Structural Applications of Aluminium in Civil Engineering

The Aluminium (Al) element was discovered 200 years ago. After an initial period of technological development, aluminium alloys were used in many structural applications, including the civil engineering field. The last decades have been devoted to analyse the structural behaviour of extruded and welded members by means of theoretical and experimental research. The achieved knowledge represents today the solid basis for modern codification. The present paper gives an overview of the contemporary developments in the design of aluminium alloy structures.