CURTAIN WALL

CURTAIN WALL
Outer covering of a building in which the
outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep
out the weather.
Lightweight material = Reduced Construction
Costs
Designed to:
Resist Air and Water infiltration
Sway induced by Wind and Seismic forces acting on
the building and its own dead load weight forces.

BRIEF HISTORY
Middle of the 19th century - buildings were constructed with the
exterior walls of the building (bearing walls, typically masonry)
supporting the load of the entire structure.
The development and widespread use of structural steel and
reinforced concrete allowed relatively small columns to support
large loads and the exterior walls of buildings were no longer
required for structural support.
The exterior walls could be non-load bearing and thus much lighter
and more open = Increased use of glass as an exterior facade --->
Birth of Modern day curtain wall
Rigid structures needed for curtain walls can also be made with
wood
18th century (Ottoman empire) - Larger Glass panels were used =
First true curtain walls

 1864 - Oriel
Chambers in Liverpool,
England, -World's first
metal framed glass curtain
walled building
1866 - 16 Cook
Street, Liverpool
Both built and designed by
Architect Peter Ellis
The extensive glass walls light to penetrate further
into the building = more
floor space and reducing
lighting costs in short
winter months.

 Some of the first curtain walls were made with

steel mullions and the plate glass was attached to
the mullions with asbestos or fiberglass modified
glazing compound.
Eventually silicone sealants or glazing tape were
substituted, using a glass mullion system.
Some designs included an outer cap to hold the
glass in place and to protect the integrity of the
seals.

 The first curtain wall

installed in New York
City, in the Lever
House building
(Skidmore, Owings
and Merrill, 1952),
was this type of
construction.

German Architect Walter Gropius

-constructed the new campus(Bauhaus)
according to his philosophy of clean,
functional, modern design.
-The first architect to design a building
using curtain wall.
- Founder of the International Style in
Architecture.

 Early modernist examples:

Bauhaus in Dessau (1926)

Hallidie Building, San Francisco (1918)

 The 1970s - Beginning of widespread use of

aluminum extrusions for mullions. Aluminum
offers the unique advantage of being able to be
easily extruded into nearly any shape required
for design and aesthetic purposes.
Sealing methods and types have evolved over
the years = todays curtain walls are high
performance systems and require little
maintenance

FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE

REQUIREMENTS OF CURTAIN WALL
FOR HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS:
1. Strength & Stability dead load and wind load
2. Weather Resistance to keep out water & wind
3. Thermal Insulation & Condensation
Max 30W/ sq.m
4. Sound Insulation 25dB or above
5. Fire Resistance usually no specific requirement
if enough separating distance from relevant
boundary is provided.

ADVANTAGES
Constructed from much lighter materials like
glass - allows for the filtration of natural light
into the building
Preventing air and moisture from entering the
building
Also act as a fire stop - slowing or preventing
the spread of fire between floors of the
building

DISADVANTAGES
Regular Maintenance
Sealant, to keep out moisture and wind, must be applied
to the perimeter.
Sealant must be replaced every 10 years or so.

Cost and Time required for Installation

Stick system - require a great deal of time to assemble and
performance depends on the quality of the installation.
Unitized curtain walls - consist of factory-assembled
frames which reduces installation time and cost but incurs
greater costs for shipping and storage.

INSTALLATION PROCESS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Transportation, Storage and Handling

Anchorage and Connection Provision
Installation Arrangement
Final Fixing and Inspection

COMMON TYPES OF CURTAIN

WALL SYSTEMS FOR HIGH-RISE
BUILDINGS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Stick system
Unit system
Unit and Mullion system
Column-Cover and Spandrel system
Point Loaded Structural Glazing System

STICK SYSTEM
Mullions (sticks) are fabricated in the shop and

installed

and glazed in the field.

Sticks are placed between floors vertically
support individual components: horizontal mullions, glazing and
spandrels

Loads are transferred to the building through connections at

the floors or columns
The characteristics of this system are its relatively low shipping
and handling
costs, because of minimal bulk, and the fact that it allows some
degree of
dimensional adjustment to site conditions.

UNIT PANEL SYSTEM

For large or labour-intensive projects, Unit
Panel systems may be a cost-effective alternative
to the Stick system.
Panels are fabricated and assembled at the shop
and may be glazed there as well.
The panels are then taken to the field where
they are attached to a building structure.

UNIT AND MULLION SYSTEM

Similar to the Stick system
Mullions are the first tube to be installed in
this system.
Spandrel and glazing are inserted into the Stick
system as a complete unit.

COLUMN COVER AND

SPANDREL SYSTEM
Similar to Unit and Mullion systems
Differ in that the building frame is emphasized
with column covers which act as sticks.

POINT LOADED STRUCTURAL

GLAZING SYSTEM
The vertical framing member can be
comprised of stick, cable, or another custom
structure behind the glass.
Glass is supported by a system of four-point
brackets and the joints are sealed with Silicone.

SECTION OF STICK
SYSTEM