Why Aluminium Is The Right Choice For Greenbuilding

Aluminium is a soft and ductile metallic substance used in building and construction. It is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust and it is relatively easy to mine. In this era of clean and green building materials, aluminium is a great choice because it is friendly to the environment. Some of the reasons for the popularity of this metal are durability, flexibility, economy and efficiency. Experts in the building industry love this metal because of the reasons below.

The Properties Of Aluminium

Aluminium, a chemical element in the Boron group, is the third most abundant element on the earth and the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. It is a strong, easily malleable metal element with a low density (meaning it is lightweight), is resistant to corrosion and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. As a result of these properties it is used extensively as a structural material in buildings, aircraft and other lightweight vehicles as well as other applications that take advantage of its heat and electricity conductivity. Following are some of the main properties of aluminium and the advantages they provide.

Weight and Strength

Aluminium is about one third the density of steel, and thus much lighter, while still having high tensile strength. Aluminium is typically alloyed with other metals (in the range of a few percent to weight) to improve its mechanical properties. Typical alloying agents are zinc, magnesium and silicon. One of the primary advantages of aluminium is that it does not become brittle at low temperatures, in fact its strength increases. At high temperatures (over 100 degrees Celsius), however, aluminium becomes significantly weaker.

Aluminium is best known for its weight to strength ratio. While it is not the strongest metal, its low weight means that is provides fuel efficiency in boats and cars and is invaluable in planes since they are extremely sensitive to the weight/energy ratio required to achieve flight. The metal also has the ability to absorb almost three times as much energy as steel when force is applied before being permanently damaged.

Malleability and Workability

Aluminium is the second most malleable and sixth most ductile of metals. It has these properties because of its isotropic polycrystalline structure; that is, the crystals that form it line up and interlock in all directions. Because of this it is easily machined, cast, drawn and extruded. Aluminium can be easily worked using standard machining methods such as milling, cutting, drilling, bending and so on.

Malleability refers to the ability of the metal to be deformed when compressed without cracking or breaking while ductility means that it can be deformed without fracturing under tensile forces.

Because of these properties, it can be machined or extruded in a wide variety of ways without using a great deal of energy and enables the easy production of strips and foils, as well as other specialized shapes and forms, for a wide range of applications.

Corrosion Resistance

One of the most advantageous properties of aluminium is that it is extremely resistant to corrosion. While it is highly reactive, it naturally forms a thin oxide layer on its surface that prevents further oxidization of the metal itself. This oxide is impermeable and adheres strongly to the aluminium's surface and is highly dense. In addition, when damaged it repairs itself quickly to form an unbroken surface once more. It can also be anodised which increases the thickness of the oxide layer to provide additional protection against corrosion.

Because of this, buildings constructed from aluminium are almost maintenance free if care is taken to isolate the points where the metal comes into contact with other metals that may hasten the corrosion process.

Conductivity, Reflectivity and Electro Magnetic Properties

Aluminium is a good thermal and electrical conductor (it has about 60% of the conductivity of copper while having 30% of copper's density). Because of this it is often used for the transmission of electricity in high voltage power lines. In fact it is almost exclusively used for large scale power distribution for overhead transmission lines and busbars. Its thermal conductivity means that it is often used as a heat sink to dissipate heat (for example, from computer CPUs). It has also found applications in cookware because of this (and the fact that it is inert and poses no health risks).

It is also a good reflector of visible light, particularly when it is polished to a high sheen. It has a reflectivity of 71% unpolished and 97% when polished. As a result it has been argued that it is the most reflective material known and is used extensively in the production of light fittings for this reason.

Aluminium has the property of screening electromagnetic radiation and tightly sealed structures made from the metal can exclude this radiation almost completely. It is also a non-magnetic metal and can be used to protect against magnet-based x-ray devices.

Recycling

Aluminium is easily recyclable and is highly economic. It is theoretically possible to achieve 100% reclamation with no loss in properties of the metal. It has been calculated that recycling involves an energy cost of only 5% of that required to produce the same quantity of the metal from its ore. The best example of this is in drink and food cans which are made from up to 50% of recycled aluminium in Europe and the US. For more information click here

The Advantages Of Aluminium Sliding Doors

Aluminium sliding doors gained in popularity during the latter part of the twentieth century. Due to today's technology, these doors are suitable for any building. Let us discuss the numerous advantages of using these doors on your buildings.

Advantages of Aluminium Doors

The following are just some of the advantages in using these doors for your buildings: 

• Strength -- they are difficult to bend and dent; they are lightweight and durable
• Weatherproof -- these doors are weather-resistant and are less likely to rot or warp due to rain, humidity and snow
• Easy to maintain; do not require painting because the colour is powder coated on to the metal
• Lightweight
• Non-magnetic
• Easily recyclable
• Readily available resource
• Available in several different shapes and forms
• Increased level of security
• Available in virtually any colour and do not require painting
• Lasts up to 50 years before needing replacement
• Increase the integrity of the structure and meet the highest standards for water and air infiltration
• Helps optimize your homes energy efficiency 

Why Use Aluminium?

Along with the many benefits mentioned above, you may be interested in knowing that this is a recyclable and sustainable material. It is environmentally friendly and has a low impact on the environment. This material is the building industry's choice of materials for now and for the future.

It is recyclable, versatile and sustainable. These are the three important characteristics for any material used to construct an environmentally friendly building. It is one of the most important materials in any successful recycling program. It offers a high scrap value, widespread industry support and consumer acceptance.

Aluminium sliding doors can be made from recycled building materials which in turn save in the total energy used for the production of this material. Other advantages in using recycled aluminium to make doors include the following:

• Reduces pollution emissions
• Recycling reduces the use of energy; it takes only five percent of the energy needed to make doors from raw aluminium
• Sustainable building material -- it is one of the most abundant elements in the earth's crust

Cons to using Aluminium

No list would be complete without the mention of the disadvantages of using this product. There are only a few worth mentioning. For one, other materials, such as PVC are not as expensive to use. Although aluminium costs more, PVC is not as strong or resistant to weather or extreme temperatures. PVC will not last for up to 50 years the way this building material will.

PVC is more flexible and easier to work with. However, this flexibility causes PVC to wear quicker. It is not resistant to natural disasters or fire the way that aluminium is. PVC wears out over the years and will fade from sun exposure.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons to use aluminium sliding doors. The benefits include the fact that aluminium is an Eco-friendly building material. These doors will last for several years and offer benefits above and beyond the use of PVC and wood. These types of doors provide timeless beauty that is long lasting and will compliment your building perfectly. For more information click here

Go About Replacing Old Windows With Aluminium Windows

Aluminium windows are becoming increasingly popular for their durability, weather resistance, and environmental benefits, as well as for the way they improve the appearance of the home. Replacing your old windows with new installations of this material is not difficult, provided adequate safety measures are taken, and provided you have at least a basic knowledge of building and carpentry. However, before you can install your new windows, you first have to remove your old ones, and if this is not done properly, your installation will not be a success. 

Removing Old Windows

For removing your old windows, you need a reciprocating saw, a hammer, a wrecking bar and a knife. This task can be quite dangerous -- you should have at least two people on the job, and always wear gloves and eye protection. If your old windows have wooden frames, the easiest way to remove them is to pull the trim away from the outside of the window, and then go inside the house to take the glass panes out from the inside. Using your wrecking bar, you can prise away the window stops. Window stops are the strips of moulding that keep the panes in place. If the moulding has been painted over a few times, you may have to run the knife down it to free it more easily. For a sash window, first loosen the window stop from one side of the lower pane, and you should then be able to slide the pane out, followed by the upper pane. 

Do I Need Planning Permission Before The Doors Can Be Fitted

Home renovations, reconstructions and refurbishments can be exciting. They can also be nerve-wracking. When it comes to replacing doors, especially, many of us are concerned that we will need to navigate through a sea of confusing paperwork before we can even get started. Planning permission is probably one of the most frustrating concepts to any person hoping to achieve any home improvements at all. So this begs the question: If I want to install door, do I need to seek approval from the local building regulations authority?

Unfortunately, we live in a world where building regulations dictate our every move. If you plan to make any alterations to the existing structure of a building, you need to submit your plans for approval. The whole process is frustrating, to be sure, but it could save your skin further down the line. If, for example, you want to sell your house a few years down the line and the buyer asks to see the building plans, any unmarked changes could get you into trouble. It certainly seems unreasonable to have to ask for permission to move your front door, but in this case rules are not meant to be broken.