Infrastructure
Durable, corrosion resistant and sustainable, aluminum is a material tailor-made for 21st century infrastructure projects. Building America means building with aluminum.
U.S. aluminum firms rely on modern and reliable infrastructure—from roads and bridges to the electric grid to recycling systems. Durable, recyclable and lightweight aluminum is a material tailor-made for 21st century infrastructure projects.
Aluminum Infrastructure Agenda
Aluminum is vital to building the transportation systems of tomorrow. Its durability and non-corrosive properties make it a perfect match for many transportation system applications, including lower-maintenance roads and bridges. In addition, lightweight strength and conductive properties make it essential for both the electric vehicles of the future and their charging stations.
The Aluminum Association supports:
- Increased investment in transportation systems: Fund significant investment in surface transportation projects.
- New bridges that are built to last: Encourage states to consider a bridge’s full life cycle cost in their procurement processes to ensure that new bridge projects are designed for modern transportation.
- Higher maximum truck weight limits: Increase the federal truck weight limit to 91,000 pounds. Congress should also allow states to increase truck weight limits on Interstate Highway System roads if those trucks are equipped with an additional sixth axle.
- 21st century electric vehicle infrastructure: Including swift and full implementation of incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Aluminum builds a more sustainable structure. Aluminum is used extensively as a material in large public building projects, combining beauty with functionality. Aluminum provides a high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance and desirable thermal properties. Also, aluminum’s durability means it lasts for decades, reducing maintenance costs. When used for construction, aluminum structures can weigh substantially less than steel while providing comparable strength. Aluminum can also help qualify a building for green building status under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) framework in part due to its high recycled content. Improving buildings supports high-tech manufacturing, increases operational efficiencies, reduces carbon emissions and improves livability.
The Aluminum Association supports:
- Increased investment in building infrastructure: Fund efforts to improve public building infrastructure like schools, hospitals, airports, transit stations and similar public works.
- Incentives for green building programs: Use advanced technology and energy management practices to boost energy efficiency in buildings. Support standards for existing commercial, industrial and residential buildings that encourage new investment. Finally, expand the buildout of energy-efficient buildings that last longer and reduce operating costs.
Sustainable energy generation depends on aluminum, which enables renewable energy projects and energy storage. Aluminum is the most widely used material in electricity transmission and distribution today. At about half the weight of copper and a lower price point, aluminum wire and cable allows utilities to run transmission lines with less upfront cost and with far fewer supporting structures. It is time to modernize the nation’s aging patchwork system of power generating plants, transmission and distribution lines and substations to power the growing demands for sustainable electricity in the 21st century.
The Aluminum Association supports:
- Increased investment in the electric grid: Carry out projects to modernize the electric grid for distributed system technologies and renewable electricity generation. Promote the development of microgrid systems for isolated communities and increase the resilience of critical infrastructure. Establish a strategic transformer reserve to improve grid resilience.
- An emphasis on renewable energy projects and programs: Utilize wind, solar and other renewable energy technologies as appropriate to create a resilient grid while reducing carbon emissions.
- Research and investment in energy storage: Provide support for research and investment into existing and emerging energy storage technologies that can improve the reliability of renewable energy generation for industry and consumers alike.
The United States will need to produce more aluminum – both primary and secondary – to meet growing demand for this sustainable material in the 21st century. This will require both innovations and increased efficiency from the industry, as well as investment from the public sector. As demand for aluminum grows, the United States must work to ensure that more of this material is made domestically to enhance national resiliency and self-sufficiency.
The Aluminum Association supports:
- Strong domestic aluminum supply chains: Pursue a coordinated federal strategy that supports innovation and invests in the long-term stability of primary and secondary aluminum production.
- Shortening permitting time for critical infrastructure: Significantly shorten the permitting and approval process for essential infrastructure projects involving strategic capital expansions in aluminum facilities.
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Aluminum makes America.
America’s infrastructure is the backbone of our economy—from the roads we drive and the buildings where we work, to the electric grid that powers us and the recycling system that returns valuable materials. A significant federal investment to modernize our nation's infrastructure will create jobs, boost economic growth and save lives.
As the sustainable material of choice, aluminum will play a critical role in building this new infrastructure.
