A Critical Assessment of the Tronco Building System within the Framework of Industrialized Construction and Sustainable Architecture: A Structured Review of Evidence and Requirements for Its Application in Iran

Mobina Nofozi¹

1) Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch.

IOI Code : ABFG-ACACBG
Publication : 12th.international Congress on Civil Engineering, Architecture, Art and Urban Development(12icsau.ir)
Abstract :
    Abstract The building and construction sector is a major contributor to global energy use, material extraction, and carbon emissions. Industrialized and lightweight construction systems are therefore considered potential pathways for improving quality control and resource efficiency. Tronco is a scarcely studied building system based on the on-site forming and assembly of tubular elements from galvanized steel strip, mobile production equipment, and insulated envelope components. Despite recurring claims regarding rapid construction, low structural mass, seismic performance, and energy efficiency, the evidential basis of these claims remains unclear. This study critically distinguishes described features, plausible benefits, and demonstrated performance, and develops a validation roadmap for the Iranian context. A structured critical review was conducted. Direct Tronco-related sources were included without date restriction, while contextual evidence on off-site construction, light-gauge steel framing, life-cycle assessment, and design for disassembly focused primarily on 2020–2026. Evidence was classified into four levels: independent direct empirical data, peer-reviewed descriptive or decision studies, transferable evidence from analogous systems, and manufacturer information. No independent published study was identified that experimentally quantified Tronco connection cyclic be haviour, lateral resistance, fire resistance, thermal transmittance, acoustic insulation, durability, life-cycle cost, or environmental impacts. Consequently, low mass, component coordination, and rapid production should be treated as design potentials rather than verified outcomes. Critical risks include local and global buckling, uncertain connection and diaphragm be haviour, steel thermal bridging, interstitial condensation, fire protection, corrosion at site-formed details, and quality-assurance gaps. The paper contributes an evidence-maturity matrix and a seven-stage validation framework for seismic, climatic, regulatory, environmental, and economic assessment in Iran. Tronco should currently be regarded as a research and pilot-scale option rather than a broadly validated construction technology.

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