Advantages of Using 6082 Aluminium Sheet as Bridge Material and Welding Details to Consider

Aluminium comes from the Latin word alumen, which means the sulphate of a complex salt KAl(SO4)2·12H2O. In prehistoric times, humans already used clay containing aluminium compounds (Al2O3·2SiO2·2H2O) to make pottery. Aluminium is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, after oxygen and silicon, but separating it from its compounds to obtain the metal takes a long time due to the weak oxidizing power of aluminium.

Advantages of 6082 aluminium sheet as bridge material

Aluminum alloy has been used in the construction industry for a long time, and its properties are more suitable for bridge applications. The advantages of 6082 aluminum sheet in bridge applications are as follows:

• 6082 aluminium sheet has high strength and low density, which can effectively reduce the weight of the bridge, save costs, reduce construction strength, and shorten the construction period.

  
  

• The corrosion resistance of 6082 aluminium sheet is better, which can form an oxide film to enhance the corrosion resistance of the aluminum sheet itself. Moreover, it can produce material shrinkage in cool weather, which can make the small cracks in the concrete tend to close and prevent moisture and chloride ions from entering.

  
  

• 6082 aluminum plate is relatively lightweight, and the transportation and installation processes are relatively simple, meeting the requirements of modern construction technology.

  
  

• 6082 aluminum sheet can withstand the weight of the bridge and meet the proportionate demand of bridge load.

  
  

• 6082 aluminum plate can be recycled with low processing costs, making it available for continuous use and sustainable development.

Details to note when welding 6082 aluminium sheet

Aluminum sheet refers to a rectangular plate processed by rolling aluminum ingots, divided into pure aluminum plate, aluminum alloy sheet, thin aluminum plate, medium-thick aluminium sheet, and patterned aluminium sheet. 6082 aluminum sheet is a relatively difficult material to weld in metal sheet, so there are some details to note during welding. The key points for welding 6082 aluminum sheet are as follows:

• The flame should not be too long during welding, and microwave heating must be used; otherwise, 6082 aluminium sheet is extremely easy to melt.

• Wet towels need to be placed in the inner container to provide adequate protection.

• 6082 aluminium sheet has a low melting point, and there may be deformation during secondary heating. Therefore, the welding rod cannot be heated with a welding gun and dipped in solder powder.

• After completing the welding, the nylon wire-drawing slurry should be allowed to cool for two to three minutes before touching it.

• The welding rod should be evenly coated with welding flux to ensure the quality of the welding spot.

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