PERFORM

Acronym: PERFORM
Title: Structural and functional roof decking with perforations and microprofiles

Can you briefly explain what the PERFORM project is about and why improving acoustic and structural steel roof systems is an important challenge for today’s buildings?
PERFORM is a research project focused on developing safe, efficient, and sustainable steel roof systems that combine enhanced acoustic performance with high structural capacity. The project addresses new steel roofing products featuring patterned perforations, which improve sound absorption, and micro-profiling, which enhances load-bearing resistance. These solutions have strong potential for commercial, industrial, sports, educational, cultural, and event buildings, where both structural performance and indoor acoustic comfort are essential.

An important advantage of these systems is that they can provide high performance while remaining lightweight, helping to reduce material use and overall structural weight. This is particularly valuable for large-span buildings such as event halls, sports facilities, theatres, and multi-purpose venues, where spaces often need to accommodate different functions and occupancy levels. Good acoustics are critical in these environments to ensure comfort, speech intelligibility, and user experience. However, current design knowledge and standards for these innovative roof systems remain limited, creating the need for new research and design methods
 

What are the main innovations or design methods that PERFORM aims to develop?
PERFORM will develop new design rules and optimization methods for acoustic steel roof decking with perforations and micro-profiles. The project addresses key aspects including structural resistance, diaphragm action, fire performance, acoustic optimization, and sustainability. The outcome will be a set of practical design guidelines, software tools, and optimized roofing solutions that enable safer, more economical, and more sustainable building designs while reducing the need for unnecessary structural bracing.

What expertise does VUB contribute to the PERFORM consortium?
VUB contributes extensive expertise in structural engineering, with a particular focus on the behaviour, testing, numerical modelling, and design of thin-walled steel structures. Within PERFORM, VUB leads the research on the structural behaviour and design rules for roof sheets with micro-profiles, helping to establish reliable and economical design methods for these innovative products.

In addition, VUB participates in collaborative research on the diaphragm action of perforated roof systems and the contribution of roof sheets to the overall stability of buildings. The team is also involved in cross-validation of numerical and experimental models, the design and assessment of reference buildings, and activities related to standardization, dissemination, and the transfer of research results into engineering practice. VUB helps ensure that the project's outcomes are both technically robust and practically applicable.
 

What impact is PERFORM expected to have on sustainability, construction costs, and carbon emission reduction in the European building sector?
PERFORM aims to accelerate the adoption of acoustic steel roof decking by providing the design rules and tools needed for its safe and efficient use. By improving our understanding of structural behaviour, diaphragm action, fire performance, and acoustic optimization, the project is expected to enable more economical designs and reduce construction costs by avoiding unnecessary bracing and over-conservative assumptions.

From a sustainability perspective, PERFORM promotes multifunctional roof systems that combine structural and acoustic performance in a single product. This can reduce material consumption, eliminate the need for separate acoustic ceiling systems, and improve the potential for reuse and longer service life. The project will also develop sustainability assessment methods and design tools to support low-carbon building solutions.

Beyond individual buildings, the project supports the development of flexible, multi-purpose spaces—such as sports halls, event venues, educational facilities, and cultural centres—that can accommodate a wide range of activities within the same building. By enabling more efficient use of the built environment, these solutions can contribute to reducing resource consumption and carbon emissions over the building lifecycle. Overall, PERFORM targets significant reductions in construction-related emissions while strengthening the competitiveness of the European steel construction sector and supporting Europe's long-term climate-neutrality ambitions.