Nowadays, architectural designs have moved towards the extensive use of curtain walls and façade systems that are capable of maximizing the benefits these can give to the building – whether this is energy efficiency or an increased visibility or fire resistance, the modern day skyscrapers, as well as the regular buildings, now all implement some form of these techniques. If you are planning to implement one of these options, you might be wondering what is the best material that you can use, as there are many options (to the point where even titanium is used today – though this is very expensive). Below are the advantages provided by aluminium, one of the most popular materials used for façade systems and curtain walling:
The Aluminium
Aluminium fabrication Brisbane can be seen in the form of many different products, the most proliferous of these being the popular soda cans people drink from daily. The reasons behind the increased use of aluminium largely lie in its cheapness, the ability to recycle and their increased malleability, which makes it an ideal material for most products. In terms of construction, however, the advantages of aluminium should be understood in a somewhat different context; some of these advantages are as follows:
- Cost effective – aluminium is one of the cheapest options in construction, which makes aluminium facades a very popular choice for most buildings nowadays. One of the main reasons behind its cheapness comes from the fact that it is easily recycled, without a loss in the quality of the metal once recycled.
- Efficiency – in addition, aluminium has a very important property of being a heat conductor, which makes it an ideal choice when there is a need to dissipate the heat within a building.
- Lightweight – aluminium weighs around one third the weight of steel, which means that it is one of the lightest construction materials. This allows it to reduce construction costs, as it does not add much to the overall weight of the building.
- Strength and resistance – despite its lightness, aluminium provides excellent strength and durability, being capable of lasting for several decades against weather elements and corrosion. The resistance to weather elements comes from the oxide coating it has, which prevents the metal coming into actual contact with air. Understand, however, that highly acidic environments can corrode this coating and allow aluminium to rust extremely quickly.
- Malleability – aluminium is also easily shaped or bent into the desired shape, making it an appropriate choice where such features are required.
- Maintenance – when it comes to maintenance, aluminium is one of the most easily maintained materials, because all it requires is a regular wash – using water and soap is enough to clean aluminium constructions.