Curtain Wall System
What is a curtain wall in common usage?
Usually refers to aluminum framed systems carrying glass, panels, louvers or occasionally, granite or marble.
How long do perimeter sealants last for if properly designed and installed?
10-15 years.
What is a curtain wall?
A curtain wall is any non-loading bearing exterior wall that hangs from the face of the floor slabs, regardless of construction or cladding material.
What is a stick wall?
A framework of site assembled components that support pre-assembled infill panels.
What is a storefront wall?
Are non-loading bearing glazed systems that occur on the ground floor, which typically include commercial aluminum entrances.
Due to solar heat gain concerns how did glass change?
Became tinted, reflected, insulated, or low-e.
what are typical performance failures?
Condensation and frosting-inadequate heat flow performance Glare-inadequate light control Noise-inadequate sound mitigation or generation of the inborn noise by the wall itself. Leakage-inadequate rain water resistance.
What requires maintenance and repair to maximize service life?
Curtain walls and perimeter sealants.
What are failures during construction?
Deficient field installation, improper or deterred maintenance, underfunded maintenance, improper of missing staff training, omission of commissioning design, ordinary wear and tear.
What are failures before?
Design errors and omissions, materials without proven performance, deficient shop fabrication.
What kind of glass is there?
Float, tempered, heat-strengthened, laminated, wired, spandrel
What requires inspection and maintenance to minimize water penetration?
Glazing seals and gaskets.
what are typical performance failures? (2)
glass breakage-inadequate impact resistance, differential movement, or material failure. free fall of wall fragments- inadequate structural attachment. aesthetic imperfections of glass and coatings-miscellaneous reasons. corrosion-inadequate corrosion protection, galvanic action of dissimilar metals
What are advantages of having a unitized wall system?
Speed, lower field installation costs, and quality control within an interior climate controlled environment.
Name three basic curtain walls?
Storefront, Stick, and Unitized.
What consists of a stick wall?
Mullions(sticks), that are fabricated in the shop and installed and glazed in the field.
What did the use of structural steel reinforce?
Reinforced concrete allowing relatively small columns to support large loads.
What is a unitized wall system?
Sections or prefabricated wall which are transported to the site.
Why a curtain wall?
Smaller wall footprint, parallel scheduling, lighter structure, structural flexibility, improved light access, and structural independence.
