Expanded metal

Expanded metal is a type of metal which has been squeezed and stretched to form a diamond pattern of metal wire-like material. This material is commonly used for walkways and fences. Expanded metal is stronger than wire because the material is flattened allowing the metal to stay solid. The other benefit to expanded metal is that the metal is never broken and reconnected. This is because to make expanded metal the metal is just stretched and pieces are cut out allowing the material to retain its strength.

The shape most commonly used in expanded metal is a diamond shape because it provides the most strength available. The shape allows the metal to absorb the most amount of energy. Different shapes and sizes will affect how well the metal absorbs energy and where the energy is spread throughout the expanded metal. The measurement of sizes for the shapes varies significantly. Some commonly used shapes are circles, squares, and diamonds; diamonds are the most popular shapes because of how well the shape absorbs energy. The other factors in the making of expanded metal are the size and angles of the shapes. For the diamond, there are at least four different angles that come into account, the two acute and two obtuse angles. The larger the angles, the less strength the shape will have because there would be too much space inside the shape. However, if the angles are too small, strength is lost because of the shape is too close together, so there is no space for the structure to hold. The angle in which the shapes are laid also plays a significant role. If the angle is zero the ends of the shape point to the start and the end of the sheet, making straight lines across the sheet of diamonds. This option provides the most strength when it comes to compressing the sheet on its side. This can even take more pressure than a solid piece of metal because the sheet will compress and spread the pressure throughout the sheet. The other four commonly used angles are 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 90 plus 60 degrees, and 60 plus 90 degrees. A 60 degree angle puts the diamond diagonal at the start and end to the sheet. A 90 degree angle makes the diamond vertical to the start and the end of a sheet. The 90 plus 60 and 60 plus 90 angles combine both a 60-degree angle and a 90-degree angle; the order of the angles is respective to the order in naming. One advantage to using expanded metal as opposed to non-expanded metal is that the shape of the expanded metal provides more traction, which has led to its use in walkways or drains.

Expanded metal is frequently used to make fences, walkways, and grates, as the material is very durable and strong unlike wire, which is lighter and less expensive. In addition, expanded metal is also relatively easy to make and can be made quickly and efficiently.

Smith, D. J., Graciano, C. A., Teixeira, P., Martínez, G., & Pertuz, A. (2016). Energy Absorption Characteristics of Coiled Expanded Metal Tubes Under Axial Compression. Latin American Journal Of Solids & Structures, 13(16), 2845-2860. doi:10.1590/1679-78253242

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