Problem Statement:

I wanted to compare the weight of an aluminum tube and steel tube of equal
stiffness. So I wanted to find the differences between trying to use a stiffer Steel
frame on light weight designs such as airplanes, cars and bicycles. While I was
looking into lightweight steel frames I was told that you can use a lighter material
such as aluminum, a lighter and weaker material that when it is used with the same
dimensions as the steel frame will be weaker. So if you make it slightly bigger you
can make an aluminum frame the same stiffness as the steel frame and it is
significantly lighter. If you want to learn more, go to this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_modulus .
Tube 1 Dimensions
Inner Diameter (d) = 1 m
Outer Diameter (D) = 2m
Length (L) = 5 m
1) Calculate the Weight of Tube 1 (Steel)
Density X Volume = Weight
The Density of Steel = 7850 Kg /m
Volume of a hollow tube:
2

(2 1 )
5=11.79 m
4
Weight of Steel Tube 1:

7850

kg
11.79 m3=92,521.2 kg
3
m

2) Calculate the Weight of Tube 1 (Aluminum)

The Density of Aluminum = 2712 kg/m

2712 kg/m 11.79=31,974.46 kg

3) Calculate the Bending Stiffness (E*I) of Tube 1 (Steel and Aluminum)

Elastic modulus (Esteel) of Steel

2.00 e11

Elastic modulus (Ealuminum) of Aluminum

N/m
10

6.9 e

N/m

Moment Area of Inertia (I1) of hollow Tube 1

( D 4d 4 )
I1 =
64
Bending Stiffness of Steel Tube 1:

E steel (D4 d 4 )
Esteel I 1 =
64
e 11 (241 4)
Esteel I 1 =2.00
64
11

Esteel I 1 =1.47 e Nm
Bending Stiffness of Aluminum Tube 1:

Ealuminum ( D4d 4 )
Ealuminum I 1=
64
e10 (241 4)
Ealuminum I 1=6.9
64
Ealuminum I 1=5.08 e 10 Nm

4) Calculate new D2 to make an Aluminum Tube 2 equivalent to Steel Tube

1's Bending Stiffness.
Set the bending stiffness for both steel and aluminum tubes from section 3 equal
and solve for a new D for aluminum tube.

d4

Es ( 4 4 )
D d
Ea

2.00e11 ( )
15
6.9e10

1/ 4

=D
2

1 /4

=D2

( 3.90 x 15 ) 4 =2.58 m
D2=2.58 m
Plug the New D2 back in to make sure that the aluminum tube 2 bending stiffness is
equal to that of the steel tube 1 bending stiffness.

10

e ( 2.58 1 )
Ealuminum I 2=6.9
64
11

Ealuminum I 2=1.47 e Nm

Ealuminum I 2=E steel I 1

5) Calculate the Weight of Tube 2 Aluminum:
First we have to calculate the new Volume of tube 2
2

(2.58 1 )
5=22.21 m
4
Next, calculate the weight of tube 2 aluminum
Density x volume = weight
22.21 m * 2712 kg/m = 60,233.52 Kg
The results of this investigation are summarized in table 1 below
Parameter
Value (units)
Weight of Steel Tube 1
92,521 (kg)
Weight of Aluminum Tube
60,233 (kg)
2
Table 1. Summary of Results
Conclusions
The steel tube 1, of equivalent bending stiffness, weighs 50% more than the
aluminum tube 2 while only increasing the outer diameter of tube 2 by 25%.
Understanding the fundamentals of material mechanics is critical for reducing
weight in aerospace, automobile and bicycle designs.