DISSERTATION – Aluminium As a Building Material

1. DISSERTATION – Aluminium As a Building Material
INTRODUCTION
Aluminium is theoretically 100% recyclable
without any loss of its natural quilities.
Aluminium is second most widly specified metal in
building after steel, and it used to construction
sectors frome commercial building to domestic
dwelling.
Aluminiumis strong, malleable and has a low
density.
Aluminiumis resistant to corrosion
PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM
Aluminium is a very light metal with a specific weight of 2.7 g/cm3,
about a third that of steel. For example, the use of aluminium in
vehicles reduces dead-weight and energy consumption while
increasing load capacity
Aluminium is a good conductor of heat and
electricity.
AluminiumCan be polished to give a highly
reflective surface.
Aluminium can be represented as ‘Al’,number in
the periodic table is 13.
Strictly speaking al applies to the pure metals.
Physically, chemically and mechanically
aluminium is a metal like steel, brass, copper, zinc,
lead or titanium. It can be melted, cast, formed
and machined much like these metals and it
conducts electric current. In fact often the same
equipment and fabrication methods are used as
for steel.
Corrosion Resistance
Aluminium naturally generates a protective oxide coating
and is highly corrosion resistant.
Different types of surface treatment such as anodising,
painting or lacquering can further improve this property
Electrical and Thermal Conductivity
Aluminium is an excellent heat and electricity conductor
and in relation to its weight is almost twice as good a
conductor as copper.
This has made aluminium the most commonly used
material in major power transmission lines
Reflectivity
Aluminium is a good reflector of visible light as well as
heat, and that together with its low weight, makes it an
ideal material for reflectors in, for example, light fittings or
rescue blankets

2. DISSERTATION - Aluminium As a Building Material
Recyclability
Aluminium is 100 percent recyclable with no downgrading of
its qualities. The re-melting of aluminium requires little
energy: only about 5 percent of the energy required to
produce the primary metal initially is needed in the recycling
process.
Importance of Recycling
Due to the large energy use in the extraction process, it is vital
that we recycle.
Recycled aluminium only requires 5% of the energy needed to
extract fresh aluminium.
Remember to recycle, because energy can be better spent.
.
USES OF ALUMINIUM
Low density and strength make it ideal for
construction of aircraft, lightweight vehicles, and
ladders.
An alloy of aluminium called duralumin is often used
instead of pure aluminium because of its improved
properties.
Easy shaping and corrosion resistance make it a good
material
for drink cans and roofing materials.
Corrosion resistance and low density leads to its use
for greenhouses and window frames.
Good conduction of heat leads to its use
for boilers, cookers and cookware.
Good conduction of electricity leads to its use
for overhead power cables hung from pylons
(low density gives it an advantage over copper).
High reflectivity makes it ideal for
mirrors, reflectors and heat resistant clothing for fire
fighting.
.

3. DISSERTATION - Aluminium As a Building Material
HISTORY OF ALUMINIUM
• Ancient Greeks and Romans used aluminium salts as dyeing
mordants and as astringents for dressing wounds; alum is still
used as a styptic.
•
• In 1761 Guyton de Morveau suggested calling the base alum
alumine. In 1808, Humphry Davy identified the existence of a
metal base of alum, which he at first named alumium and later
aluminium (see Spelling section, below).
•
• Friedrich Wöhler is generally credited with isolating aluminium
(Latin alumen, alum) in 1827 by mixing anhydrous aluminium
chloride with potassium.
•
• In its 100 year history aluminium has had an unparalleled impact
on the built environment.
• Since the sheathing of the cupola of the San Gioacchino Church in
Rome in 1897, aluminium has risen to prominence among
specifiers through landmark projects, such as the curtain walling
on Shreve, Lamb & Harmon’s iconoclastic Empire State Building,
1929.
•
• In 1945, Pietro Belushi created the first large structure totally
sheathed in aluminium and glass:
• The Equitable Building in Portland, Oregon; followed by SOM’s
Lever Building; Mies van der Rohe and Phillip Johnson’s Seagram
Building; and the UN Secretariat in New York.
• But even in these pioneering years, the use of aluminium was not
confined to modernist landmarks.
•
• Indeed, aluminium window frames were installed in the Bodleian
Library, Oxford in 1939; and have since provided eloquent
testament to the material’s durability.
ALUMINIUM AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
Aluminium is the second most widely specified metal in buildings after
steel, and is used in all construction sectors, from commercial
buildings to domestic dwellings.
40% of the UK annual production of aluminium is utilised within the
construction industry, which equates to roughly 150,000 tonnes of
aluminium per annum, of which approximately 65,000 tonnes is
extruded products, and 25,000 tonnes sheet materials.
The main market sectors are windows, roofing, cladding, curtain
walling and structural glazing, prefabricated buildings, architectural
hardware, H&V, shopfitting and partitions.
Strength versus Weight
One of aluminium’s primary appeals to specifiers is its exceptional
strength to weight ratio. At 2.7g/cm2, aluminium is 66% lighter than
steel.
It is also far less susceptible to brittle fractures. Indeed, when
aluminium and steel structures are compared, aluminium’s greater
modulus of elasticity means that weight ratios of 1:2 are easily
attained

4. DISSERTATION - Aluminium As a Building Material
ALUMINIUM IN WINDOW & DOOR
Aluminium’s unique combination of strength and lightness enables frames, sashes and fittings to be neat and
unobtrusive. Because the frames, rails and stiles can be finer than those made in wood, they allow maximum entry of
light and provide unobstructed views
Aluminium doesn’t require painting while its dimensional stability ensures years of trouble free operation.
Aluminium windows and doors come powder coated in a range of colours to match your home, but it’s important to
choose frame colours carefully as powder coated surfaces cannot be repainted.
A window consists of an outer frame that goes in the hole in the wall, and a sash frame that holds the glass.
There are four traditional styles of windows – double hung, awning, casement, and sliding. The one that is most
appropriate for you can depend on a number of factors such as how they operate and how much ventilation they allow
TYPE OF DOOR & WINDOW
Bi-fold patio doors have a series ofbetween 2 to 7 doors, hinged so theyfold onto themselves
Bi-fold patio doors Sliding patio doors

5. DISSERTATION - Aluminium As a Building Material
Sliding patio doors have two or more panels which slide past each other horizontally within the frame.
Hinged doors are hinged on either the left or the right and can open either inwards or outwards.
Double hung windows have two vertically sliding sashes which slide past each other in a single frame.
Single hung windows have one fixed and one opening sash.
Awning windows are hinged along the top horizontal edge and the bottom opens outwards.
Casement windows are either hinged along a vertical edge or pivoted on the top and bottom, and open outwards
from the opposite side.
Sliding windows have two or more sashes, which slide past each other horizontally within the frame.
Casement window Sliding window

6. DISSERTATION - Aluminium As a Building Material
Aluminium in Construction
It is estimated that across Europe, the building and construction market consumes almost 1.4 million tonnes of aluminium per annum.
The growing importance of recycling can be gauged by the fact that, in 1996, the production of primary aluminium in Western Europe stood at
890,000 tonnes, while production of secondary aluminium was 1,747,000 tonnes;
with the building sector accounting for 54% of extruded products and 15% of rolled products.
Advantages of Aluminium
Lightweight: Aluminium is one of the lightest available commercial metals with a density approximately one third that of steel or copper.
Its high strength to weight ratio makes it particularly important to transportation industries allowing increased payloads and fuel savings.
Catamaran ferries, petroleum tankers and aircraft are good examples of aluminium’s use in transport.
Excellent Corrosion Resistance :Aluminium has excellent resistance to corrosion due to the thin layer of aluminium oxide that forms on the
surface of aluminium when it is exposed to air.
Strong at Low Temperatures :Where as steel becomes brittle at low temperatures, aluminium increases in tensile strength and retains
excellent toughness
Easy to Work :Aluminium can be easily fabricated into various forms such as foil, sheets, geometricshapes, rod, tube and wire.
It also displays excellent machinability and plasticity ideal for bending, cutting, spinning, roll forming, hammering, forging and drawing.
Aluminium can be turned ,milled or bored readily, using the correct too large.
In fact, most aluminium alloys can be machined speedily and easily. An important factor contributing to the low cost of finished aluminium parts.
Aluminium is a popular choice of material for complex-sectioned hollow extrusions.
Easy Surface Treatment :For many applications, aluminium requires no protective or decorative coating; the surface supplied is entirely
adequate without further finishing. Mechanical finishes such as polishing, embossing, sand blasting, or wire brushing meet a variety of needs.
Where the plain aluminium surface does not suffice, a wide variety of surface finishes are available to suit. Chemical, electrochemical and paint
finishes are all used.

7. ANALYSIS
Aluminium –Building material of the modern age:
Modern building and construction is more than merely erecting buildings as functionally as possible. In addition to functional and economic
criteria, aesthetic and design considerations together with ecological demands placed on building projects play an equally important role.
This means the materials used are of major significance. Aluminium, the building material for the modern age, established itself as an important
factor in the building and construction industry during the course of the 20th century.
Aluminium enables every possible architectural concept to be realised – regardless of whether it is a new build or a modernization.
Primary smelter aluminium is pure and,
as such, has a relatively low strength. For
extrusions and other manufactured
components, the material is alloyed to
improve its strength, although even the
most heavily alloyed wrought aluminium
is still 92% pure.The choice of the most
appropriate alloy of the 6000 series for a
particular extrusion depends on the
nature of the task it has to perform. A
balance has to be struck between
strength, ease of forming and finish.
The 6063 alloy, for instance, has good extra durability, corrosion resistance and surface finish; and is thus widely used in fenestration. The
properties of the individual alloys are amplified by the shape of the extruding die.
Careful and knowledgeable design can take advantage of the ability of the extrusion process to distribute the material across the section to
exactly where it is needed for a particular performance requirement.

8. SOME IMPORTANT PROJECT OF ALUMINIUM
Residential Project 8-13 Bird Street, London
Architect Koski Solomon & Ruthven Architects
Installer CAP Aluminium Systems Ltd.
System Kawneer Series Designer 53 swing doors,
Kawneer Series 1200 curtain walling, Kawneer Series
casement windows and Kawneer Series 503 Tilturn
windows
Contract value £672,000
Specification Residential-style glazing contract
featuring the new Kawneer Series 503 Tilturn
windows set within large bays, and as projecting
within brickwork enclosed by Kawneer Series 1200
curtain walling system.
Detail Safety rails to the exterior of windows, and
clip-on face caps to emphasise the development’s
vertical lines.
Public Buildings
Project Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Architect Lobb Sports Architecture
Installer Siac Construction Ltd
System Kawneer Series 1200 curtain walling system
Contract value £3,500,000
Specification Feature bands of continuous horizontal glazing, set within
the cladding, running around the entire building
Detail Kawneer Series 1200 curtain walling cantilevered out over the
River Taff.

9. Future of Aluminium as a building material
Aluminium is the most widely-used material for meeting architects’ performance requirements when designing curtain walling and non-standard
systems.
The material adapts well to all types of architecture and allows a wide variety of shapes and forms; windows and spans.
The inherent qualities of aluminium, its infinite recyclability, strength and lightness, durability and low maintenance qualities mean it is one of
the most
sustainable building materials.
Aluminium allows 15 to 47 per cent more light compared with other materials, and the thermal and acoustic properties of aluminium systems
are continually improving to meet the most demanding architectural specifications.
Aluminium – The heavyweight in lightweight construction
As a constructional material, aluminium is characterised by numerous physical, chemical and technical properties that assign it an outstanding
role in the building sector.
One of aluminium’s outstanding properties is its long useful life. Thanks to an extremely thin but strong oxide layer, it is resistant to corrosion and
the weather as well as to UV radiation.
Especially with long-life objects like buildings, this is beneficial: for one thing, during service components only have to be replaced after a long
time, if at all; and for another, it minimises the effort required for service and maintenance. Both of these have a favourable bearing on
aluminium’s environmental balance.
The aluminium alloys used in architecture exhibit good weathering behaviour even in marine environments and are resistant to seawater, which
means that they maintain their mechanical properties and stability even after being exposed for long periods of time.
It is possible to optimise these properties in a specific manner by means of surface pretreatment and the use of coatings .By contrast, steel
structures like the Eiffel Tower or timber frames that are exposed to the elements need to be painted regularly to protect the magainst rusting or
weathering.

10. CONCLUSIONS
It is certain that Aluminium will become even more widely used in construction as pressure grows for buildings that are flexible, easy to maintain
and offer low cost-in-use. There is certainly scope for growth in a wide variety of structural applications, such as supporting Aluminium sheet
roofing on aluminium extruded roofing members. This growth is limited principally by a lack of understanding of Aluminium’s true structural
abilities.
No construction material is perfect. Timber is affected by moisture, requires maintenance, has limited structural capabilities and cannot be
machined into complex shapes. Steel has a relatively poor strength to weight ratio, cannot be thermally broken, rusts in an untreated state and,
under stress, is prone to brittle fractures. PVC is available in a limited range of colours, can suffer from polymer migration, does not have the
inherent stiffness of metals, and has been attacked on environmental grounds by leading environmental NGOs.
Aluminium, while it has a relatively high initial energy cost, offers unparalleled manufacturing flexibility, the broadest ranges of finishes, an
excellent strength-to-weight ratio, unlimited recyclables and has a far better environmental profile than many specifiers believe. Above all, it
offers architects the most elegant and satisfying design solutions.
For many contemporary designers there are simply no alternative to Aluminium – the form dictates the material and the material facilitates the
form. This fact alone will ensure the continued growth of Aluminium in construction.

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