Journal of Applied Sciences1812-56541812-5662Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/jas.2005.1113.1121IslamS.M. Zahurul A.A. Abang-Abdullah M.S. Jafar 6200556Profile steel shell structures are used popularly due to aesthetic and economical use of materials. The aim of this research work is to develop a self-supporting roofing element using profiled steel sheet such as zincalume, with potential for application in affordable quality housing. An analytical investigation using finite element method is carried out on the structural strength and behaviour of different types of self-supporting roofing elements. An experimental study on the structural strength and behaviour of a selected roofing element is conducted to validate the analytical investigation. Conventionally, profile steel sheet such as zincalume and galvanized iron sheet is using in roof as a covering materials using different type of internal support without any attention paid to their structural capability. It is an innovative system that is self-supporting roofing system where sheeting roofs run continuous lengths of roof sheeting from one end to other end support through eliminating internal support. This kind of roofing system has significant advantages of removing the internal trussing and support. An attempt has been made to find out efficient, economic and aesthetically pleasing shape of shell elements to provide self-supporting roofing system on the basis of present results. The load deflection, stress-strain and deflected shape profiles for investigated roofing element is showed that parabolic roofing element having crown height 1/6 of chord length is more efficient than others. It is observed that a parabolic shape roofing element with optimum crown height is structurally and economically able to use as a supporting roofing system for 8 m span lengths using 1.25 mm thick profiled zincalume sheets. It can be concluded that the proposed roofing system has a great potential to be exploited for housing construction.]]>Jagannath, V. and U.C. Shekar,198919353361Martins, R.A.F. and C.A.M. Oliveira,198851525Sze, K.Y.,1992120120123Zienkiewcz, O.C.,19793rd Edn.,pp: 398-422pp: 398-422Sakla, S.S. and E. Elbeltagi,200381339348Rao, P.S. and A.P. Rao,198611217811795Rao, P.S. and A.P. Rao,1988114931941Simmonds, S.H.,19891151931Stekelenburg, P.J.V., J.C. Walraven and M.S. Mathews,198010111118Imam, N., D. Maity and U.C. Kalita,200232271286Scordelis, A.C. and K.S. Lo.,196461539561Capurso, M.,19673117141Maity, D., N. Imam and U.C. Kalita,20032003pp:285294Abang-Ali, A.A., S.M. Zahurul and M.S. Jaafar,20042004pp: 1521Zahurul, S.M., A.A. Abang-Ali and M.S. Jafar,20042004pp: 4250Farshad, M.,1992pp: 2-39pp: 2-39LUSAS,2003Huang, H.,1989pp: 67-83pp: 67-83Krihnamoorthy, C.S.,20012nd Edn.,pp: 465-510pp: 465-510Zahurul, S.M.,20042004Nilson, A.H.,196328848880EL-Atrouzy, M.N.,19991999pp: 138143Kostem, C.N. and M.E. Garrabrant,19771977pp: 187191