BRAZILIAN ALUMINUM - solutions for sustainable living

BRAZILIAN ALUMINUM SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING 44 ALUMINUM AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING SOLUTIONS Safety in road load transport Many are the benefits of aluminum to the safety of drivers and third parties, such as: • Lowering a vehicle’s overall weight helps deplete emissions, while enhancing air quality and people’s health; • In Brazil, where many roads are seen in precarious conditions or restricted access, boosting the load capacity in trucks ensures decreasing the amount of trips and the risk of accidents; • Another benefit is the preservation of road’s asphalt, which further strengthens safety; • In tanker trucks, aluminum application minimizes the risk of explosions in the transport of flammables, since it does not produce sparks in contact with the asphalt, in case of accidents. Another breakthrough is the aluminum crash-boxes for flat-head trucks, which may weaken the severity of accidents and save lives, with a design that boosts energy absorption in the event of a collision. Using aluminum in impact absorption systems consumes double the energy per unit of weight, in the event of a collision, when compared with steel. Studies carried out in Europe have found out that installing aluminum crash boxes in those trucks might save 300 lives a year. Despite having a competitive cost, such system has been still under trial for approval by the European authorities, for it weights nearly 10 kg and fails in lowering the load capacity of existing trucks. Flat-head trucks A crash box-equipped truck Transport and the Sustainable Development Goals - SDG 11 Goal: Make cities and human settlements safe, inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Target: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older people. Learn more: Applications of aluminum - automotive and transport systems