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Aluminium is increasingly used in construction because of its unique properties:
• Strength
• Durability
• Corrosion resistance
• Recyclability
The aluminium industry, together with the construction industry, is committed to sustainable building and to responding to environmental challenges in the future.
Aluminium into the Next Generation
The aluminium industry endorses sustainable building at every stage:
• Manufacture - Energy efficiency of primary aluminium production and fabricating processes is continually improved through the development of new technologies and continuous technological improvement of existing plants. Bauxite resources, though abundant, are conserved because end-of-life aluminium products are recycled.
• Use - Aluminium building products make buildings lighter, use less raw materials, are longer lasting and more efficient as a result of low maintenance needs.
• End-of life - Recycling aluminium building products is an economically self-supporting process which contributes to the costs of dismantling and demolition as a whole. The aluminium industry has an efficient, economic and environmentally sound recycling system which ensures that aluminium is re-used time and time again, saving both raw materials and energy.
Aluminium, as Part of the Solution
Thanks to their unique characteristics, aluminium products can play a pivotal role in achieving sustainable building.
• Architects and designers are keen to develop new building concepts to meet the environmental challenges of the next millennium.
• Traditional demolition can be substituted by dismantling and recycling, using aluminium building systems
• Existing buildings can be refurbished using aluminium building systems, often with a net saving in the total amount of aluminium used.
• New buildings, using aluminium light weight structures and facades, significantly reduce the amount of materials used in construction, as well as the need for heavy supporting structures with subsequent resources saving and reduction of costs at the building end-of-life.
• Continuous investment in new technologies means that the aluminium industry leads the way in product design and energy efficiency
Aluminium Industry Supports Sustainable Building
The aluminium industry supports sustainable building objectives and actively contributes to this by:
• Integrating the concept from the production stage - The industry is active in reducing energy consumption, minimising emissions and researching into durability, strength and improved qualities. Its aim is to maximise the performance of the end product while minimising the amount of resource used.
• Increasing overall sustainability of buildings - The industry is already committed to research into strengthening the energy efficiency of aluminium’s applications (such as window frames) and to develop products which are even lighter, yet just as efficient.
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