Strength Design in Aluminum

Book excerpt: Prepared by the Task Committee on Strength Design in Aluminum of the Committee on Special Structures of the Committee on Metals of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE. This report compares the Canadian, European, and U.S. codes on aluminum in order to provide a basis for the preparation of a common specification document. The three codes are: CSA S157-03, Strength Design in Aluminum (2003, CSA); Eurocode 9, Design of Aluminum Alloy Structures (EC9); Specification of Aluminum Structures: Load and Resistance Factor Design, 2nd ed.(2000, Aluminum Association) Frequently using a tabular format, this report compares how the three codes treat symbols, design principles, material principles, resistance limited by yield or rupture, buckling, and connections. By stripping the load and resistance factors from the design expressions, this book is able to compare the essential rules of engineering on which the codes are based and to compare the positions taken by three different code writing committees. The results contributes to a common specification document by signaling the areas of agreement and, more importantly, the areas of disagreement. This book is a valuable resource for structural engineers working with aluminum, especially in Canada, Europe, or the United States.