Aluminium can sub for steel in hulls (was The scrap-hull vs. the ET)

> Generally, any hull designed to be made of steel can be made of
> aluminium instead, simply by making it ~50% thicker.
> http://www.kastenmarine.com/alumVSsteel.htm

Ah. So you'd (partially) solve the problem by dramatically increasing
construction costs?

> http://neverworld.net/truax/Sea_Dragon_Concept_Volume_1.pdf
> "The welding of 2014 aluminum in 8 in. thick plates"

And this is why it's only partially useful. It is very difficult to
transform such material into anything remotely useful. The expense, mass,
and cost of the factory needed to do this would very likely make the concept
uncompetative against other supply systems.