8/10/2023

Week 9

Aluminium

Aluminium
Aluminium is extracted from Aluminium Oxide or
Alumina
Bauxite deposits contain alumina and Australia has
the largest mine production of bauxite in the world
Aluminium as a metal is weak. So in structural
usage, we really mean aluminium alloys.
Aluminium alloys are either wrought or casting
alloys. For our purpose in the design of curtain wall
frames, wrought is more important for structural
purposes

Wrought Aluminium Alloys

Aluminium alloys are designated by four figures.
Alloy series denoted (a) are non heat treatable.
Students are encouraged to research the effect of
welding on aluminium
Alloy Major Alloying Element
series
1000 (a) Aluminium Content 99% or more
2000 Copper
3000 (a) Manganese
4000 (a) Silicon
5000 (a) Magnesium
6000 Magnesium and silicon
7000 Zinc
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Heat Treatment
Heat treatment to aluminium alloys is
designed to increase the strength of the alloys
Heat treatable alloys can undergo heat
treatment to have the following tempers T1 to
T9

Interesting properties
A few interesting properties with Aluminium is;
• Lightweight – Aluminium is about one third the
weight of steel
• Aluminium has a high strength to weight ratio
• Corrosion resistance – surface is aluminium oxide
which is highly resistant to corrosion
• Ease of fabrication
• Desirable physical properties ie non magnetic, non
toxic
• Ease of designing alloys for application

Aluminium Design is carried out using the

Aluminium codes AS1664.1 or AS1664.2.

AS 1664.1 is a limit states code whereas AS1664.2 is

based on allowable stress design.

The designer must be careful about the using the

loads, especially the wind loads.

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So where do we start with the design?

Firstly we need to calculate the stresses resulting

from the loads. This is described in (A) which is the
next slide.
Next we have to calculate the capacity of the system.
See (B).
The results of (A) will be compared with the
capacity of the system in (B).

A) Actual Loads and Load Conditions

1. Assess Loads – Wind, Dead Loads, Maintenance Loads.
2. Determine support system. This may be a system which
is simply supported or a continuous supported system.
3. Determine the load path to the individual framing
elements in the support system and contributing width
4. Determine forces, moments, stresses and deflections.
You need to consider these computations with accepted
methods of elastic structural analysis and structural
design

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B) Strength Limit States

1. Using AS 1664.1 to determine ultimate load capacity.
Calculate section properties:
Cross sectional area, Section modulus, Radius of
gyration, Torsional constants
2. Compute
• Strength limit states ie strength required to resist buckling
loads to avoid yielding, fracture and buckling (includes
local and lateral torsional buckling).
• Serviceability Limit States ie ability to perform the
intended functions under normal service conditions
avoiding excessive deflections or the appearance of
buckling

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Determining the load capacity of a

section
In order to determine the capacity of a certain
section, students must refer to the aluminium code.
For this exercise, we will consider AS1664.1 which
is the aluminium limit states code.
Firstly, we need to determine the properties of the
aluminium alloy and temper. The next 3 slides
shows table 3.3A. Note that for facades, framing
members are normally extruded from 6 series alloys.
The 2 slides after is from section 3 which provides
an explanation of the variables used in this code

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Now that the alloy type is decided, the designer will

have to determine the properties of the frame
member. The frame member may be a hollow
extrusion of any shape.
But for curtain walls, the mullions comprise male
and female sections as discussed in an earlier lecture.
See the next slide which shows a typical mullion.
The male and female sections have different
stiffnesses but when mated they form the mullion.
Because the male and female sections of the mullion
have different stiffnesses, they will attract different
loads.

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Mullion
Male mullion

Female mullion

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Next steps
The next step is to calculate the buckling constants.
So for example if we want to calculate the capacity
of a mullion section under wind load, the mullion is
therefore considered a beam and we need to
calculate the compressive stress in the mullion due to
wind.
Students may ask….why compressive stress? The
reason is the flange under compression is subject to
lateral buckling.
So if the temper is T5, the buckling constant
formulae should be as highlighted in table 3.3D

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Also need to pick the correct safety

factor as shown in table below

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Calculate the limit state stresses

The next step is to calculate the capacity of the

member. Table 3.4C (next 3 slides) are various
formulae than can be used.
Designers will have to pick the correct formula to
use.

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If you want to check the capacity of a beam, you can use

these formulae

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For further explanation of the formula, designers can

refer to the respective section – See the next two
slides

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Aluminium sections
Any aluminium section can be designed using AS
1664. These sections may be subjected to
compression or tension as a column or beam. By
selecting the right formula from table 3.4C,
designers can calculate the capacity of the section.
For this course, we shall concentrate on how to
calculate the capacity of mullion sections when
subjected to wind loads.
The next two slides show some standard curtain wall
sections.

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Sample calculations
The following is a sample calculation of a mullion. Note that the
following simplifications have been adopted:
1. The mullion is assumed to be simply supported. This is seldom the
case in most curtain walls, an analysis of the moments resulting from wind
will require the use of analysis programs like Microstran.

Stack joint acts as a hinge

Stack joints

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The contributing width in the example is rectangular. However in many

cases it is trapezoidal. So let us assume that we have a panel bounded by
mullions and has a horizontal transom.

Stack joint

Mullion
Mullion

Horizontal transom

The distribution of wind load will be as above. Trapezoidal load and a

point load from the transom on the mullion
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