Fabrication of high-strength and lightweight beams and structures
A method for reinforcing structural members, including forming a beam of a first metal, the beam including one or more grooves along a surface of the beam; placing a rod of a second metal in each of the one or more grooves along the surface of the beam; and fusing each rod to the beam without melting the first metal.
1 . A method for reinforcing structural members, comprising:
forming a structure of a first metal, the structure including at least one groove along a surface of the structure;
placing a rod of a second metal in the at least one groove along the surface of the structure such that an entirety of the rod lies within the groove below the surface of the structure when placed into the at least one groove;
providing a cap of the first metal over the rod in the at least one groove along the surface of the structure; and
embedding the rod in the structure by solid-state welding the structure, rod and cap together,
wherein the rod remains intact and embedded in the structure as a reinforcing element after the solid-state welding, and
wherein the structure is an I-beam and the surface of the structure is a surface of a flange of the I-beam.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal is aluminum and the second metal is steel.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising supporting the I-beam at a side of the flange which is opposite to the surface of the flange during the solid state welding.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the I-beam includes extruding the I-beam having the at least one groove along the surface of the I-beam.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the rod includes one or more raised features along a surface of the rod.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state welding is friction stir welding.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cap includes an elongated bar of the first metal dimensioned to at least partially fill a remaining volume of the groove over the rod, such that an exterior surface of the cap forms at least a portion of the face of the structure after the embedding.