×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Bolting Structural Steel to aluminum

Bolting Structural Steel to aluminum

Bolting Structural Steel to aluminum

(OP)
I've got a around-the-house project where I've bolted [don't know what type of bolts, just hardware store type stuff] A36 structural steel plate to another plate made of aluminum [don't know what type/alloy].

On a day to day basis, it's in a fairly dry environment and should never come in contact with a significant level of salt or salt water.

Given those facts: what do you think my corrosion risk is? Will the aluminum get eaten up?

Sorry for the lack on info on some of the materials and thanks in advance.
 

RE: Bolting Structural Steel to aluminum

The aluminum will be fine.
The steel will disappear in the presence of moisture.
No moisture, no problem.
Check the cheapo hardware every few years.
 

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: Bolting Structural Steel to aluminum

(OP)
That's actually good news. I don't care about losing the bolts or the steel.....losing that aluminum would be a pain to replace though.

Thanks!
 

RE: Bolting Structural Steel to aluminum

Aluminium, being the more active material, will be the one that is attacked (think sacrificial anode Mike H).  The extent of attack will be dependent upon the time of wetness, bearing in mind that wind blown dust can accumulate salts which may be hygroscopic.  Under the circumstances you describe, it's unlikely to fall apart but it might not look so shiny after a while!

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
 

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources