try to stretch the spans or pile on load, which is exactly where the deeper profiles take over.

The deep end: long spans, less structure beneath of TATA RoofDek

The deep metal roof deck profiles, from Roofdek D100 up to Roofdek D200, are the ones you reach for when you want to span serious distances between supports, or when the roof is carrying more, or when you specifically want to keep the structure below clear and open. They cost more as a sheet, but they can pay that back several times over in the secondary steelwork they remove.

How to actually choose, in order

Rather than starting with which profile is best, start with the roof:

1. What are your support centres? How far is the deck spanning between purlins or frames? This narrows the range faster than anything else.
2. What is the loading? Confirmed against the roof design, including anything the roof is carrying beyond its own weight.
3. How much structural depth can you give the roof? A long span metal deck spans further but takes up more zone.
4. What is the build sequence and programme? Availability and lead time are part of the decision, not an afterthought.

Work through those and the range narrows to one or two sensible options, and the manufacturer load and span tables confirm the final choice against your actual geometry.

Where RMD comes in: experts in TATA RoofDek range

We supply the full Tata RoofDek range, and because we also supply other manufacturers, our recommendation is based on what suits your roof rather than on what we happen to stock. Send us your roof elevation, the pitch, the height to the apex and a plan of the structural support, and we will tell you which profile fits and why.

Explore the roof decking range, or send your details for a quote.

Telephone 01787 275055. Email: sales@rmdp.co.uk  or check out our long span metal deck range in more detail here.