Curtain walls - As construction material

NEW AGE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION CURTAIN WALLS
NEW AGE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION | PRESENTATION BY AR. GEEVA CHANDANA 1

19ARE618T | NEW AGE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
1.CURTAINWALLS
Introduction
Advantage/
Disadvantage
Materials: Glass, Steel
Cladding, Aluminium
Cladding, Ribbed metal
cladding, modern
materials.
Construction Techniques,
Technologies
Maintenance and
Application
1.CURTAINWALLS
Shapes: Sloping and
curved glass curtain
walls
Steel plate shear curtain
walls
Metallic cladding for
roofs
Construction Techniques,
Technologies
Maintenance and
Application

CURTAIN WALLS
• A non-load bearing exterior skin
• Does not contribute to the structural support of
the building
• Provides the air and water tightness of the
building exterior
• Provide aesthetic signatures to buildings.

CURTAIN WALLS

CURTAIN WALLS
All wall systems are required to resist many different forces in the provision of
a suitable separation of indoor and outdoor environments. They are required
to:
• have sufficient structural strength and rigidity
• resist the spread of fire
• be durable
• control odours
• control light
• control sound and vibration
• control heat flow
• control air flow
• control water vapour flow
• control exterior precipitation
• control solar radiation

CURTAIN WALLS : HISTORY
Modernist architects discarded the decorative styles of the
19th century and sought to merge architecture with
industry. The result was a simple, logical, functional
building style, as much industrial as artistic.
First curtain wall was designed by German Architect
Walter Gropius : Bauhaus
Gropius constructed the new campus according to his
philosophy of clean, functional, modern design.
“Curtain Wall”, the exterior wall of glass that also
displays the building’s interior design.
In 1950’s, designed as a series of window units and
panels joined and supported by simple framing
members.

CURTAIN WALLS : COMPONENTS

GLASS WALLS : TYPES
1. Stick Wall
2. Unitized Wall
3. Storefront
4. I-Beam Wall
5. Pressure Wall
6. Window Wall
1 2
3 4
5 6

STICK SYSTEM
• Earlier design of curtain wall technology - installed piece by piece.
• The mullion members (which is vertical member) are installed first,
followed in turn by the transom members (which is horizontal rail
member), and finally the glazing or window units.

STICK SYSTEM
Advantages:
• Low shipping and handling costs, because of minimal bulk,
• Allows some degree of dimensional adjustment to site
conditions.
Disadvantages:
• Necessity of assembly in the construction site, rather than
under controlled factory conditions, and the fact that pre-
glazing is obviously impossible.

UNITIZED SYSTEM
• Factory-assembled and factory–glazed under controlled conditions.
• Units are hung from the floor above on pre-set anchors.

CURTAINWALLS:SELECTION

CURTAIN WALLS : STICK VS UNITIZED

CURTAIN WALL : MATERIALS
1. Glass Curtain Wall
2. Steel Cladding In Curtain Wall
3. Aluminium Cladding In Curtain Wall
4. Ribbed Metal Cladding In Curtain Wall
5. Sloping And Curved Curtain Wall
6. Steel Plate Shear Curtain Wall
7. Metallic Cladding For Roof
1 2
3
4 5

GLASS CURTAIN WALL

CURTAIN WALL : GLASS
•Glass may be used which is transparent, translucent, or opaque,
or in varying degrees thereof.
•Transparent glass usually refers to vision glass in a curtain wall.
•Spandrel or vision glass may also contain translucent glass,
which could be for security or aesthetic purposes.
•Opaque glass is used in areas to hide a column or spandrel
beam or shear wall behind the curtain wall.
•Another method of hiding spandrel areas is through shadow
box construction (providing a dark enclosed space behind the
transparent or translucent glass).
•Shadow box construction creates a perception of depth behind
the glass that is sometimes desired.

CURTAIN WALL : GLASS - SIZES
FOR COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION,
•The two most common thicknesses :1/4 inch (6 mm) monolithic and 1 inch (25 mm) insulating glass.
•1/4 inch glass is typically used only in spandrel areas, while insulating glass is used for the rest of
the building (sometimes spandrel glass is specified as insulating glass as well).
•The 1 inch insulation glass is typically made up of two 1/4-inch lites of glass with a 1/2 inch (12
mm) airspace.
•The air inside is usually atmospheric air, but some inert gases, such as argon or krypton may be used
to offer better thermal transmittance values.
FOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION,
•Thicknesses commonly used are 1/8 inch (3 mm) monolithic and 5/8 inch (16 mm) insulating glass.
• Larger thicknesses are typically employed for buildings or areas with higher thermal, relative
humidity, or sound transmission requirements, such as laboratory areas or recording studios.

METAL CLADDING

CURTAIN WALL : METAL CLADDING
•Metal is commonly used for non-structural, rain-screen
cladding systems, where the priority is to provide protection
from the elements as well as a striking external finish.
•Foldable, malleable nature, metal panels can be connected
together and attached to a building in a wide variety of ways,
each system offering different benefits in terms of construction
complexity and aesthetic finish.

•The most commonly used materials for cladding are stainless
steel, zinc, copper and aluminium. Each of these metals have
their own features and advantages.
•Advantages in terms of providing a high quality, sustainable
and cost-effective exterior.
•For example, stainless steel’s glossy finish makes it a highly
attractive option for any built structure were the aesthetics of
the result are important, and its self-healing properties are
ideal for minimising maintenance costs.
•Stainless steel cladding is both a sustainable and cost-effective
choice for buildings that need to last.

METAL CLADDING: ALUMINIUM
Aluminum is naturally resistant to rusting or blistering, making it a popular cladding
choice for contemporary projects.
It also possesses an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, meaning aluminum façade
attachment systems can be less bulky than those for steel panels.
That said, the material is prone to denting and scratches, and may corrode under
certain environmental conditions without proper care.

ALUMINIUM CLADDING : ADVANTAGES
1. ALUMINIUM IS A VERY LIGHT WEIGHT METAL
Aluminium weighs in at about the third of the weight of steel. On average it weighs
around 2,7g/cm3. This is a big reason many architects consider using aluminium when
cladding. The process of installing the aluminium panels, aluminium louvres or
aluminium facade systems will be much easier due to the weight.
2. ALUMINIUM IS VERY RESISTANT TO CORROSION
Corrosion does not affect aluminium due to its protective oxide coating. Unlike
copper, the weather conditions don’t influence aluminium. It won’t rust and corrode
over time.

ALUMINIUM CLADDING : ADVANTAGES
3. ALUMINIUM IS FLEXIBLE
Aluminium is one of the easiest metals to melt and bent. The melting point of
aluminium is very low making it easy to shape. Because it is also flexible, aluminium is
used widely by architects for special designs that require curved or uncommon
shapes.
4. ALUMINIUM IS COMPLETELY RECYCLABLE
Aluminium cladding is sustainable. Aluminium is recyclable and won’t lose any of its
quality in the process. Aluminium is remelted all the time and the process takes little
energy.

METAL CLADDING: STAINLESS STEEL
Steel coated in a thin layer of chromium oxide is commonly referred to as stainless
steel.
The chromium helps prevent the oxidization process of corrosion occurring, so the
material is resistant to rusting. Stainless steel is also popular for its clean, polished
finish.

STEEL CLADDING : ADVANTAGES
1. STAINLESS STEEL IS AESTHETICALLY APPEALING
Compared to zinc, stainless steel is a material with a glossy, more polished finish. Due
to this aesthetically beneficial quality, it is commonly used for wall cladding in a
decorative manner. Stainless steel has a unique aesthetic advantage to any
construction or building.
2. STAINLESS STEEL IS DURABLE
Stainless steel has a high durability: the metal panels will not change in appearance
for several decades. This is in contrast with copper, which colour will change over
time.

STEEL CLADDING : ADVANTAGES
3. STAINLESS STEEL HAS RESISTANCE TO CORROSION
Stainless steel has an incredibly high resistance for corrosion, due to its ‘self-healing’
quality. When the metal is scratched or is starting to wear due to abrasion, an
invisible layer of chromo(III) oxide (Cr2O3 on the periodic table) will form when
oxygen is available. This thin layer protects the metal underneath it, and will make
the material polished, smooth and lustrous again.
4. STAINLESS STEEL IS COMPLETELY RECYCLABLE
Stainless steel is completely recyclable. The larger part of the stainless steel
production nowadays is even being fabricated with recycled parts of the material.
This shows that the metal can very easily be re-used, and makes it even more durable
besides its long life span.

STAINLESS STEEL CLADDING ALUMINIUM CLADDING
Sustainable and cost-effective choice glossy finish - highly
attractive option -were the aesthetics are important - ideal
for minimizing maintenance costs.
Aluminium cladding generally has a neoprene core, making
it the ideal choice for buildings where energy efficiency is
of prime importance.
Strength, durability, large glazing portions Lighter weight
Architects commonly use steel large curtain walls to improve
day lighting - wide spans and heights up to more than 15
meters.
Architects prefer aluminium for skyscrapers with glass
panels - price advantage and the design flexibility.
Finishes: Brush finish, satin polish finish, mirror polish. Finishes: Brush or polish aluminium for glossy and appealing
Corrosion resistant - must be treated against corrosion, like
zinc coating or painting. Possible scratches might result in
rusty zones if not.
Corrosion resistance unless the environment is highly acidic.

MATERIALS & FINISHES
STAINLESS STEEL GALVANIZED STEEL TYPICAL SAND BLASTED METAL FINISH TYPICAL BRUSHED METAL FINISH

MATERIALS & FINISHES
ENGINE TURNED POWDER COATED PATTERNED METAL FINISHES

METAL CLADDING: COPPER
Lightweight cladding option, copper is very durable compared to other materials,
and at the end of the building life is also 100% recyclable.
Its subtly reflective appearance evolves over time due to oxidization, turning the
metal a distinctive green color.

METAL CLADDING: BRASS
Striking a balance between the cool hue of zinc and the warmth of copper, brass is a
highly malleable cladding material that makes it well suited to decorative sheet
metal work.
Over time, brass takes on a golden-brown patina as its surface oxidizes.

RIBBED METAL CLADDING

METAL CLADDING: CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

Curtain walls - As construction material

Curtain walls - As construction material

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