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Why is Aluminium Key to Sustainable Construction?


With the demand for eco-friendly materials on the rise, aluminium with its sustainable properties has become the go-to material in construction. It can be used in bridges, transportation systems, buildings, and almost anything with the word construction in it.

But why is that? What makes aluminium so unique?

For starters, 90% of all aluminium used in construction is recycled and 95% less energy is used to recycle it when compared to its primary extraction methods. It also has exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and superior thermal properties making it an ideal choice for sustainable construction.

Why is Aluminium Sustainable?

Several qualities make aluminium an eco-friendly construction material. For instance, it can be recycled without any loss in quality, requiring 95% less energy than primary production, which substantially reduces carbon emissions compared to iron and other metals.

What also adds to its sustainability are its properties such as durability and ease of use which makes it suitable for almost all construction activities, from buildings to bridges.

Properties That Make Aluminium Sustainable

Wide Choice Of Alloys

Aluminium is a soft metal and is often alloyed with copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, etc. This provides it with the desired physical and mechanical properties to withstand strong loads and makes it suitable for different construction applications.

The alloy mix can be further varied to enhance different properties that make it more viable for unique applications and support various shapes.

Design Flexibility

Flexibility in construction design is critical and aluminium through the extrusion process offers an almost infinite range of forms and sections. This helps to integrate multiple functions within the same profile and also makes it easy to saw, drill, rivet, and screw.

Aluminium composite panels can be manufactured flat, curved, shaped into cassettes, or sandwiched with other materials.

Long Service Life & Low Maintenance

For a construction material to be eco-friendly and sustainable, it has to have a long service life and be immune to harmful UV rays, therefore ensuring optimal performance.

Aluminium alloys are composed in such a way that they are weatherproof, corrosion resistant, and also need minimum maintenance. Apart from enhancing the aesthetic appeal, aluminium does not require any paint or any other form of heavy upkeep.

Multiple Surface Finishes

Aluminium surfaces can be painted, anodized, or powder coated in any colour without compromising its durability and an easy-to-clean surface. You can get it in multiple finishes making it suitable for residential, commercial, or industrial applications.

High Strength-to-Weight Ratio

Aluminium alloys have a high strength-to-weight ratio, which can meet many desired performance specifications while minimizing the dead load on the building’s supporting structure.

This is a major advantage, especially in cladding and roofing applications. Because of its high strength, aluminium windows, doors, and curtain wall frames can be very narrow, thus maximizing the glazed surface and solar gains for home or office buildings.

Fire Safety

Aluminium, as a metal is a fire-resistant material, and therefore has been classified as a non-combustible construction material (European Fire Class A1).

However, aluminium alloys do melt at around 650°C but do not release any harmful gasses. For this reason, external walls are increasingly being made of thin aluminium cladding panels.

A recent study of the alloys used in making aluminium panels indicates that their surface treatments eg. coating or anodizing, as well as other materials used, are all neutral emitting zero harmful gasses.

Heat Conductivity

Aluminium’s heat conduction is a major advantage when it comes to heat exchangers used in energy-efficient ventilation systems or solar thermal heat collectors.

However, it can be a disadvantage in windows and facades. This drawback can be overcome by using appropriate profiles and thermal breaks made from low-conductivity material.

Final Thoughts

Aluminium is one of the most versatile and eco-friendly material available for construction, and in the future, we will only see more of it being used in the construction industry. It has excellent recycling capabilities, with no loss in the quality of recycled material produced.

Additionally, its physical and mechanical properties such as high strength to weight ratio, corrosion-free nature, and fireproofing makes it an ideal material to be used in buildings, bridges, window panels, and other construction applications.


Metal Supermarkets

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Metal Supermarkets is the world’s largest small-quantity metal supplier with 125 brick-and-mortar stores across the US, Canada, and United Kingdom. We are metal experts and have been providing quality customer service and products since 1985.

At Metal Supermarkets, we supply a wide range of metals for a variety of applications. Our stock includes: mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, tool steel, engineering steel, brass, bronze and copper.

We carry a wide range of shapes including: bars, tubes, sheets and plates. We can cut metal to your exact specifications.

Visit one of our 8 locations in the United Kingdom today.

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