The commercial curtain wall is a non-loadbearing enclosure with a wide range of systems, which can be made of any combination of non-structural materials. The commercial curtain wall commonly installed on the exterior of commercial and high-rise buildings to meet insulation, wind-load and aesthetic requirements without damaging the structure itself and ensuring the protection of the occupants.
Types of Curtain Wall Systems
Unitized Curtain Wall: Unitized curtain wall involves arrangement and glazing of significant components into a single unit at the factory site. This type of curtain wall is usually preferred for large towering buildings. People chose it for its shorter project schedule, lower field installation costs and better airtightness and waterproofness.
Stick Wall: Stick wall, which involves arranging and installing the small units of the curtain wall in the region where the curtain wall system is installed. It gives preference for the construction of small buildings and regions. It is a better choice for people who want lower shipping charges.
Window Wall: Window walls sit between floor slabs and are anchored at the sill and the head, which are installed on the interior and span from the floor to the ceiling. Window walls were chosen by increasing populations for their easier installation, safety and cost-effective. With window walls, you do not have to worry about issues like fire-stopping and noise pollution.
Glass Wall: Buildings with glass wall look like they are covered with glass windows or that the walls are made of glass rather than other standard building materials. In the industry, this design feature is often called a curtain wall or window wall.
Benefits of Using Commercial Curtain Wall Systems
Impressive visuals: commercial curtain wall systems provide striking and stunning visuals. With the installment of curtain walls, the stylish and sturdy design of the building is impressive enough to attract clients and meet the standard demands of modern architectural structures and design.
Flexibility in design: it is flexible to design. While planning and designing your project, you have a great range of autonomy to build customized structures with the help of commercial glass manufacturers, to reflect the business branding.
Energy efficient: it will reduce power consumption. Curtain walls can decrease the heating demands of the building since it can help in stabilizing the building temperature and increasing lighting efficiency at the same time, therefore, the lighting bills can reduce.
Lower construction costs: Since the manufacturing of the Curtain Wall System involves lightweight materials, it reduces the cost of construction largely. Fifth, supports its weight. The curtain walls are technically designed so that it supports its weight without taking support from the building.
Safety against fire: Curtain walls create a buffer between the compartments of the building that increases the safety against fire.
Protection against winds: Curtain walls provide the building structure resistance and protection against the winds. The curtain wall system does this by equally distributing the kinetic force along the surface of the structure. Hence, the structure develops more resistance against the wind forces and stays secure. Based on benefits mentioned above, it can prove to be a cost-effective investment in the long run. Hence, curtain wall system can be a perfect addition to your business buildings and offices.
Considerations on Design Your Commercial Curtain Wall
Curtain wall systems are complex projects that require careful planning. Five key curtain wall design load considerations are structural integrity, weather-tightness, sound control, energy efficiency and provision for movement.
Structural integrity: It refers to the ability of a structure to withstand its intended loading without failing due to fracture, deformation, or fatigue. As with all types of fenestration, lateral wind forces are the primary live loads affecting curtain wall structural integrity. The different design wind loads at different building heights and at areas adjacent to the building corners must be taken into account. The deflection of glass-supporting frame members also need consideration when designing curtain walls to avoid excessive stress on the glass that could lead to breakage. Then, the movement caused by differential thermal expansion or contraction between aluminum and glass must be accommodated without causing undue stress on glass, joints, and anchors, or reducing glass "bite."
Weather-tightness: It means preventing water penetration through the curtain wall. There are two solutions provided to solve this problem. One is the "internal drainage" system; the other is the "pressure equalization” method, based on the "rain screen principle."
Sound control: It is necessary for curtain wall systems. Mostly, the weak links in walls are the glazed areas that need more attention. Insulating glazing units with laminated glass generally improve sound attenuation. Where a high degree of sound insulation is required, air infiltration and resonance of rigidly supported glass lites should also be minimized.
Energy efficiency: It is a way to lower cost when designing. Adjust the proportion of metal and glass in a reasonable way can control thermal performance, so that reduce some unnecessary consumption.
Provision for movement: It means that allow dimensional tolerances and proper clearances in the detailing of glazing frames. Both tolerance and clearance are critical, because covering a field-constructed skeleton with a factory-made skin, involving the work of numerous trades, introduces numerous sources for variation.
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