Aluminum Beams
Beams made from alloyed aluminum are structural and support components of building construction. Aluminum is an alternative to steel, which is stronger but much heavier, and wood, which is lighter but much weaker. It is used in the construction, engineering and architectural industries as parts and shapes necessary to the internal and external construction of buildings. Structural aluminum's main attribute is its light weight, which increases labor productivity. It is also weather resistant and fares well outside because it doesn't corrode quickly, is able to withstand high and low temperatures and doesn't rust when exposed to water. Aluminum beams will last a long time without much maintenance or upkeep. They come in many different shapes, including unequal or equal I beams, which are the most widely used, channels, which are unrounded and C-shaped, H beams and T beams.
Aluminum beams are joined together with rivets or bolts and may be welded if necessary. They are manufactured by the extrusion process, in which long structural shapes are produced when heated or room temperature metal billets are forced through a die. In order to maintain and increase strength properties, manufacturers of aluminum beams often put them through post-forming heat treatment process like anodizing, when the aluminum is oxidized in a chemical bath and forms a permanent strong outer coating. They are also tempered, a form of heat treatment where the metal is strengthened when the intermetallic particles are precipitated. While steel beams are used more as the major structural frames for buildings because of their weight capabilities, aluminum beams, which are not as tough, are used for applications that don't require such high strength.