Building and construction industry

As the building material for the modern age, aluminium has an almost unlimited range of applications: from façades, doors and windows, roof and wall systems, bridge and support structures through to interior decoration and the design of living space. Aluminium is fascinatingly versatile and individually adaptable while still maintaining a high user value. Photo: PREFA / Croce & wir Fotostudio

On the safe side

Over 500,000 tonnes of aluminium are used in building projects every year in Germany and for good reasons: whether it be from the point of view of the owner or the architect, aluminium fulfils the highest possible demands with respect to function, design and cost economy.

Aluminium is light and at the same time offers maximum stability.
One can build functionally and economically with aluminium.
The metal allows rectilinear and organic designs.
Aluminium is ecologically expedient and can be used sustainably.

One is on the safe side with aluminium. This is because a benefit of aluminium is that it does not burn and does not form toxic gases or vapours. It has a melting point of 660 degrees Celsius, a temperature that is considerably higher than that of many other building materials, and thus offers optimal fire protection. In addition, aluminium windows and doors offer optimal burglary protection because of the stable profiles used.

The façade of the Taipeh 101 covers 120,000 square metres

Lightweight construction with the highest stability

Aluminium is very light but at the same time very strong. This saves energy, makes it easier to process the metal and makes it possible to use an open-plan approach to produce a greater sense of space, a greater feeling of being alive and exciting, top architectural achievements. The world’s current tallest skyscraper, the 508-metre high Taipei 101, with its aluminium façade is thus capable of withstanding winds of over 200 kilometres an hour as well as seismic shocks measuring up to 5 on the Richter scale. Aluminium is also being used increasingly for very special solutions: such as bridge building and flood protection.

Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

Inspirational and aesthetic

The most exciting buildings in the world use aluminum. Whether the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Allianz Arena in Munich, the Sony Center at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin with its aluminum glass facade, the air shard at the entrance of the Imperial War Museum in Manchester which rises into the sky from the roof of the museum like a gigantic broken piece of sharp metal or the Scandinavian Center in Aarhus and its fascinating glass roof. Aluminum can handle any style—whether straight or organic. Image: Elbphilharmonie/Michael Zapf

Building functionally and economically

Heat and sound insulation can be implemented ideally using aluminium. Aluminium façades, windows and doors create pleasant ambient conditions in summer and are reliable when it comes to keeping out the cold in the winter months.

Erection times can also be reduced significantly because the aluminium elements are prefabricated to a large degree at the plant and it is possible to transport larger components because they are lighter. Erection times at the building site are thus reduced considerably.

Just as skin protects the body, so aluminium façades and roofs protect buildings against external environmental influences. Aluminium is characterised by very good corrosion resistance when exposed to the elements and can be used without any additional surface protection. This means aluminium offers a simple means of ensuring durability and low maintenance for decades. The surfaces can also be treated and decoratively finished using different processes.

Aluminium encyclopaedia

Building construction

The construction of residential, office, administrative and industrial buildings is one of the most important areas of application of aluminium - from façades and roofing to conservatories and including windows and supporting structures.

Corrosion resistance

Thanks to a thin oxide layer that is always present, aluminium is protected against corrosive attack by oxygen, water and many chemicals. The protection can be improved in a controlled manner by alloying or surface treatment.

Civil engineering

The skeletons of buildings and supporting structures are usually made out of steel or, where corrosion resistance and low weight are important, high-strength aluminium alloys.

Ecologically expedient and sustainable

Aluminium can contribute significantly to improved energy efficiency. Such as with an additional layer of glazing positioned in front of an inner, thermally insulated façade. This enables the energy requirement to be reduced substantially compared with conventional buildings. Aluminium is increasingly being used for the frames and support structures of solar cells and panels because of its low specific weight. Numerous suppliers of solar systems now use the light metal exclusively. Aluminium façade elements are also in demand when solar units have to be integrated into buildings. Aluminium lasts for generations. And even when aluminium parts are dismantled, the material can be recycled without loss in a resource-conserving manner and then used again in a new application. In this way aluminium contributes to more sustainability in building and modernisation.

Interesting fact

Building with ‘silver from clay’ began as long ago as the end of the 19th century, namely in 1897. The architect Lorenzo de Rossi, who was then working on San Gioacchino’s church in Rome, used aluminium sheet for the dome. De Rossi was convinced that the new material would last forever, and he has been proven right so far. The dome still does not show any signs of leaks or any form of material deterioration.

Impressions

Over 500,000 tonnes of aluminium are used in building projects every year in Germany and for good reasons: whether it be from the point of view of the owner or the architect, aluminium fulfils the highest possible demands with respect to function, design and cost economy.

Mobility

Masterly aeronautical achievement

Aluminium alloys account for about 65 per cent of the Airbus A380. The resultant weight saving means less fuel is consumed and greater ranges are possible. This leads to considerable savings in time and fuel-consuming intermediate stops.

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Packaging

Ecological responsibility

Aluminium packaging is a recyclable material par excellence and can be recycled after use without loss, thereby conserving resources, and then used again for a new application.

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Electrical engineering

Energy for rail transport

Aluminium’s conductivity, which is three and a half times greater than that of conventional systems for conducting electricity, coupled with extremely high abrasion resistance is the basis for a particularly reliable supply of electricity to underground and suburban railways. It only requires a strip of stainless steel a few millimetres thick.

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