Monday, March 19, 2007

Aluminum Composite Material Wall Panels as Substitute to CHB Walls by Janice Francisco, Marcelo Coderes, Bryan Bailey Arquero & Engr Alex Balaan

ABSTRACT
Prior to the development of commercial viable methods of producing iron, virtually all construction consisted of gravity structures. From the pyramids of the Pharaohs to the neo-classical architecture of Napoleonic Europe man the builder stacked stones in such a way that the dead load of the stone pile maintained a compressive state of force on each component of the structure. The development of methods to mass-produce iron, in addition to spawning the 19th century Industrial Revolution, resulted in iron becoming commercially available as a material of construction. Architecture was then freed from the limitations of the stone pile by structural components that could be utilized in tension as well as compression. The fact is that the most common aluminum structural alloy has minimum yield strength of 35 ksi, which is virtually equal to that of A36 steel. This strength, coupled with its weight, makes aluminum particularly advantageous for structural applications where dead load is a concern.
Its high strength-to-weight ratio has favored the use of aluminum in such diverse application as large clear span dome roofs, tractor trailer frames, and crane booms.

METHODOLOGY
The implementation of this research will be process on different stages like 1.) Planning 2.) Selection of test area 3.) Conducting Fastener on ACM Wall Panel Test on concrete columns 4.) Development of installation methodology. The first two methods if not included in the process for they are standards that should be followed by each researcher, thus all the necessary precaution should be applied while performing the said experimentation.
It is also understood that process that will be use in the structural research will under go various test and method configuration.

Column Selection and Structural Design
The first step in proving that ACM panel will be a good substitute towards the use of CHB wall is by designing the right column proportion and specific dimension by identifying the various uses of column.

Column Preparation
In the Philippine we already have standard column that will be use as the basis column ration will then be base on the Philippine standard.

Fabrication of Aluminum Composite Wall Panel
In the selection proper selection of ACM dimension and proportion and basing the design on all terrain condition and are base on extreme cases.

Development of ACM Wall Panel Installation thru the use of Stainless Steel Fasteners.
- In the Cycle of Fasteners that is currently available in the market we have several standard types and in the experiment we tend to embed the Fastener 2 inch towards the column and inside the area we will then use a compound to protect the fastener and an adhesive for cement for a more strong and durable attachment towards the column.

Actual Site Test of the ACM WALL PANEL
The prototype panel will then be place on an open atmosphere to show the durability of the material.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY / BENEFICIARIES
This include aluminum with steel and reinforced concrete as a metal based material of construction. In the process of material substitution each of the concrete material that is use in the wall construction may be replace with the use of aluminum wall, thus, with the various technological enhancement the aluminum panel may be use as a structural part of a building or even a low-cost house these will definitely ease the construction methodology and will expedite the construction system. Structural metals are often referred to in the singular sense, such as a steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, but in fact each of these labels applies to a family of metals.
The label indicates the primary alloying element, and individual alloys are then defined by the amounts of other elements contained, such as carbon, nickel, chromium, and manganese. The properties of an alloy are determined by the proportions of these alloying elements, just as the characteristics of a dessert are dependent on the relative amounts of each ingredient in recipe.Aluminum is inherently corrosion-resistant. Carbon steel, on the other hand has a tendency to self destruct over time by virtue of the continual conversion of the base metal to iron oxide, commonly known as rust. Although oxidation a bad name, not all metal oxides lead to progressive deterioration. Stainless steel, as noted previously, acquires its feature of being rust resistant by the addition of chromium to the alloy mixture. The chromium oxidizes on the surface of the metal, forming a thin transparent film. This chromium oxide film passive and stable and it seals the base metal from exposure to the atmosphere, thereby precluding further oxidation.