Aluminum Surfaces: A Guide to Alloys, Finishes, Fabrication and Maintenance in Architecture and Art

by L. William Zahner

Overview

A full-color guide for architects and design professionals to the selection and application of aluminum

Aluminum Surfaces, second in William Zahner's Architectural Metals Series, provides a comprehensive and authoritative treatment of aluminum applications in architecture and art. It offers architecture and design professionals the information they need to ensure proper maintenance and fabrication techniques through detailed information and full color images. It covers everything from the history of the metal and choosing the right alloy, to detailed information on a variety of surface and chemical finishes and corrosion resistance. The book also features case studies offering architecture and design professionals strategies for designing and executing successful projects using aluminum. 

Aluminum Surfaces is filled with illustrative case studies that offer strategies for designing and executing successful projects using aluminum. All the books in Zahner’s Architectural Metals Series offer in-depth coverage of today’s most commonly used metals in architecture and art. This important book:

• Contains a comprehensive guide to the use and maintenance of aluminum surfaces in architecture and art
• Features full-color images of a variety of aluminum finishes, colors, textures, and forms
• Includes case studies with performance data that feature strategies on how to design and execute successful projects using aluminum
• Offers methods to address corrosion, before and after it occurs
• Discusses the environmental impact of aluminum from the creation process through application
• Explains the significance of the different alloys and the forms available to the designer
• Discusses expectations when using aluminum in various exposures

For architecture professionals, metal fabricators, developers, architecture students and instructors, designers, and artists working with metals, Aluminum Surfaces offers a logical framework for the selection and application of aluminum in all aspects of architecture. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781119541752
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Series:	Architectural Metals Series
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	109 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

L. WILLIAM ZAHNER, is President and CEO of A. Zahner Company, Inc. and Zahner Metal Conservation, is an internationally recognized expert on the design and use of architectural metals. He is the author of two books on architectural metals, Architectural Metal Surfaces and Architectural Metals: A Guide to Selection, Specification, and Performance, both from Wiley.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Introduction to Aluminum (Aluminium) 1

Introduction 1

Aluminum as a Design Material 7

Environmental and Hygienic 9

History of the Metal 14

The Origins of Modern Production 16

Aluminum in Art 22

Production Process Today 25

Aluminum versus Aluminium 29

Comparisons Between Architectural Metals 30

Chapter 2 Aluminum Alloys 33

Choosing the Correct Alloy 35

The Initial Mill Casting 35

Commercial Pure Aluminum Alloy A91xxx 38

Alloy Designation System 39

Chapter 3 Surface Finishing 95

The Mill Finish Surface 96

Directional Finishes 102

Non-Directional Finishes 102

Mirror Finish 104

Bright Dipping and Electropolishing 109

Electropolishing Aluminum 111

Anodizing 111

History of Anodizing 115

Anodizing Process 116

The Anodized Surface Layer 119

Variations in the Anodized Coating 126

Anodizing Quality 126

Defects That Can Appear After Anodizing 127

Effects of Lubricants 127

Structural Streaks 128

Managing Expectations of the Anodized Surface 128

Coloring by Means of Anodizing 130

Design Considerations 144

Chapter 4 The Aluminum Surface Finish: Meeting Expectations 161

The Natural Finish 162

The Anodic Finish 167

The Point of Range Samples 171

Color 173

Flatness 178

Cleaning the Surface Over Time 182

Chapter 5 Designing with the Available Forms of Aluminum 187

Basic Forms of Aluminum 189

It Begins at the Aluminum Mill: The Heat 190

Sheet and Plate 190

Supply Constraints 191

Plate 193

Coil and Sheet 197

Foil 200

Clad Aluminum: Alclad 202

Extrusion 203

Extrusion Process 207

Designing the Shape 208

Cross-Section Design Criteria 208

Extrusion Dies 211

Aluminum Pipe and Tube 213

Aluminum Rod and Bar 215

Aluminum Structural Shapes: Angles, Channels, Tees, and I-Beam Shapes 215

Aluminum Wire 219

Aluminum Wire Mesh 219

Aluminum Expanded Metal 220

Perforated Aluminum and Embossed Aluminum 222

Cast Forms 224

Sand Casting 227

Permanent Mold Casting 228

Die Casting 228

Aluminum Foam 229

Chapter 6 Fabrication 231

Challenges with Aluminum Fabrication 233

Handling and Storage 235

Forming 254

Fastening 269

Soldering and Brazing 271

Welding 272

Casting 279

Rapid Prototype 283

Chapter 7 Corrosion Characteristics 285

Natural Weathering: Influences on Performance 287

Marine Environment 289

Urban Environment in the South 290

Urban Environment in the North 291

Rural Environment 292

Corrosion of Aluminum Surfaces 293

Water Staining 310

Fingerprinting 311

Expectations of Various Environmental Exposures 311

Cleaning 313

Protective Measures 314

Paint Coatings 315

Storage and Handling 322

Chapter 8 Coping with the Unexpected 325

Introduction 325

The Principal of Life Cycle 326

Mill Constraints 327

Potential Issues with Sheet and Plate 329

Dents and Scratches in Anodized and Painted Aluminum 332

Graffiti 333

Flatness 334

Stiffener Show-through 339

Issues Encountered with Casting Aluminum 340

Issues Encountered with Aluminum Extrusions 341

Crazing of the Surface 344

Causes of Tonal Differences 347

Range Samples 348

Welding of Anodized Assemblies 350

Spalling 351

Water Stains 351

Inclusions Visible After Polishing Plate 352

Appendix A Valuable Information and Specifications for Aluminum in Art and Architecture 353

Appendix B Tempers on Wrought Sheet, Extrusion, and Plate for Alloys Considered for Use in Art and Architecture 355

Appendix C European Specifications Relevant to Art and Architecture 357

Appendix D Alloy Designations for Wrought Aluminum Alloys Used in Art and Architecture 361

Further Reading 363

Index 365