Metal and architecture has evolved over centuries, with successive eras opening up new technical and elegant possibilities through the development of different types of metals. Metals are dense, lustrous materials that are highly conductive of heat and electricity.
Some facts about metals are that they are generally ductile, meaning that they can be hammered thin or drawn into wires. Metals can also be liquified by heating and then resolidified by cooling. Presently metals are the strongest building materials in common use. Found in nature, metals come in the form of oxide ores, meaning they are a compound of oxygen mixed with a mineral containing a valuable constituent such as metal. Metals can also corrode and wear away by oxidation.
Common metals include iron, copper, steel, tin and bronze. Metal is seldom used in its chemical pure state. It is often mixed with other metals or elements to modify its properties for a particular purpose. These are called alloys. An example of this would be copper plus a small amount of tin would equal bronze.
This history of architectural metals go back to the time of the Romans. The Romans were the first to use metal as a major building material. The Pantheon had a bronze roof, parts of which survived until the middle of this century. Many coppers and led were used in gothic architecture. Paxton's Crystal Palace marked a moment in history for metal and architecture. It employed 3300 columns and 2220 girders with were prefabricated from molded cast iron. Paxton's Crystal Palace set the tone for iron buildings for the next 50 years. The Eiffel Tower was also a building made of iron, wrought iron open lattice. The tower was 984 ft. and at one point was one of the tallest buildings in the w...
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...lding heavy equipment or subject to vehicular traffic vibration. Expansion and control joints allow segments of a structure to move independently of each other while retaining the integrity of the structure. It is imperative that the joints be large enough so that a conflict is avoided between any two sections of a building, and enough of a gap is allowed in the joints so that any movement is a relative small percentage. An example of this would be is anticipate movement is one inch, a one inch expansion joint would allow for a total gap of two inches or 100 % total movement. Metal and architecture has evolved over centuries, with successive eras opening up
new technical and elegant possibilities through the development of different types of metals. Metal is also environmentally safe and durable to last for centuries.
Bibliography
The art of Light Construction
Aluminum is the third most abundant element and most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Aluminum is never found in the free element state in nature. It
We use metals to construct all kinds of structures, from bridges to skyscrapers to elevators. The strength as well as durability of materials that are crafted out of metal make the materials ideal not only for construction but also for many other applications.
Pounding metal and fabricating metal in thin sheets and sections that humans need or want has a long history. The discovery of how to make and control fire made extracting metals form or more efficient instead of having to find almost pure nuggets of metal. In many civilizations copper was the metal they used but that was succeeded by bronze eventually it is made of copper and tin.
Finally, gold parallels my goals for the future. It is one of the most conductive metals, extremely well suited for carrying an electric current. I, too, aim to conduct another kind of electricity-political organization, by pursuing a degree in Political Science at Harvard.
Iron is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Because it is so common, iron has been used by human society for thousands of years. Iron was known and used for weapons in prehistoric ages, the earliest example still in existence; a group of rusty iron beads found in Egypt, dates from about 4000BC. This period in history was given the name Iron Age because it was the time when people found ways to get iron and to use it for building tools and weapons.
To test if a metallic material is viable candidate to be used in the construction of a product the material must pass a tension test. A sample of the material is machined to standard length and dimensions. The sample is placed between an extensometer and stretched mechanically at a known rate. The results of the tensile test are used to determine various properties of a material. It can be determined from these properties if a material is appropriate for any specific application in engineering.
Architecture is the concept of bringing structure, materiality, form and space together as a whole, provide people with enclosed atmosphere to experience. Considering this, it is important to identify that materiality and the purpose of details has been a key methodology to bringing architectural intentions into the design in an affective manner, more over producing an architectural expression. However, this position is rather declining in architecture, reducing tectonics and materiality to being secondary to form and space. With the start of modernism, the attempt to achieve minimalistic style has caused detailing to increasingly develop into a decorative aspect of a building, neglecting its individual contribution to architecture.
Even though, the Eiffel Tower is a renowned monument for France. Being that it was originally built as an entrance way, some precautions were made. The safety procedures distributed were moveable staging, guard rails and screens. So, only one man died during construction (“Building Eiffel Tower”). The tower stands 320 meters tall, it uses over 18,000 pieces in the steel structure. Each year the high heats cause the structure to grow six inches, but then retracts back after the summer time. So, that is why the idea of thermal rivets were used in assembly because the rivets allow the structure to keep its shape. Over 2.5 million rivets were used (“Building Eiffel Tower”). This construction cost France over 7.31 million francs. The tower was many different colors until they officially settled for bronze. It was red, mustard yellow, and even chestnut brown (“Chisholm”).
Like all engineers, architectural engineers apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and commercial applications. Engineers design products, machinery to build those products, factories in which those products are made, and the systems that ensure the quality of the product and efficiency of the workforce and manufacturing process. Engineers design, plan, and supervise the construction of buildings, highways, and transit systems. They develop new materials that both improve the performance of products and help implement advances in technology. Engineering knowledge is applied to improving many things, including the quality of health care, the safety of food products, and the efficient operation of financial systems.
Steel: (for all intents and purposes) was invented in 1855 by Henry Bessemer(Mary Bellis). Science the amazing innovation that has changed the world incredible things have been made from the material from bridged cables and cross beams to arresting wires on aircraft carriers that stop monumental force and speed. It is truly an amazing martial, but eventually it snaps, breaks or tears due to the separation of the molecules. Also steel is not the most flexible material there is which may sound good for what it is used for, construction. You wouldn’t want the floor to shift from under but, what about in areas that have a consent threat of earthquakes having a material that is rigid when needed and flexible when needed would be an invaluable asset to construction companies in many countries. Also at $600-$900 per ton(Platts Mcgraw hill financial) it isn’t the most inexpensive material that could be chosen. Chemically is there a better material that could be used in the place of steel that is stronger more flexible and can be produced for a cheaper price than the normal steel that we use today? First, the choice of spider silk seems like a great choice. Mother nature seems to be the greatest designer of all made of different sections of proteins of extremely ridged and at the same time extremely elastic strings of proteins, that when braided together are 5 times stronger than steel and relatively free to produce as long as the spiders are kept healthy. What makes the proteins so strong? They are linked together almost like thousands of Lego’s linked together which by its self does not sound very strong, but just take 3 and pull length wise and try to pull them apart, it's almost impossible. The same concept is used in the spider's silk...
The first sign of a new architectural era was seen in Britain. With the production of new materials, Sir Joseph Paxton was able to design the Crystal Palace (1850-1851, 1852-1854) which boasted an intricate lattice frame work of prefabricated iron and glass panels set into wooden frames. The Crystal Palace served as a greenhouse with an impressive square footage of 770,000, the largest structure within its time. This structure was a monumental one and exhibits Britain’s advancement in the development of superior steel.
Limestone and lime mortar are the main materials used for the construction of the tower. Marble covers the tower from outside and each level of the tower has arches and columns. The architect who was in the charge of the construction was called Giovanni Di Simone. The leaning of the foundation that caused the leaning of the whole tower led the architect to change the design many times. The foundation of the tower was laid in 1173 and it was made of lime and marble that are characterized by their strength and durability. The rotation of the tower was the main problem as it caused the leaning. In order ...
In chemistry, metals compose a great number of the periodic table elements. Each metal has its own characteristic mass,
All of the materials used in the construction process were manufactured in Eiffel’s factory first.3
Metallurgy is the field of materials science and material engineering that studies the physical and chemical behaviour of metallic elements, their microstructure compounds and their mixtures, which are mostly known as alloy. Metallurgy can be refers as the technology of metals where science is applied to the production of metals, and the engineering of metal components for the uses of products for consumers and manufacturers.