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Aluminium Design and Construction John Dwight

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Preface<br />

<strong>Aluminium</strong> is easily the second most important structural metal, yet<br />

few designers seem to know much about it. Since the 1940s, as aluminium<br />

rapidly became more important, engineers have been slow to investigate<br />

what it has to offer <strong>and</strong> how to design with it. <strong>Aluminium</strong> is hardly<br />

mentioned in university courses. This book is a contribution to an<br />

educational process that still seems to be needed.<br />

The object of this book is to provide a conversion course for engineers<br />

already familiar with steel, In fact, structural aluminium, a strong ductile<br />

metal, has much similarity to steel <strong>and</strong> design procedures are not very<br />

different. Chapters 1–4 give general information about aluminium <strong>and</strong><br />

aluminium products, Chapter 4, with its coverage of the thorny subject<br />

of the alloys, being particularly important. The rest of the book (Chapters<br />

5–12) provides rules for making structural calculations <strong>and</strong> the reasoning<br />

that lies behind them. The treatment is mainly aimed at the construction<br />

industry.<br />

Weight saving is more important in aluminium than in steel, because<br />

of the higher metal cost. More accurate design calculations are therefore<br />

called for. Critical areas in aluminium include buckling, deflection, weld<br />

strength <strong>and</strong> fatigue. Other aspects which do not arise at all in steel are<br />

the use of extruded sections, heat-affected zone (HAZ) softening at<br />

welds <strong>and</strong> adhesive bonding. This book covers these fully.<br />

The aim had been to follow the design rules in British St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />

BS.8118 (Structural Use of <strong>Aluminium</strong>), one of the first codes to be<br />

written in limit state format, <strong>and</strong> much of the book in fact does this.<br />

However, there are some areas where the writer feels that the British<br />

St<strong>and</strong>ards approach is other than ideal, <strong>and</strong> for these the book provides<br />

alternative rules which are simpler, more correct or more economical.<br />

Such areas include limiting design stresses, HAZ softening, local buckling<br />

<strong>and</strong> asymmetric bending. A further feature is the inclusion of Chapter<br />

10, which explains how to obtain the section properties of complex<br />

extruded shapes, including torsional properties.<br />

At the time of writing (1998) a draft version has appeared of the new<br />

aluminium Eurocode (EC9), which will in time supersede the various<br />

national codes. This document is referred to in the book.<br />

Copyright 1999 by Taylor & Francis Group. All Rights Reserved.

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