Aluminum 5052-H32 vs. Concrete

Compare Aluminum 5052-H32 vs. Concrete strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Mechanical	Aluminum 5052-H32	Concrete
Yield strength	195MPa1	none (brittle)
Ultimate tensile strength	230MPa1	not sourced
Compressive strength	not sourced	27.6MPa2
Elongation at break	12%1	none (brittle)
Young's modulus (stiffness)	70GPa1	design value25.1GPa3
Density	2,685kg/m³4	2,240–2,400kg/m³5
Strength to weight	72.6kN·m/kg	not sourced
Stiffness to weight	26.1MN·m/kg2.41x higher	10.8MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	0.334	0.15–0.26
Shear modulus	26.3GPa2.46x stiffer in shear	10.7GPa
Bulk modulus	68.6GPa5.33x higher	12.9GPa
Speed of sound	5,106m/s1.55x faster	3,289m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Aluminum 5052-H32	Concrete
Thermal conductivity	base material138W/m·K1153x more heat through a fin	0.9W/m·K7
Thermal expansion	23.8µm/m·K1	8–12µm/m·K8
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	119µm growth	50µm growth2.38x less
Specific heat	at 100 °C963J/kg·K4	900J/kg·K9
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	53.4mm²/s124x faster	0.431mm²/s
Thermal shock resistance	10,822W/m	not sourced
Melting point	melting range605–650°C1	not sourced
Max service temperature	not sourced	65°C6

Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weight

Thermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated

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Sources9 documents: Kaiser Aluminum, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Defense, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USDA Forest Products Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Aluminum 5052-H32: 5052-H32, Kaiser Aluminum tube & pipe typical datasheet (mechanical, CTE, melting); MIL-HDBK-5J (Poisson, density, specific heat)
Concrete: Normal-weight portland cement concrete, strength class f'c = 4000 psi (28 MPa) per NRMCA CIP 35; density NRMCA CIP 36; thermal conductivity USDA FPL Wood Handbook; service temperature ORNL/NRC review

1
Alloy 5052 Tube & Pipe Technical DataKaiser Aluminumarchived copyAluminum 5052-H32 · Yield strength: typical, 0.2% offsetAluminum 5052-H32 · Ultimate tensile strength: typicalAluminum 5052-H32 · Elongation at break: typicalAluminum 5052-H32 · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalAluminum 5052-H32 · Thermal conductivity: base material: 5052 in O temper (same alloy, annealed); Kaiser typicalAluminum 5052-H32 · Thermal expansion: typical, mean 20-100 °CAluminum 5052-H32 · Melting point: melting range
2
CIP 35: Testing Compressive Strength of ConcreteNational Ready Mixed Concrete Associationarchived copyConcrete · Compressive strength: specified compressive strength class (f'c), not a measured typical
3
LRFD Steel Girder Superstructure Bridge Design Example, Design Step 2: Concrete Deck DesignFederal Highway AdministrationConcrete · Young's modulus (stiffness): design value: AASHTO LRFD 5.4.2.4 applied by FHWA to f'c = 4.0 ksi normal-weight concrete
4
MIL-HDBK-5J, Metallic Materials and Elements for Aerospace Vehicle Structures (2003)U.S. Department of DefenseAluminum 5052-H32 · Density: nominalAluminum 5052-H32 · Poisson's ratio: typical (handbook physical constant)Aluminum 5052-H32 · Specific heat: at 100 °C (212 °F); table covers O, H32, H34, H36, H38
5
CIP 36: Structural Lightweight ConcreteNational Ready Mixed Concrete Associationarchived copyConcrete · Density: range for normalweight concrete
6
The Effect of Elevated Temperature on Concrete Materials and Structures: A Literature Review (ORNL/TM-2005/553)Oak Ridge National Laboratoryarchived copyConcrete · Poisson's ratio: general range at normal ambient conditions (overall 0.11-0.32)Concrete · Max service temperature: code long-term temperature limit (ASME Code, concrete containments)
7
Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282), Chapter 4: Moisture Relations and Physical Properties of WoodUSDA Forest Products LaboratoryConcrete · Thermal conductivity: typical (comparative value)
8
Thermal Coefficient of Portland Cement ConcreteFederal Highway AdministrationConcrete · Thermal expansion: typical range for portland cement concrete (aggregate dependent)
9
Best Practice Guidelines for Structural Fire Resistance Design of Concrete and Steel Buildings (TN 1681)National Institute of Standards and Technologyarchived copyConcrete · Specific heat: typical (NIST guidance for thermal analysis)

Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.

Questions

Mechanical

Which is lighter, Aluminum 5052-H32 or Concrete?

Concrete is lighter: 2,320 kg/m³ against 2,685 kg/m³ for Aluminum 5052-H32.

Which is stiffer, Aluminum 5052-H32 or Concrete?

Aluminum 5052-H32 is stiffer: Young's modulus 70 GPa against 25.1 GPa for Concrete, so the same part in Aluminum 5052-H32 deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum 5052-H32 or Concrete?

For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum 5052-H32 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate.

Part that must be	Aluminum 5052-H32	Concrete
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	2.41x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	lighter	44% heavier
Stiff panel or plate	lighter	22% heavier

For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).

Thermal

Which conducts heat better, Aluminum 5052-H32 or Concrete?

Aluminum 5052-H32 conducts heat better: 138 W/m·K against 0.9 W/m·K for Concrete.

Which expands less with temperature?

Concrete expands less: 10 µm/m·K against 23.8 µm/m·K for Aluminum 5052-H32.