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Thursday 07 August 2008

Aluminium saves energy at games

Alcoa has also integrated its spaceframe technology into the buses, as well as Dura-Bright forged aluminium wheels, fasteners, and side and roof panels.ALUMINIUM manufacturer Alcoa says it has helped make the Beijing 2008 Olympics a “green” event by providing lightweight metal for the transportation systems and venues.

Alcoa aluminium wheels will be part of the electric buses servicing the Olympic village. According to the company, it provided 350 wheels for 50 buses, resulting in significant weight savings and fuel efficiency over comparable steel wheels.

The company also jointly designed and built buses with the Yutong Bus Company of China. The buses are said to use more aluminium than traditional materials, giving a bus body 50% lighter than normal ones.

Alcoa has also integrated its spaceframe technology into the buses, as well as Dura-Bright forged aluminium wheels, fasteners, and side and roof panels.

1200t of Alcoa Architectural Product’s Reynolux coil coated aluminium sheeting was used on the aerodynamic roof of the new Terminal 3 at the Beijing Airport. 95t of the same material was used for the roof on the National Indoor Stadium, while 221t can be found on the Shenyang Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.

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