Plasticity and Diversity of Aluminum Plates
Aluminum plates, an expensive and insufficiently sturdy metal, were not used for building purposes until the early 20th century. They were mainly used to decorate building details, and aluminum began to be used in roofs, waterproof panels, wall panels, and arches. The first widespread use of aluminum in architecture was in the Empire State Building (1930-1932). The tower structure and pointed roof are made of aluminum, as well as components such as entrances, elevator doors, decorative panels, and over 6000 window arches. As a material, aluminum also has excellent strength to weight ratio, which means that aluminum made exterior wall systems can be smaller than steel plates. Modern aluminum alloys …