MAADI Group CEO Interviewed in April Light Metal Age

April 10, 2013

Custom pedestrian bridge with hardwood decking over pond in Quebec, Canada

MAADI Group CEO Interviewed in April Light Metal Age

 

April 10, 2013—MONTREAL, CANADA – The MAADI Group engineering firm, Montréal, Québec, is the topic of an in-depth interview with MAADI Group CEO Alexandre de la Chevrotière, P.Eng., in the April edition of Light Metal Age (LMA) magazine, an international publication for the light metals industry. De la Chevrotière, president of MAADI Group Inc. (Most Advanced Aluminum Design and Inspection), discusses how the company has based its bridge and maritime engineering designs on extruded and cast components made with structural aluminum alloys.

MAADI Group’s history is highlighted since its founding in 2005, as is de la Chevrotière’s rationale for choosing to create engineered structures primarily using aluminum. In the article, de la Chevrotière talks about the engineering firm’s design and alloy selection criteria and joining methods for maritime and pedestrian bridge structures, how the firm meets Canadian and international standards, and how the various country building codes affect aluminum bridge design.

“We are especially pleased to have this in-depth discussion about structural engineering with aluminum appear in such a prestigious international publication as Light Metal Age,” said dela Chevrotière, “As structural design innovation becomes increasingly competitive, it is critically important that engineers recognize the long-term cost benefits of aluminum for architectural design and structural use, as well as aluminum’s superior strength and durability characteristics.”

The LMA interview touches upon MAADI Group’s research into the life cycle benefits of aluminum. De la Chevrotière notes, “Our Total Cost of Ownership Study, conducted by Deloitte Inc., compares bridge materials’ cost over time. An aluminum bridge structure’s corrosion resistance makes it maintenance free, removing the expense of galvanizing or painting steel due to rust. Aluminum is impervious to harsh conditions including ice, snow, frigid temperatures, salt and chemicals. After decades of use, aluminum is fully recyclable with a very high scrap value, and retains its strength properties when reused. These benefits, along with ease of transport and installation make aluminum bridge structures an extremely cost-effective and sustainable alternative to steel. My hope is that the LMA article will inspire others to push the boundaries of what is possible in structural design with aluminum.”

MAADI Group’s participation in the 12th International Aluminium Conference (INALCO 2013) on October 21 and 22 in Montréal is also highlighted in the LMA interview, including de la Chevrotière’s involvement on its Organizing Committee and his company’s co-sponsorship of INALCO 2013. “This is MAADI Group’s way of giving back to the aluminum industry, which has been the foundation of our structural engineering business. Education, research and networking on a global scale is vital not only to growth and innovation, but to competitiveness,” said de la Chevrotière, “Aluminum translates well to products in so many industries that success in one project often leads to successful solutions in many applications. With INALCO 2013, we are urging all those involved in the design process to evaluate the full merits of aluminum in architectural, maritime, transportation, aviation, aerospace, packaging, consumer, and of course structural projects such as bridges.”

Aluminum and its design capabilities when utilizing the extrusion process are also emphasized in de la Chevrotière’s comments in LMA. MAADI Group has designed numerous pedestrian and light vehicle bridge structures that use extruded aluminum trusses, framing, guardrails, and attachment configurations that include customized options to enable greater design flexibility and improved functionality.

Read the interview

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