Aluminum and its unique properties for bridge and footbridge construction
Lightweight, durable and versatile, aluminum offers a unique blend of properties. Numerous aluminum alloys have been perfected for use in a wide range of applications. Its exceptional characteristics have made it one of the key resources in modern construction.
Aluminum has a very high resistance-to-weight ratio. While providing the same resistance, an aluminum structure can weigh up to fifty per cent less than a steel structure. Aluminum is fireproof, non-magnetic and corrosion resistant. Naturally generating a protective oxide layer, it does not require any particular maintenance.
Its characteristics give it an exceptional lifespan of more than fifty years. After dozens of years of use, aluminum structures remain in optimal condition, suffering no damage from exterior elements.
Aluminum is often a more cost-effective solution than other competing metals. This is all the more true when speaking in terms of the total cost of ownership (TCO). The TCO takes into account the total lifespan of the construction, including transport, installation, servicing, use and disposal of an aluminum structure.
The construction sectors centering on residential, office and industrial buildings use aluminum for their structures, façades, joinery and roofing. Specific alloys provide excellent technical performance even in the most extreme conditions.
As a permanent material, aluminum is one hundred per cent endlessly recyclable, without experiencing any physical-chemical degradation to its properties. Recycling aluminum only requires five per cent of the energy first needed to produce it. Around seventy-five per cent of aluminum produced since 1880 is still in use today after being repurposed.
Aluminum is a non-toxic material that requires no chemical treatment (painting or coating) even if it is used in a demanding environment.