×
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

What is Utility grade aluminum

What is Utility grade aluminum

What is Utility grade aluminum

(OP)
I've just come across a drawing calling for utility grade aluminum. Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

RE: What is Utility grade aluminum

No idea. Utility grade is a low quality rating for wood.

RE: What is Utility grade aluminum

Typically structural shapes are 6061-t6[highlight ][/highlight]

RE: What is Utility grade aluminum

The "utility grade aluminum" that I'm acquainted with has at least 99.5% aluminum to maximize electrical conductivity, for use in wiring. It has a many decade history of use as conductors by "electric utilities". It is often alloy 1350. It can be made into sheets for other uses, but is softer than other alloys.

www.SlideRuleEra.net idea
www.VacuumTubeEra.net r2d2

RE: What is Utility grade aluminum

There is no utility grade. It means use the cheapest aluminum shapes available and the specifier does not care what the alloy is.

RE: What is Utility grade aluminum

I believe SlideruleEra is right. We use aluminum for conductors and I don't have the specs in front of me but 1350 sounds right. I believe there are some aluminum castings used for the hardware that connects the conductors. Also wire splices are made from an aluminum alloy. Just this past weekend we had a splice fail that was installed in the line in 1955 that dropped a 138kV wire onto a distribution circuit that blacked out 15,000 homes for a couple of hours.

Prior to the 1960's a lot of copper was used in substations with copper fittings, but if you are a copper thief don't grab that old copper wire because it will definitely kill you.

_____________________________________
I have been called "A storehouse of worthless information" many times.

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