Shapes Magazine 2014 #2 - English

8/9/2019 Shapes Magazine 2014 #2 - English

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V IETNAM HAS one of the world’s

fastest-growing economies. I see

this each time I visit our plant in

Ho Chi Minh City, and I marvel at

the speed of change and the high

level of energy.

Sapa has built a strong reputation in Viet-

nam for delivering product quality and service

excellence. This should not surprise anyone

because it is part of our DNA, and customers

like CS Wind, Siemens and TUUCI will accept

no less. We take our global competence to local

customers and work together on solutions that

are providing real value to our customers.

Another topic we address in this issue of

Shapes is material substitution. Many

customers are choosing aluminium

to replace other materials in their

product solutions, in buildings

and automobiles as well as in

heat exchange and other indus-

trial applications. Sapa’s

unmatched research and

development resources

are helping make substi-

tution easier for you.

When you consider

aluminium solutions,I want your first thought

to be Sapa.

04

Trading upReplacing existing materials with more suitablealternatives can have major cost benefits and, accord-

ing to Ferdinand Munk, help create “beautiful products.”

08

Boom times in VietnamThis Southeast Asian nation is developing rapidly andlocal consumption of aluminium is on the rise.

12

Electric solutionWith its lightweight body, the Tesla Model S electric carprovides owners with a unique driving experience.

16 A world of possibilitiesWarmer and softer to touch than steel, aluminium extru-sions are a favorite material for top industrial designerKonstantin Grcic.

EditoriAL contentS

Substituting

with aluminium

04

12

08

16

President and CEO of Sapa

SVEIN TORE HOLSETHER

Shapes is the Sapa Group’s customer magazine. It is published twice a year in 17 language editions.

Editor-in-chief: Kevin Widlic, [email protected] Editorial Assistant: Eva Ekselius,

[email protected] Managing Editor: Ylva Carlsson Art Directors: Karin Söderlind,

Maria Lindén Language coordination: Inger Finell Production: Appelberg Publishing Group

Printing: V-TAB Changes of address: Inform your contact person at Sapa or Corporate

Communications at [email protected] Shapes is also available at www.sapagroup.com

Copyright © Sapa AS 2014 - Sapa's product names in this magazine are all

trademarks of Sapa Group.

MORE TO READ

How it works/Extrusions 03 · Role Model 07 · News 14

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Principles of extrusionForced through like toothpaste from a tubeTEXT: SAPA ILLUSTRATION: LI ROSÉN

how it works

e

IT ALL STARTS with ingots of aluminiumalloy. These are cut into billets, thenheated in an induction furnace to theright extrusion temperature of 450-500degrees Celsius.

The heated billet is then forcedthrough a die under great pressure, andthe finished profile is squeezed out of

the die like toothpaste from a tube intowhatever shape is needed.

The profile emerges at a speed of5 to 50 meters per minute and is nor-mally between 25 and 45 meters long.

The profile is cooled using air or wateras it leaves the die. After cooling, theprofile is stretched to relieve any stressand to achieve the desired straightness.

… are cut

to lengths

(billets)

adjusted for

the press

operation …

Aluminium

alloy logs in

lengths of

4 to 8 meters…

…then the metal is

extruded through the

die and immediately

cooled off.

… and heated

to about 500

degrees C…



4 SHAPES 2.2014

MATERial SUBSTITUTION

More customers want to use the

metal of the future as their metal for

today. Material substitution requires

a systematic approach.

A LUMINIUM IS ALWAYS competing

with other materials. In some cases,

it competes with wood and poly-

vinyl chloride, in others with met-

als such as copper and steel. Copper

is substantially more expensive than aluminium,

while aluminium costs significantly more than

steel by weight. Such cost differences normally cre-

ate a competitive advantage, because cost matters.

But cost in itself is usually not enough to lead

a manufacturer to change materials. Material

substitution is a process that requires an overall

analysis, or audit, of the actua l product. Such

processes can also include forces that either resist

or encourage change, like tradition, or improved

competitiveness.

“Substitution processes cannot be predicted

by relative price movements alone,” writes Frank

Messner, head of staff at the Helmholtz Centre for

TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTO MAURIZIO CAMAGNA

Choosing

a new metal



2.2014 5

ROLE MODEL

G -

G

-

G

Source: Mahmoud Farag, The

American University in Cairo

Steps towardsubstitution

WITH ALUMINIUM I

CAN MAKE BEAUTIFUL

PRODUCTS. Ferdinand Munk,

managing director of

Günzburger Steigtechnik



6 SHAPES 2.2014

MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION

SAPA’S ALUMINIUM SOLUTION is reducing

the weight of LEONI Kabel’s battery cables

by about half, compared with copper, and

achieving considerable cost savings as well.

Their performance is the same.

Cables in passenger vehicles weigh a total of

about 25 kilograms. The traditional material

used in these cables is copper.

Battery cables represent some 15 percent

of the overall cable weight in an automo-bile. LEONI has partnered with Sapa

in replacing copper with coated

aluminium in its battery cables.

Jaguar (pictured right) has

done the same, says Michael Wind, who

is responsible for sales and marketing

to the automotive industry for Sapa’s

aluminium tubing business.

“These are individual, case-by-case pro-

cesses with weight savings and cost savings as

the incentives,” he says. “They are successful

cases.”

a e s attery ca es

pared with copper, and

rable cost savings as well.

ce is the same.

nger vehicles weigh a total of

s. The traditional material

es is copper.

represent some 15 percent

le weight in an automo-artnered with Sapa

er with coated

battery cables.

right) has

s respons e or sa es an mar et ng

to the automotive industry for Sapa’s

aluminium tubing business.

“These are individual, case-by-case pr

cesses with weight savings and cost savings as

the incentives,” he says. “They are successful

cases.

Battery cables fromcopper to aluminium

39

o-

151The average amount of

aluminium in passenger

vehicles increased from

39 kg in 1976 to 151 kg in

2010.

KILOGRAMS

KILOGRAMS

Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany.

“Instead, it should be considered that material

substitution is an evolutionary and path-depen-

dent process that requires learning as well as time,

capital, research and experience.”

The properties inherent to aluminium provide

the light metal with a competitive advantage over

other materials in scores of applications, such as

in heat transfer. Moreover, the process for pro-

ducing extruded shapes, where design limitations

are small, makes a luminium an excellent alterna-

tive in industries where strength and weight are

factors.

IN THE BUILDING SECTOR, the low maintenance

requirements of aluminium add value in products

such as windows or façades, which also take advan-

tage of the metal’s strength. A luminium is flexible,

resists corrosion and is completely recyclable.

Sometimes the functional qualities of the metal

take a backseat to something more basic. “We buy

with our eyes,” says Ferdinand Munk, owner and

managing director of Günzburger Steigtechnik.

“With aluminium I can make beautiful products.”

The German company is one of the premier Euro-

pean suppliers of ascending systems, from ladders

to aircraft maintenance platforms. Aluminium is

Günzburger’s material of choice.

THE ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY produces a wide

range of alloys to meet the specifications of

customers. Extruders like Sapa can add a range of

services, such as surface treatment and wall thick-

ness, that tailor the material even more.

The objective is to identify the material that can

achieve the product requirements while optimiz-

ing the required material properties and charac-

teristics. The material of choice should be devel-

oped specifically for the application.

Developments in aluminium’s end-use applica-

tions have probably moved fastest in the automotive

industry, one that has long preferred steel as its

material of choice. The average amount of alu-

minium in passenger vehicles has increased from

39 kilograms in 1976 to 151 kilograms in 2010, and it

continues to grow, often at the expense of steel.



2.2014 7

ROLE MODEL

Tahiri Lahouari

Occupation:

Press operator

Work location:

Châteauroux, France

Family:

Wife, 4 children,

5 grandchildrenTime with the company:

30 years, including a few

months at Alcoa, 29 years

at Hydro and now Sapa

Hobbies:

Do-it-yourself projects

and watching movies

Personal green initiatives:

Minimize water and energy

consumption and sort

household waste

TAHIRI LAHOUARI, a press operator

at Sapa’s plant in Châteauroux, France,

is interested in both new solutions and

the environment.

When Sapa’s CEO, Svein Tore Holsether,

recently asked employees for their tips for

using aluminium, Lahouari had a bright

idea. “I suggested that we install solar

panels made with aluminium profiles fromSapa’s factories,” Lahouari says. “By doing

this we could reduce electricity consump-

tion at the plant.”

Lahouari’s idea was to use the energy

from the solar panels for applications such

as lighting and heating. He also proposed

that rainwater be collected on rainy days.

After purification, the water could be used

for cooling or sanitary purposes.

Lahouari has bought a house that he is

renovating in his free time, but he is in no

hurry to finish the job. He does everything

himself and is passionate about finding

technical solutions that can reduce energy

consumption.

“While talking about installing solar

panels at home, I realized the same technol-

ogy could also be used in Sapa’s facilities,”

Lahouari says.

Lahouari is not alone in thinking his

idea is a good one. His proposal was one of

four winners in the “New Ideas” contest

launched by Sapa’s CEO. Lahouari hopes

his idea will become a reality.

Let it shine A home improvement project led

to an energy-saving suggestion at

a Sapa plant in France.TEXT PHOTO



8 SHAPES 2.2014

THE NEW sapa

With a young population and a

fast-growing economy, Vietnam

is transforming its two largest

cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

takes off

TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTOS FRANÇOISCARLET-SOULAGES; GETTY IMAGES



2.2014 9

V IE TNA M outlook

WITHOUT AN ASSOCIATION representing its

aluminium companies, Vietnam lacks reli-

able statistics on domestic consumption of the

light metal. Still, local experts say aluminium

consumption clearly is growing in line with the

country’s rapid development.

PwC predicts that Vietnam will be the fastest

growing of the world’s emerging economies by

2025, with potential annual growth of 10 percent

in real dollar terms. The country ’s poverty rate is

decreasing faster than China’s, unemployment is

below 5 percent, and half the population is 25 or

younger.

The country is not waiting. Growth is here to-

day, most visibly in its two largest cities. As part

of its work to support the growth, the Vietnam-

ese government has planned USD 289 billion in

projects relating to markets for mechanical and

infrastructure building products through 2025,

says Nguyen Van Thu, president of the Vietnam

Association of Mechanical Industry (VAMI).

“Our figures show that aluminium consump-

tion in Vietnam has been increasing by 15 to 20

percent annually,” Thu says. “It is used in many

of our most important industries and industrial

applications.” The metal is being used in the con-

struction of high-rise buildings, for their exterior

look as well as in the interiors.

“As demand has increased, so has industry’s

need for better-quality aluminium and alu-

minium products,” Thu says. “If I’m involved in

purchasing, I will look for foreign suppliers when

ours aren’t good enough. But importing is costly

and not sustainable. With our planned projects

in industrial infrastructure, the proportion of

aluminium usage in Vietnam will continue to in-

crease at a high rate. Still, we prefer local supply,

and I hope our aluminium companies can meet

the challenge.”

HO CHI MINH CITY (HCMC), Vietnam’s busi-

ness capital and most populous city, built about

6,100 new residential units in 2013. The real

estate services firm CBRE Vietnam reports

CHINA

LAOS

CAMBODIA

THAILAND VIETNAM

HANOI

HO CHI

MINH CITY

“We serve as a

coordinator and

a connector, and

we can connect

directly with the

government and

recommend

proposals,” says

Nguyen Van Thu

of VAMI. “We

have many

projects lined up.”



10 SHAPES 2.2014

this was 84 percent higher than in the previous

year. In addition, around 40 buildings taller than

100 meters have been completed or are under con-

struction in HCMC, including the 68-story Bitexco

Financial Tower, which opened in 2010.

Nearly 8 million people live in the city. Forecast-

ers expect this number to nearly double over the

next 10 years, adding to the demand for housing,

office space and public infrastructure. With its

large population, high rate of economic growth and

booming construction activity, HCMC accounts

for as much as 25 percent of total energy consump-

tion in Vietnam. Energy saving is therefore a hot

topic.

NGUYEN TRUONG LUU, the permanent deputy

chairman of the HCMC Association of Architects,

knows the numbers. As an architect who has been

involved in many construction projects in Viet-

nam, Luu has been using aluminium solutions for

10 years, and he expects use of the metal in Viet-

nam’s building industry to grow substantially.

“Global trends show that new building projects

are paying attention to energy-saving architec-

ture, and I k now aluminium contributes,” Luu

says. “We want that here and are hoping for further

advances in energy-saving solutions.”

HE POINTS TO the new HCMC Lottery Office

Building as an example. “In this building, we used

aluminium louvers that allowed light into the

rooms without the heat of the sun,” he says. “For

this alone, the calculation for energy saving was

USD 50,000 per year.”

“Steel and other metals were the history of

architecture until aluminium came in as a new

material,” he says. “Once we started using alu-

minium, it changed our architecture. I have a good

feeling about aluminium. As with music, prefer-

ences change over time, and now is the time of

aluminium. It is a delight for an architect because

it is light, durable and can be shaped.”

VAMI is a non-governmental

organization established

in 2002 by the Ministry of

Home Affairs and the Minis-

try of Industry and Trade. It

serves as the voice of Viet-

nam’s mechanical industry,

with members in shipbuild-

ing, automotive, industrial

and construction equipment.

HCMC Association ofArchitects has around 1,000

members, many of whom

work within institutional

architecture or for fabrica-

tors. It offers many services,

including consultations with

architects, professors and

universities.

“We either import

aluminium prod-

ucts from China,

the United States

or Europe, or we

buy from domestic

suppliers,” says

architect Nguyen

Truong Luu. “Our

association prefers

local materialsbecause import-

ing is costlier and

takes longer for

delivery, and be-

cause imports use

more energy.”

The Vietnamese

market is calling for

better-quality

aluminium and

aluminium solutions.

Important voices



2.2014 11

V IE TNA M outlook

WIND TOWERS ARE built in sections and can

stand more than 100 meters tall. CS Wind Vietnam

builds the giant towers that support offshore wind

turbines.

CS Wind, the parent company, has three pro-

duction sites around the world. Its facility in Viet-

nam is the only one that delivers tower sections

fully integrated with the aluminium platform

inside. All its products are exported, mainly to the

United States and Europe.

At CS Wind Vietnam’s large industrial site in

Tan Thanh, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, mas-

sive tower sections lie flat, side by side, all across

the property, the ends of the towers covered by

canvas flaps. How big are they? Removing the can-

vas, one can step inside and stand upright.

That’s when the aluminium platform becomes

visible, with its staircase leading to the other end.

“We manufacture according to the specifica-

tions of our customers, and while the towers may

look alike, the specifications differ and they are

constantly being adjusted,” says Na Yeo-Song, who

manages the Aluminium and Steel Fabrication

Plant.

The aluminium fabrication section at CS Wind

Vietnam can produce 170 metric tons per month

on average for one-shift production, he says.

CS WIND VIETNAM wants more than service and

product quality from its suppliers. “We want part-

ners with technical competence,” says Nguyen Thi

Huyen of the Material Management Team.

She says such competence can improve solu-

tions and reduce costs. Na Yeo-Song points to an

extruded aluminium bracket as an example.

“We had a solution using aluminium plate, and

we experienced cracks in the plate,” he says. “Sapa

came up with an idea to replace this part w ith a

bracket. It has saved money in cutting and bending,

and it can be cut to length, which saves material

costs. The new product was designed to meet our

needs. It was an improvement.”

A tower to the sky

CS Wind is headquar-

tered in Seoul, South

Korea. In 2003, the

company established its

Vietnamese business in

Ba Ria–Vung Tau province

to enter the growing wind

power industry. Today,CS Wind Vietnam is one

of the leading suppliers

of wind tower solutions

for onshore and offshore

wind turbines, deliver-

ing to companies such as

Siemens, Vestas, Acciona

and General Electric.

“Aluminium is

easy to handle

and assemble,

we can keep it

for a long time,

and it is beauti-

ful,” says plant

manager

Na Yeo-Song

of CS Wind

Vietnam.

side one of the

ind tower sec-

ons, aluminium is

verywhere.

Leading supplier



2.2014 13

the picture

ges over a standard car, but

obile involves a lot of cost and

assembly line is the Model S,

s of an electric vehicle.

odel Sy design

World-class five-star safety

Zero tailpipe emissions

Instant full torque

FEATURES

BATTERY STRUCTURE

LIGHT BODY



news

14 SHAPES 2.2014

Sophisticated playing THESE ALUMINIUM machined dice

are ideal for travel and smartlymachined to balance the weight

perfectly. This was achievedby varying the depths of the

spots on them so that noside is weighted more than

any other. The result is a pairof sophisticated dice that are

easy to carry around with you.

www.shop.coolmaterial.com

A LIFE-SIZE SCULPTURE of a

Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, made ofaluminium, can now be seen on the bank

of the river Seine in Paris. Compagnie

des Bateaux-Mouches, which runs

sightseeing boats on the river, installed

the sculpture atop its riverside platform.

The artwork, conceived and built by theFrench artist Philippe Pasqua, stands

four meters tall and seven meters long. It

contains 350 bones made of cast

aluminium with a silver finish.

With its size and unexpected location,

the sculpture is a new tourist attraction. Viewed from the right angle, the dinosaur

can be seen about to devour the Eiffel

Tower.

Full scale T-Rex in Paris

Independent studies have confirmed

that aluminum has a 20 percent smaller

life cycle CO2 footprint than steel.

Source: aluminum.org

P H O T O G

E T T Y

I M A G E S

P E R C E N

T



news

2.2014 15

SAPA ORGANIZES

WHEN AALBORG AIRPORT in

Denmark set out to order 842 new seats, it

began by looking careful ly at travelers’

needs. It found they wanted power for

their computers, phones and tablets. But

Aalborg A irport went even further – it

wanted a visionary design la nguage, a

continuation of the airport’s architecture

and identity. It wanted seats with no

visible joints, no visible screw s and wiring

for the power outlets integrated invisibly

into the design.

The furniture line, delivered by Marcus

Pedersen, consists of a modular system

in which the aluminium profiles are the

predominant characteristics of the bridge

structure that carries the furniture. Sapa

delivered the aluminium solutions.

Visionary design at Aalborg Airport

SAPA HAS RUN an educational

half-day session about aluminium

solutions at Peugeot Design Lab’s

studio in Paris. Aluminium has been an

important component of the French

company’s products since 1941. One of

the latest examples is the AE21 Hybrid,

a compact ebike where the ‘Clever Case’

frame, constructed from lightweight

and hard-wearing aluminium,

accommodates the battery.

AppSolut Sapa SAPA HAS ADDED

Lighter cycles

Award-winningstudents

P H O T O



16 SHAPES 2.2014

THE NEW sapa

WHEN WE

USE IT, WE TRY

TO SHOW IT. Konstantin Grcic

about aluminium

Konstantin Grcic

Hometown: Munich

Age: 49

Training: As a cabinet-

maker at John Make-

peace’s Parnham College

in Dorset, England, before

studying design at the

Royal College of Art in

London

Office: Konstantin Grcic

Industrial Design, Munich

Next challenge: “We con-

tinue to work on projects

for a lot of existing clients.

It’s a journey of learning,

trying to understand more

and being more precise.”



18 SHAPES 2.2014

THE NEW sapa

material in my field that, when we useit, we try to show it,” he says. “That’s

not true of all materials.”

Moreover, aluminium doesn’t

corrode. “It’s a material that we can

use indoors or outdoors,” Grcic says.

“It’s interesting how it seems to work

in both places, unlike concrete, for

example, which people associate with

the outside.”

ALUMINIUM EXTRUSIONS interest

him as they involve a highly indus-

trial process at an affordable price,

producing a high-quality result. His

first serious project with extrusions

was Table_B, created for BD Barce-

lona Design. Table_B’s thin tabletop

is made of extruded aluminium,

evoking the shape and lightness of

an airplane wing. “I use aluminium

extrusions a lot,” he says. “I like that

they can be ordinary round or square

tubes or can be used to make the

most intricate and complex shapes,

which can also fulfill functions.”Grcic trained first as a furniture

restorer and then as a cabinetmaker.

Even during his apprenticeship,

however, he was drawn to produc-

tion processes. “What appealed to

me was the machine as a tool, making

things precisely in batches,” he says.

“That led me to become an industrial

designer, where we develop products

to be produced in quantity. We design

products for people, for society, for

life.”

Some of Grcic’s creations live with

him, he says. “I want to find out if the

final product really works, not just

in its practical use but in an environ-

ment in relation to other things.”

His passion for furniture is trans-

parent. “Furniture is such a beautiful

thing,” he says. “It’s so old but forms so

much of our daily life. I’m not working

in the most innovative environment,

but I can still be very innovative

within that environment.”

NOTABLE CLIENTSAuthentics, BD Ediciones, ClassiCon, Emeco,

Flos, Flötotto, Magis, Muji, Nespresso, Plank,

Serafino Zani, Thomas-Rosenthal, Vitra.

WHERE TO SEE HIS WORK

New York: Museum of Modern Art and

Brooklyn Museum of Art, Paris: Centre

Georges Pompidou, Chicago: Art Institute,

London: Victoria & Albert Museum and

Design Museum, Munich: Deutsches Museum

and Die Neue Sammlung, Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv

Museum of Art, Rotterdam: Boijmans Van

Beuningen Museum.

AWARDS

2014 IF Design Award, Germany,for Parrish Chair by Emeco

2013 ICON Award, Furniture of the Year,

for Bench_B by BD Barcelona

2013 German Design Award, Gold,

for Tom and Jerry – The Wild Bunch by Magis

2012 Best of Best, Interior Innovation Award,

Germany, for Pro by Flötotto

2001 XIX Compasso d’Oro, Italy,

for Mayday by Flos among others

Grcic's studio in

Munich where he

feels at his most

creative.



20 SHAPES 2.2014

New alloysfor safer carsNew aluminium alloys will help

automotive companies meet stricter

crash standards.

A

LUMINIUM AND the auto-

motive industry have always

been linked, but their con-

nection was only marginal

until the 1970s. That’s whenuse of the metal accelerated,

often replacing materials

such as steel, plastic and cop-

per in crash applications as well as in heat tra nsfer

systems and other components.

Lighter cars use less fuel and account for lower

carbon dioxide emissions than heavier ones.

Thanks largely to their aluminium content, the

weight reductions achieved in the 17 million cars

produced in Europe in 2012 will save on average

65 liters of fuel per car per year and reduce CO2

emissions by a total of 43 million metric tons over

the lifespan of the vehicles, according to a Ducker

Worldwide study. Lightweighting is here to stay,

because lighter cars are helping the environment.

The challenge for carmakers, however, is not only

stiffening fuel-economy requirements. Crash

mandates are getting tougher too, and these often

require adding weight.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)

have different specifications regarding the perfor-

mance of crash-relevant parts. Such components

include side beams in the closure systems such

as doors, longitudinals in the main car body and

TEXT KEVIN WIDLIC PHOTO PETER HOLGERSSON

crash boxes – bumper system applications that

protect the chassis, or body structure, of an auto-

mobile.

AUDI IS CONSIDERED one of the leading OEMs

in structura l aluminium development with its

defined strength classes and yield strength. These

classes are labeled C20, C24, C28 and now C32,

where tensile strength and crash performance

demands are vital. The objective for suppliers is to

find the right alloy for the crash components, one

that performs without fracturing. It is a process

that demands time and resources.

In 2008, Sapa Technology began mapping the

mechanisms and preparing for anticipated future

requests related to qualification of a C28 alloy.

The standard alloys 6082 and 6061 proved strong

enough but not good enough in crash performance.

So when Audi came to Sapa with a true request

for C28, Sapa’s microstructure and extrusion

“The technical

competence we

have is unmatched

in our industry,”

says Jan Strid,

head of Corporate

R&D for Sapa. “One

of our aims is toprovide a full range

of crash alloys,

enabling the

customer to order

all parts from the

same supplier.”



22 SHAPES 2.2014

I

N 1990, THE UK government launched

BREEAM, the UK Building Research Es-

tablishment Environmental Assessment

Method. Today, about 200,000 buildings

in the UK and elsewhere have been certi-fied through this environmental assess-

ment method.

Eight years later, the US Green Build-

ing Council launched its Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design (LEED) assessment

method. LEED criteria can be used in any country.

Other methods have sprung up in other parts of

the world, such as Green Star and Estidama, but

BREEAM and LEED are currently the two most

widely used methods for assessing the environ-

mental standards of a building. They are both

aimed at improving a building’s environmental

performance in areas such as energy savings, CO2

emission reductions and water efficiency.

BUILDINGS ARE ASSESSED on a wide range of

environmental and sustainability issues, and cred-

its are awarded when a certain process or level of

performance is achieved. These credits determine

the final score, which results in a building’s rating.

Architects, builders and owners tend to select a

method based on its relevance according to local

regulations, climate and supply chain.

Certification in general is growing in popularity

for existing buildings as well as new construction,

says Sue Clark, LEED Manager, Sweden Green

Building Council. The choice between BREEAM

and LEED tends to be one of corporate preference

for the builder and owner, she says.“Many construction firms in the Nordics, for

example, tend to choose BREEAM, which can be

adapted for their national markets and building

regulations,” Clark says. “But for global firms and

the large multinationals, we see more interest in

LEED, which is a more universal system with less

flexibility to interpret on a national basis.”

BUILDINGS ARE ASSESSED comprehensively,

and while selecting one material over another

won’t earn points in an assessment process, ma-

terials do play a role in contributing to the overall

rating. “Greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution

and a range of different impacts for each material

are taken into consideration,” Clark says. When it

comes to aluminium, factors such as the availabil-

ity of recycled (post-consumer) content and the

type of energy used in the extraction process are

among the environmental impacts considered.

Clark acknowledges the popularity of alumi-

nium for curtain wall systems in particular. “We

see that architects like to use aluminium because

it performs well, doesn’t rust, has a nice color, is

lightweight and keeps its finish,” she says.

green solutions ASSESSMENT METHODS

As demand for green buildings rises, environmental

assessment methods such as LEED and BREEAM

are becoming more important than ever.

TEXT CARI SIMMONSPHOTO DANIEL HOPKINSON

Energy check

One Angel Square in Ma

chester, England, feature

an innovative double-sk

aluminium façade from

Sapa. The office building

achieved a BREEAM “ou

standing” rating.



2.2014 23

questions for

Sarah Buffaloe, US Green Building CouncilLEED Specialist, Materials and ResourcesWhat role does aluminium play in assessments?

“As a versatile metal product, aluminium contributes to

LEED as structure, enclosure and permanently installed

building elements. In any of these end uses, aluminium

contributes toward all three Building Product Disclosure

and Optimization credits – environmental product declara-

tions, sourcing of raw materials and material ingredients.”

How is aluminium rated?

“Most of the environmental impacts of aluminium and

metal products in general are in the extraction practices.Generally the environmental benefits are seen in the

recyclability of the metal. However, the life-cycle assess-

ment results depicting this benefit vary depending on how

allocation is performed for the end-

of life scenario.”



A. Screw port for lidB. Inner track for electronicsC. Outer track profile for keypad/

lightingD. Outer track for information/

décorE. Adapted for post/attachmentF. Reinforcement for attachmentG. Ventilation

ew port for lidr track for electronics

Modular designPrisma Teknik’s new generation of digital acoustic pedestrian signals

(DAPS) brings together several extrusions in one solution. The DAPS series

is being used in cities throughout the world.ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCKPHOTO, SAPA

detail

FunctionsThe extruded profileserves as the hous-ing. It is manufacturedwith strong aluminium,ensuring long life andanodized in blue color.

Shapes Magazine 2014 #2 - English

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Transcript of Shapes Magazine 2014 #2 - English