Curtain

Wall
System
By :
Shourya Garg
120695073
Sec-A
3rd Yr.
Sharda University

Curtain Wall
A curtain wall is a building faade that does not carry any dead load from
the building other than its own dead load. A curtain wall receives and
resists loads that are incident upon it : wind, rain, snow and seismic
forces. These loads are transferred to the main building structure through
connections at floors or columns of the building. A curtain wall is designed
to resist air and water infiltration.
Curtain walls are typically designed with extruded aluminum members.
(the first curtain walls were made of steel). The aluminum frame is typically
in filled with glass, providing vision, day lighting and aesthetic qualities.
Thermal comfort and visual comfort are more difficult to control when
using highly-glazed curtain walls.
Other common infill's include: stone veneer, metal panels, louvers, and
operable windows or vents.

Curtain wall system:

Non load bearing
Multi level spans
Supported by floor framing
Site fabricated /
prefabricated
Climate modification
Higher wind loads
Image

Storefront system:
Ingress / egress
Visual connection with
street
Security

Terms:
Spandrel glass
Head
Jamb
Sill
Mullin

Storefront system
sits at edge of
interior floor slab and
exterior walk
Level to sloped
Smooth to rough

Framing:
Extruded
aluminum
Systematized
Anodized finishes

Glazing:
Tempered glass
Spandrel glass
Tinted glass
Float glass
Laminated glass for
security
Insulated glass

Glass Types

 Laminated Glass is made by sandwiching a transparent

polyvinyl butyric (PVB) interlayer between sheets of glass
bonding the three layers together under heat and pressure.
When laminated glass breaks, the plastic sheet holds the
broken glass in place, thus reducing the risk of injury in
case of breakage.
The Entry canopy at the High Museum is made of laminated glass
supported by stainless steel spider fittings that transmit the weight
of the roof to cantilevered steel beams.

Tempered Glass is glass that is reheated and rapidly

cooled, which causes it to break into pea-sized pellets.

Heat-Absorbing Glass (actinic glass) is tinted to absorb

a high degree of solar radiation, and thus, it transmits
less solar heat and glare into building. It is usually
bronze, gray, or blue-green in color.

Low E-Glass
Glass that has a
coating applied on the
inside face of double
pane insulating glass
that restricts thermal
energy flow in a
specific direction
depending on
placement

INSIDE

OUTSIDE

Insulated Glass
Glass that increases R-value
(insulating value) and
prevents condensation from
forming on the glass.

Wire Glass

Glass that remains intact and restricts the expansion of fire.

Its made by placing wire mesh in the middle of glass during the
manufacturing process.

Sunlight transmission thru glass

Sunlight transmission through glass

Glazing
Glazing is the process of placing glass or glazing in
windows and making a weather tight joint between
the glass and its frame.
Glass panels set into grooves designed to receive
them, held in place with glazing beads, points, or
clips, and sealed in place with various glazing
compounds.

 These synthetics are particularly effective in

allowing for the thermal expansion and
contraction of glass: rubber, neoprene & vinyl

Used when
the Architect
desires a
clean
unbroken
exterior
surface for
the glazing
uninterrupted
by the
protrusion of
mullions.
Silicone an excellent and frequently used material to secure glass. Proper
control and placement is essential to create structural adhesion with weather
proofing, thermal and load resistant qualities. Silicone joints should be
designed to perform on two opposing surface planes. This is achieved thru the
use of spacers, bond breakers and backer rods.

Fritted Glass
Glass that has an imprint on
the surface with silk screened
patterns of ceramic based
paint.
The paint consist primarily of
pigmented glass particles that
are called frits.
Typical patterns are stripes or dots,
but custom designs are easily
reproduced.

Curtain Wall System

A curtain wall is an exterior wall

system that is attached to the
structural framework of a building
and that carries no weight other
than its own and wind loading that
it transfers to the structure.
With aluminium and glass curtain
wall systems, the vertical mullions
are attached to the floors or beams
at every floor in order to carry
gravity and wind loads.
Attachment devices allow the
vertical mullions to be adjusted to
provide a perfectly plumb and
straight line for the entire height of
the building.

Sample aluminum curtain wall profiles

Structural Glass Walls

A structural glass wall is made up of tempered glass sheets suspended
from special clamps, or spider fittings and are stabilized against wind
pressure by perpendicular stiffeners and/or cables.

Spider fittingsused to hold tempered glass in structural glass walls

Structural Glass Wall

Glass Fin System

Glass fins used as structural elements to carry glass

gravity and wind loads.