User:APovlsen/sandbox

Expanded metal
Expanded metal is a way in which metal is squeezed and stretched to form a diamond shape pattern of metal wire like material. This material Is commonly used for walkways and fences. The reason for this material is better the wire is because it is stronger. The design and material used to make expanded metal is stronger than wire. This is because the material is flattened allowing the material to stay a solid piece of metal. The other benefit to expanded metal is the metal is still attached, it is never broken and reconnected. This is because to make expanded metal the metal is just stretched and pieces are cut out allowing the material to retain its strength. This is why wire fences bend when leaning on them and expanded metal fences do not. The fact that expanded metal doesn't give allows it to be used to walk on.

Importance of shape, size, and angle
The shaped most commonly used is a diamond shape because it provides the most strength available. The shape allows the metal to be able to absorb the most amount of energy. Different shapes and sizes will affect how well the metal absorbs energy and where the energy is spread throughout the expanded metal. Due to expanded metal being able to absorb and disperse energy throughout it can be used to walk on and to hold heavy loads. The measurement of sizes for the shapes varies a lot. First is the different shapes themselves the different shapes used are circles, squares, and diamonds. Diamonds are the most popular shapes because of how well the shape absorb energy but the other shapes can be used. The other part of shapes are the size and angles of shapes. For the diamond, there are at least four different angles that come into account. There are the two-acute angle and two obtuse angles the acutest will have the same angle as do both the obtuse angles. The angles of these are important to the strength of the structure. The larger the angles the less strength the shape will have because there would be too much space inside the shape but if the angles are too small strength is lost because of the shape is too close together that there is no space for the structure to hold. These angles for the shape are not the only angles that matter to making a good sheet of expanded metal. The angle in which the shapes are laid also plays a big part of strength. If the angle is zero the ends of the shape point to the start and the end of the sheet. This makes straight lines across the sheet of diamonds. This option provides the most strength when it comes to compressing the sheet on its side. This can even take more pressure than a solid piece of metal because the sheet will compress and spread the pressure throughout the sheet. The zero-degree angle for the shapes is the best for compressing but is the same in every other way for the four other angles. The other four angles are 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 90 plus 60 degrees, and 60 plus 90 degrees. 60 degree put the diamond diagonal to the start and end to the sheet. A 90 degree makes the diamond vertical to the start and the end of a sheet. The 90 plus 60 and 60 plus 90 angles are weird because they combine both a 60-degree angle and a 90-degree angle. The names tell which one come first. The one that come first in the name is what appears first. So a 90 plus 60 will have the 90 degree before the 60 degree meaning a diamond that is straight up and down next to a diagonal diamond. The different angles all work the same purpose but they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Other advantages to having a shape in the metal instead of having a solid shape is that if one was to walk on a solid piece of metal while the piece is wet there could be a slipping hazard so the small diamond cut outs in the expanded metal allow for a less slippery surface. This makes expanded metal a safer material to use for walkways or drains.

Usages
Expanded metal can be used to make fences, walk ways, and grates. This is due to the material being very durable and strong unlike wire, which is commonly used for fences and is lighter and less expensive. Also unlike the material used to make a grate or walk way. These are many reasons why this material is commonly used over other materials. Expanded metal is also very easy to make and can be made quickly and efficiently