What is Utility grade aluminum

[canwesteng]

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

 

[RPMG]

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

 

[AUCE98]

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

 

[SlideRuleEra]

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.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

http://www.VacuumTubeEra.net

 

[Compositepro]

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

 

[transmissiontowers]

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.

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