Aluminum Design Manual
Aluminum Design Manual 2020 / Aluminum Association
The next edition of the Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Design Manual (ADM):
- Updated every five years. Includes the Specification for Aluminum Structures which provides for allowable strength and load and resistance factor design of aluminum structures, members, and connections.
- Includes the significant changes to the Specification as compared to the 2015 edition.
BRIEF CONTENTS
- The Specification for Aluminum Structures
- The Commentary to the Specification for Aluminum Structures
- A Design Guide:
– aluminum structural design codes
– aluminum composite material
– adhesive bonded joints
– extrusion design
– corrosion
– fire protection, and
– sustainability - Material Properties:
– the wrought and cast alloy and temper designation systems
– comparative characteristics
– typical physical properties, and densities of common aluminum alloys
Section Properties for common aluminum products
– channels
– I-shapes
– angles
– tees
– zees
– square
– rectangular, and round tube
– roofing and siding, and
– pipe
- Design Aids, including:
– 48 allowable stress tables for common alloy-tempers
– load span tables for Aluminum Association channels and I-shapes, grating, tread plate, and roofing and siding - Illustrative Examples, with 31 design examples of use of the Specification for Aluminum Structures
- Guidelines for Aluminum Sheet Metal Work in Building Construction
- A new Code of Standard Practice for Fabricating and Erecting Structural Aluminum, which provides a common understanding of acceptable standards when contracting for structural aluminum.
The 2026 Aluminum Design Manual
The Aluminum Association is considering a six-year interval between revisions to the Aluminum Design Manual. Because the IBC has a three-year revision cycle, a six-year cycle may be more suitable for standards like the Specification for Aluminum Structures that are referenced by the IBC. This also has the benefit of reducing the frequency of changes to design standards, thereby allowing design professionals to master them better.