AEP Span U-Panel roof profile

AEP Span U-Panel is a low-profile, through-fastened metal panel made for roofs and siding. It belongs to the Roof Profiles family and is a commercial metal roofing product within AEP Span's range of exposed-fastener metal roof panels.

The panel has 36 inches of net coverage, a rib pitch of 6 inches and a nominal panel height of 3/4 inch. The March 2026 product sheet is numbered PS186. The U-Panel name is also used for interior partitions, liner panels for mini-storage buildings and exterior vertical siding.

U-Panel is manufactured in West Sacramento, California. Information on the product sheet is correct at the time of printing and can change without notice.

The Sales Print for U-Panel is at Rev 1, dated September 9, 2022. It labels 36 inches of installed coverage and 6 inches between repeating raised-rib stations. The manufacturer marks all drawing dimensions as approximate.

• Net coverage: 36 inches, measured after adjacent sheets lap.
• Rib pitch: 6 inches.
• Crest flat: 1 inch across the top of a raised rib.
• Rib base: 2 1/2 inches across the footprint of one raised rib, measured from the left foot to the right foot.
• Drawn rise: 13/16 inch from pan to crest.
• Web angle: 47 degrees at a sloping web.
• Nominal panel height on the product sheet: 3/4 inch.

The 2 1/2-inch dimension spans one raised rib and is not a pan or valley width. The 13/16-inch drawn rise and the 3/4-inch nominal height come from two different documents, a 2022 drawing and a 2026 product sheet. The drawing does not give the full width of an uninstalled sheet, the returns of the two side laps or the bend radii.

The panel has a purlin-bearing leg at the side lap. The purlin-bearing leg forms a consistent weather-resistant side-lap joint.

U-Panel is rolled from steel with an AZ50 metallic coating. Steel conforms to ASTM A653 for galvanized material or ASTM A792 for ZINCALUME structural steel. Standard gauges are 26, 24 and 22.

• 26 gauge: 0.0173 inch base steel thickness, 80 ksi yield, 82 ksi tensile, 0.85 lbs/ft2.
• 24 gauge: 0.0232 inch, 50 ksi yield, 65 ksi tensile, 1.14 lbs/ft2.
• 22 gauge: 0.0294 inch, 50 ksi yield, 65 ksi tensile, 1.44 lbs/ft2.

Section properties per foot of width are listed for positive and negative bending. The moments of inertia used for deflection are (2 times I effective plus I gross) divided by 3.

• 26 gauge: I+ 0.0260 in4/ft, S+ 0.0410 in3/ft, I- 0.0204 in4/ft, S- 0.0357 in3/ft.
• 24 gauge: I+ 0.0333 in4/ft, S+ 0.0618 in3/ft, I- 0.0293 in4/ft, S- 0.0566 in3/ft.
• 22 gauge: I+ 0.0433 in4/ft, S+ 0.0810 in3/ft, I- 0.0411 in4/ft, S- 0.0736 in3/ft.

The 26-gauge standard finish is the Dura Tech nt paint system. The 24- and 22-gauge standard finishes are Dura Tech 5000 or Dura Tech mx. The full range of colors and paint systems is shown on the AEP Span color charts.

Custom manufactured panel lengths run from 6 feet to 50 feet. The following options carry minimum order quantities, added fees or longer lead times.

• U-Panel short-cut sheets: 6 feet down to 1 foot.
• U-Panel custom colors, thick-film primer or clear-coat finishes in 29 to 22 gauge.
• Perforation with open areas of 13.8%, 23.4%, 30.6% or 41.4%.
• U-Panel stucco embossing: 26, 24 and 22 gauge.
• A reversed rolled panel.
• U-Panel TruZinc G90 galvanized steel with resin coat: 29 to 22 gauge.
• Steel conforming to Buy American requirements.

U-Panel allowable inward (gravity) uniform loads in pounds per square foot are tabulated for single, double and triple spans from 2 feet to 8 feet. Top values are based on allowable stress design (ASD, W/Omega) and bottom values on a deflection limit of L/180. A dash means the allowable load is governed by panel stress rather than the deflection limit. Values follow the AISI Cold Formed Steel Design Manual, S100-16.

Selected single-span ASD values follow.

• 26 gauge: 246 at a 2-foot span, 61 at 4 feet, 15 at 8 feet.
• 24 gauge: 308 at a 2-foot span, 77 at 4 feet, 19 at 8 feet.
• 22 gauge: 404 at a 2-foot span, 101 at 4 feet, 25 at 8 feet.

At a 4-foot span in 24 gauge, the ASD value is 70 for a double span and 87 for a triple span. The L/180 single-span value at 4 feet in 24 gauge is 46.

Outward (wind uplift) attachment data, shear tables and other limitations are in IAPMO-UES Code Compliance Report ER-0550.

U-Panel roof assemblies are Class A fire rated when installed on a non-combustible deck or framing per the IBC or IRC, or when installed in accordance with UL listings (UL 790). Wall assemblies are rated for fire resistance (UL 263) when installed in accordance with UL listings. Additional protection is needed to reach the Class A rating in UL 790 classified assemblies.

U-Panel complies with the IBC, IRC, CBC and CRC building codes. The Building Code Approval Report is ER-0550 from IAPMO-UES.

The recommended minimum roof slope is 3:12. The installation guide, revised December 9, 2025, covers U-Panel as a roofing panel and as a wall panel installed vertically or horizontally, over solid substrates or spaced supports. The guide depicts the panel over mixed substrates.

Roof details in the guide cover the eave, eave with pre-hung gutter, post-hung gutter, gable, valley, ridge, vented ridge, peak, sidewall, endwall, slope transitions from high to low and low to high, panel lap, roof curb and curb flashings.

AEP Span Underlayment HT is the recommended underlayment for metal roofing. It is a high-temperature, self-healing, self-adhering underlayment.

Panel flatness limits for the substrate are 1/4 inch in 20 feet or 1/8 inch in 5 feet. Panels and flashings are detailed to allow thermal movement, and roof penetrations are located close to the ridge in snow areas.

Color-matched fasteners with sealing washers are used for exposed use.

• #9 hex head wood screw with sealing washer, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2 and 3 inch lengths, for panel to dimensional lumber.
• #14 hex head wood screw with sealing washer, 1 and 1 1/2 inch lengths, for panel to plywood or OSB at least 7/16 inch thick.
• #12 stitch screw with sealing washer, 3/4 inch, and #14 lap self driller with sealing washer, 7/8 inch, for exposed trim and panel laps.
• #12 hex head self-drill screw, 1 to 2 1/2 inches, for panel to steel deck or framing.
• 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel rivet, 1/8 inch maximum grip, for trim to trim or trim to panel.

Screws into plywood or OSB penetrate at least 3/8 inch through the sheathing or at least one inch into solid lumber. Rivets are not considered watertight.