Expanded Metal Applications: Exploring the Uses in Construction, Architecture and More

Metal products come in all shapes and sizes, from thin sheets to heavy ‘I’ beams. Expanded metal is another example of the versatility of metal as a raw material. In this article, we’ll explore the multitude of uses of expanded metal and how you can make use of it in your projects.

What is Expanded Metal and How is it Made?

Expanded Metal offers a good alternative to traditional mesh panels, offering a lighter product with finer gratings. It is commonly available in mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

Expanded metal sheets are made by punching or shearing sheet metal with a special multi-bladed tool, then stretching and forming the sheets to produce uniform openings. It is an efficient process when compared to punched or perforated sheets, as it produces no wastage.

Expanded metal sheets come in two forms, raised and flattened. The former is good for higher strength, owing to its increased sectional area, and the latter is often used where a thin panel is needed, with no edges protruding.

Flattened expanded metal is made by passing the sheets through a secondary process to roll them flat, returning them to roughly the same thickness as the initial sheet material.

Key Benefits of Expanded Metal in Construction and Architecture

Used extensively in construction projects such as walkways, handrail infills and machinery guarding, uses of expanded metal are often easy to find on a construction site.

Elements such as scaffolding, walkways and ladders find particularly good uses of it, as it can offer high levels of grip, and prevent water from pooling, something checker-plate struggles with.

Expanded metal is also often found in architectural applications, owing to its unique look and inherent strength when compared to plain sheet metal. It can be used to provide an interesting facade for a building or to reinforce a lightweight structural element, such as lighting gantries or scaffolds.

Innovative Applications of Expanded Metal in Building Design

Used similarly to rebar (reinforcing bar) in concrete, expanded metal can be found in reinforcing plaster and render faces of buildings and other structures. Its large number of angular faces offers good adhesion with the substrate.

One of the benefits of expanded metal over weldmesh is structural rigidity, as the expanded metal has a greater depth to it, giving it some level of torsional and compressive strength.

This means it can be used as more than just an infill material, and instead contribute strength to the overall structure. One example of this is making noise and visual screening panels, often used around airports.

Expanded Metal in Interior Design: Enhancing Aesthetic Appeal

Interesting-looking materials are a favorite of interior designers; they offer a cost-effective way to add features to a space. Expanded metal can be used as both a screening material and as the basis of a supporting element for other materials, such as lighting or even greenery.

Combined with processes such as powder coating or simply using a bright, aesthetic material like stainless steel or aluminum, expanded metal sheeting can be either a focal point or a backdrop, depending on the use.

With an industrial look being more popular than ever, things like scaffolding fittings, unpainted steel fabrications and weld mesh are often seen in restaurants and bars.

Sustainable Advantages of Using Expanded Metal in Modern Construction

One advantage of expanded metal over perforated metal is the reduction of waste. Whilst the circles punched out to make perforated sheets are recycled, this takes extra energy, and expanded metal has no wastage during the manufacturing process.

Expanded metal is also sold as lathing material, used to reinforce and aid drywalling installations. It is more recyclable and long-lasting than some of the traditional alternatives.

Expanded Sheet For Your Project

If you need expanded sheet for your next project, be that for architectural use, as reinforcing or as an alternative to sheet metal, Metals Supermarkets can help. We offer both Aluminum and Steel, with cut-to-size services offered nationwide.