ALUMINUM

Introduction

Section 2002 Materials

Key Points

Introduction

2001.1   Scope.   This chapter covers the requirements for the quality, design, fabrication, and erection of aluminum structures.

Section 2002 Materials

The IBC references two aluminum industry design standards: Aluminum Design Manual: Part 1—A Specification for Aluminum Structures (ADM1—2010) and Aluminum Sheet Metal Work in Building Construction, Fourth Edition (ASM 35—00). As with other structural materials (concrete, masonry, steel, and wood), the International Building Code® (IBC®) references industry standards rather than transcribing the provisions directly into the code. The advantage to this approach is that the referenced standards are readily updated by revising the year in Chapter 35, Referenced Standards, thereby keeping the code current with the latest available industry standards.

2002.1   General.   The 2015 IBC references the 2015 edition of the Aluminum Design Manual, Part 1 of which is the Specification for Aluminum Structures. The 2010 edition of ADM1, which was referenced in the 2012 IBC, was the first unified allowable strength design, and load and resistance factor design aluminum standard. ADM1 has design provisions for aluminum structural members and connections and provides minimum strengths for wrought, cast, and welded aluminum products.

The manual includes a commentary that discusses the provisions in the Specification along with useful references. The included design guide addresses structural design issues not included in the Specification, including diaphragms, adhesive bonded joints, aluminum composite material, extrusion design, corrosion prevention, fire protection, sustainability, and design references for aluminum structural components. Material properties include alloy and temper designation systems for wrought and cast aluminum alloys; comparative characteristics of wrought alloys; foreign alloy designations correlated with U.S. alloy designations; and typical mechanical and physical properties, including thermal expansion, electrical conductivity, and density (all in U.S. and SI units). Dimensions and section properties for aluminum channels, I-beams, angles, tees, zees, square and rectangular tube, round tube, pipe, and roofing and siding, as well as sheet metal and wire gauges are provided. Design aids provide buckling constants, allowable stress tables for various alloys, allowable load tables for channels and I-beams, in bending, tread plate, roofing and siding; fastener strengths, minimum bend radii for aluminum sheet and plate, wire, and rod, design stresses for groove and fillet welds, and beam formulas. Illustrative design examples are provided that include structural design calculation examples based on the ADM1 Specification.

The 2010 Specification included new or revised provisions addressing safety and resistance factors, design for stability and combined stresses, adding 6005A-T61 and 6082-T6, a glossary, shear yield strengths, shear strength of tubes, screw pull-over, screw slot pull-out strength, serviceability, evaluating existing structures, axial compressive strength of complex cross sections, fatigue strength of light pole bases, members subject to torsion, local buckling strength of welded elements, design for fire conditions, and design of braces.

The Aluminum Design Manual is available in printed book form, as a CD-ROM, or as a downloadable PDF file from the Aluminum Association at www.aluminum.org/.

The nominal loads used to design aluminum structures are as required by Chapter 16, which references ASCE 7 for many loads, most notably environmental loads.