Complete Solution for Aluminium Windows & Doors

What are the benefits of Aluminium in Fenestration

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STRENGTH & DURABILITY

 

• Aluminum has been described as revolutionizing the airline industry, it can also be said that of the building envelope design industry.

• Aluminum has one of the highest strength to weight ratios of all materials used in industry. In its original state, aluminum is an inorganic, homogeneous material.

• Aluminum is more than 7 time more rigid than wood and more than 23 times more rigid than vinyl.

• Aluminum is an extremely stable construction material. It is immune to any climatic effects that it is subjected to. Organic materials, such as wood, require impregnation and coating to resist degradation.

• Wood and wood composites can be twisted or warped and change dimensions under stress and inclement climatic conditions. Vinyl, (PVC, Poly Vinyl Chloride), is a blend of chemicals that require plasticizers, coloring agents and lubricants. This can make it prone to change, (expansion and contraction with the elements), and deterioration over time.

• PVC expands and contracts 2.6 times more than aluminum. In contrast to these materials, aluminum is inorganic and one of the most stable construction materials available.

• It does not absorb moisture or support mold growth, it does not swell, shrink, split crack or rust.

• Climate and temperature extremes have no effect on aluminum. Other materials are prone to rot, become brittle or soft, and will change in shape and design with weather and time. Aluminum maintains its extruded form and rigidity so as not to allow for frame deformation due to climate and building movement or weathering over time.

• Windows and doors remain operable and reliable throughout the life of the building.

 

DESIGN, PRODUCTION & PROTECTION

 

• Architects and specifiers are more often being asked to duplicate or replicate historical designs, or designs that are unique and somewhat a departure from the everyday door and window design. Aluminum offers unlimited possibilities in design.

• It can be extruded in any shape specified and is limited only by the imagination of the designer.

• Aluminum, being extremely strong and malleable can be extruded into any shape and form.

• A simple die alteration is all that is needed to allow the designer freedom in putting the architects’ vision into reality. Window shapes can be extruded to duplicate any previous design and new idea, including narrow sight lines, large openings; that do not require any special reinforcements or unsightly structural supports.

• Aluminum is able to support large lites that allow the architect to bring the outdoors in, and offer dramatic views from both interior and exterior motifs.

• Large glazed openings allow the architect to utilize natural lighting for occupancy comfort and energy savings.

 

• The structural characteristics of aluminum make it the only material feasible to meet and exceed new building codes requiring safety and security.

• Today’s building codes now require that windows and doors be able to offer blast, hurricane and intrusion protection for the occupants. Aluminum by its very nature has the impact and deflection capabilities to withstand these rigorous tests and still offer beauty and comfort for the occupants.

• Security features of a material like aluminum are inherent. Along with the ability of the product to withstand natural forces, it also has the ability to offer the occupant security from forced entry, that other materials have difficulty offering. Even over time, it simply does not deteriorate or change shape to allow easy access of intrusion.

• Aluminum is one of the few construction materials able to withstand heat and fire for longer periods of time. It does not sustain fire or emit deadly gases during combustion.

 

FIT, FINISH & MAINTAINENCE

 

• Color can add many attractive accents to buildings and homes that make it unique and appealing. Because of its “locked” together molecules and its homogeneous state, aluminum cannot absorb moisture or promote growth of any kind on its surface. Thus it provides an ideal finish base for an unlimited variety of finish applications.

• Any finish applied becomes permanent in comparison to other construction materials finishes. This is most difficult to state with wood, and although slightly more permanent for PVC or other composite materials, climatic conditions and ultraviolet rays can phase alter surfaces impregnated with colors.

• With aluminum as the application base, almost any finish can be securely and permanently applied, with UV protection inherent in the finish. The variability of paints and anodic finishes to aluminum allow the specifier to depict any color or color combination that the imagination can dream.

• The array of finishes also allows the building to be finished in a product exactly suited for the environment it must withstand.

• The many varied paint application techniques and anodic type of finishes offer 20 plus year warranties on fading or chalking of the finish regardless of the environment. Thus, maintenance is eliminated.

• The fit and finish of the fenestration product remains as new over the life of the building.

 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

 

• In the beginning of this paper, we mentioned that the initial production of aluminum consumes a high amount of energy. However, there are many aspects of energy efficiency that one must look at when deciding a construction material of choice. Today, more than ever, energy conservation, green house gas emission, green building techniques and cradle to cradle construction, are important considerations for the architectural community when specifying materials.

 

• One of the most important aspects of energy efficient products is recycling. It is the most important component of cradle-to-cradle construction and energy conservation.

 

Aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in use today. When aluminum is recycled and reproduced, it returns to its original state with all properties as originally produced, in tact.

 

• About 65 percent of America’s aluminum is being recycled today, and this number grows daily. Producing aluminum from recycled components requires less than five percent of the energy originally used to produce the product from bauxite ore. This fact alone reduces the energy impact on the overall production and use of aluminum to be one of the most energy efficient products that can be utilized in construction.

 

• With utilizing only a fraction of its original energy requirements for re-production, aluminum far exceeds all other products in energy efficiency. The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) provides tools—either through uniform guidelines for independent testing or computer simulations— enabling manufacturers to quickly judge the efficiency of their materials within their products lines.

 

• Aluminum is a highly conductive material meaning it will rapidly transfer exterior climatic temperatures through itself unless something is done to prevent energy loss. This is the single and only drawback of aluminum and we will demonstrate, it is simply a misconception. 

 

PREVENTING ENERGY LOSS

 

• Windows lose heat through several avenues including glazing, conduction through frames and especially with air infiltration through componetry and around the frame.

• Beginning with the frame, today’s thermal barrier products allow for the separation of the frame to which a non-conductive material is installed that stops the transfer of temperatures into and out of the building. This insulating thermal barrier material allows the aluminum frame to be as energy efficient as competing framing material without compromising the structural benefits of the frame.

• Thermal barriers are not all identical; the use of a thermal barrier requires the aluminum to become a composite. It is important that the proper thermal barrier product is utilized.

• The composite aluminum profile should retain over 95 percent of its original structural capabilities to maintain its superior structural performance. The proper thermal barrier will allow it to far exceed other materials and maintain its ability to withstand blast and hurricane conditions. From there, today’s effective materials for glass, glazing, weather stripping all allow the aluminum window and door to meet all of the thermal and energy efficiency challenges in the market.

• It is important to note the thermal performance of all framing materials is quite similar at the time of installation. A requirement of energy consumption with windows and doors is longevity.

• A thermally efficient product must maintain constant efficiency throughout its lifespan and aluminum does just that. The fit and ability to maintain structural properties in all climatic conditions gives aluminum long term energy performance over most other materials that will lose much of their efficiency as time progresses.