Light And Easy

Aluminium’s Design Flexibility and Energy Efficiency Makes It a Popular Building Material

- Aruna Rathod

The first building to employ aluminium in its construction was the famous New York skyscraper Empire State Building, built in 1931, and the tallest building in the world until 1970. Aluminium was used in all of the building’s basic structures and was widely used in the interior as well. Since then, this metal has changed images of cities and towns. Glass façades of modern buildings are supported by lightweight but sturdy aluminium frames, and most sports facilities use aluminium structures. Besides giving strength, aluminium helps building projects meet Green building standards under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programme.

Kushal Bajaj, executive director, Geeta Aluminium (Geeta Group), explains, “Aluminium has always been the first choice with architects and developers due to its strength and flexibility that allows customisation as per needs at a lower cost. It offers most options on its colour-accepting techniques in powder coating, anodizing and PVDF.”

With a rise in the standard of living and earning capacity of people across the country, public demand has paved the way for smart system solutions. Bajaj adds, “At the global level, aluminium caters to the economical range as well as the high-end luxury bracket to satisfy all sections of society with its durability and low maintenance, as compared to other [structural] materials.”

The biggest advantage of aluminium is its lightness – which means high-rises benefit from reduction in the structural load. “The need of the hour is taller and commercial zone buildings, residential buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools, military barracks and, now, affordable housing units. All these require good-quality aluminium glazing systems. Aluminium is an environment-friendly product, and a well-manufactured window or door is a long-term, value-for-money investment,” maintains Karan Keswani, director, Aluplex India.