1. Introduction
The word quality is overused to an extent that it
has become a cliché. Most of what we see around
us is claimed to be of ‘good’ quality or of ‘high’
standards. This article relates the author’s
perspective on how quality can be defined in
building & construction focusing on façade &
fenestration elements.
It primarily focuses on three levels where “Quality
Checks” are critical. These are explained by
examples of curtain wall systems, building
hardware and partition systems. Below are three
levels of quality check:-
A. Product design
B. Product manufacturing
C. System design and execution
It is important for key stakeholders (developers and
owners, designers & architects, contractors and
manufacturers) involved in creating buildings to be
aware of these levels of quality as these will help
them pinpoint possible aberrations. Compliance to
certain or limited standards may give a false feeling
of quality compliance to manufacturers or users.
Any product or a system which will be part of a
building (glazing, hinges, window) has to perform
throughout the claimed life of the building and
should be in a position to endure known (high
Quality Checks for
Building Façade
About Author:
An engineer and a post graduate in finance, Abhishek
Chhabra handles the business development activities
forThomas Bell Wright Laboratories, Dubai. Over the
last twelve years he has helped organizations expand
their businesses by better understanding the supply
chains of materials, services and quality.
Prior to joiningThomas Bell Wright as business
development, he spent over six years helping Intertek’s
(The testing, Inspection and Certification body) clients
in India and overseas effectively utilize their testing and
certification services to grow their business across
verticals of products and services
Abhishek Chhabra,
Business Development Manager
Thomas Bell Wright
Dubai
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2. 1. How to create the testing environment
2. How to install the samples
3. How and which all parameters are to be
recorded during the test duration.
Below is a brief list of the steps for the above test:
Step 1.The sample is received along with detailed
drawings of the system.
Step 2. Before and during the Installation, evidence
is gathered to correlate the sample submitted with
the drawings. (fig. 1 & 2)
winds, rain) and limited unforeseen environments
(like earthquakes, fire etc.) To develop and supply a
product or a system that displays consistency
repeatability of compliance evokes a satisfaction of
quality. Various tools that are used by organizations
to achieve these levels of assurance are discussed
below.
Quality Check for Product Design
It is common for companies to claim that their
products comply with a certain standard and hence
implying that these are a quality product. It is
critical to understand the extent and boundaries of
these standards.
There are a large number of standards (AAMA,
ASTM, BS, CWCT, EN, etc.) for products. A
standard can define either or all of the following:
 test method
 classification
 practice
 guideline
Fire rated curtain wall as per EN 1364-3
EN 1364-3 is a European Standard which specifies
a test method for determining the fire resistance of
curtain walling (full configuration) for non-load
bearing elements. The scope also defines that this
European Standard does not cover double skin
façades, over-cladding systems and ventilated
façade systems on external walls. It does not deal
with the behavior of curtain wall in case of fire.
Test method to check the compliance of a fire
rated curtain wall with EN 1364-3
Such a test is conducted to verify the fire rating (in
hours/minutes) that a particular design can endure.
The standard details on the following:
fig. 1
fig. 2
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Step 3. Samples are carefully installed on to a
frame representing the standard conditions. (fig. 3
& 4)
Step 4. The system is loaded with thermocouples
and sensors which will help capture change in
temperature and other parameters to be recorded.
(fig. 5)
Step 5. The furnace is fired up. It is designed to
simulate the increase in temperature and pressure
as it would progress in case of a real fire (fig. 6 & 7)
fig. 3
fig. 4
fig. 5
fig. 6
fig. 7

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Step 6. The test sample is carefully monitored
throughout the duration of the test for various
parameters like changes in deflection of structure,
rate of change of temperature, behavior of material,
release of gases etc. (fig. 8, 9, 10 & 11).
fig. 8
fig. 9 fig. 11
fig. 10

5. Step 7. The test ends in confirming the fire rating of
the curtain wall system in minutes till which the
system could withstand a real fire. (example 120
minutes of fire rating)
Step 8. A test report is compiled and issued
capturing behavior of the system during the test as
per the test standard.
This is a product level quality check and is the
starting point to prove compliance of future
performance of the product or systems in given
environment. Testing with many combinations of
systems, materials and environments may be
necessary before the design can be claimed to
perform as per desired expectations in unique
environments.
Precautions to be taken while testing /choosing
a test lab:
1. Ensure the testing laboratory is accredited to
ISO 17025
2. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 specifies the general
requirements that determine a lab’s
competence to carry out tests and/or
calibrations, including sampling. It covers
testing and calibrations using standard
methods, non-standard methods and
laboratory-developed methods
3. Accreditation is a process in which certification
of competency, authority, or credibility is
presented. Organizations that issue credentials
or certify third parties against official standards
are themselves formally accredited by
accreditation bodies (such as UKAS- United
Kingdom Accreditation Service)
4. National Accreditation Board for Testing and
Calibration Laboratories (NABL) which is India’s
national accreditation body is a signatory to
Mutual Recognition Arrangement with
International Laboratory Accreditation
Cooperation (ILAC)
5. The International Laboratory Accreditation
Cooperation - is an international cooperation of
laboratory and inspection accreditation bodies
formed more than 30 years ago to help remove
technical barriers to trade. 36 laboratory
accreditation bodies from 28 economies
worldwide signed an arrangement to accept
each other’s accreditation. This helps bring the
test reports issued by laboratories accredited by
different accreditation bodies at par (Example
the report issued from a lab in India accredited
to a standard by NABL is equal to the report
issued by a lab in UK accredited to the ‘same
standard’ by UKAS and vice-versa)
6. The compliance testing should use a test
standard which guides to simulate the
conditions of the environment where the
product will be finally used. For example ANSI
(American National Standards Institute) is the
body that adopts standards from various
standard writing bodies like UL, ASTM, AAMA,
etc. to declare them as the standards that are
representative of the conditions prevailing in
USA. Like the ANSI standards for fire resistance
testing (for doors ANSI/UL 10C) makes it
mandatory to conduct a hose stream test at
the end of the fire rating testing. This is done to
simulate the practice that is followed in United
States where the fire department believes it is
mandatory that the fire rated partitioning
system maintains their integrity when the fire is
extinguished.
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6. Quality Check of “Product Manufacturing”
Mass producing a tested and complied design requires that the exact same steps be undertaken to
assemble / make the system / subsystems with the exact same components / materials.
The selection of raw material and the design of the product is dictated by the end application. This could vary
vastly for the same product.
Using the nomenclature of BS EN 1935, I would want to bring out the extent to which the applications of a
simple “hinge” can very. The European Standard written by BSI is a standard for single-axis hinges defining
its requirements and test methods.
Below is an image (fig. 12) explaining the 8 digits used to classify a single axis hinge.
This standard helps create a test report to show compliance of the hinge design to the exact 8 digit code
using defined testing methodology. Consultants designing systems use these classifications to specify
hinges for their final system and need proof of continued compliance to these parameters.
fig.12
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7. fig. 13
Product Certification for assurance of performance repeatability:
One of the most commonly used system to create evidence of future performance of products or systems
manufactured or assembled is Third Party Product Certification.
Independent agencies which offer product certification services need accreditation as per ISO/IEC 17065
from an accreditation body. ISO/IEC 17065 is a standard defined as: - Conformity assessment --
Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services (replaces EN 45011 and ISO Guide 65)
An accreditation to this standard empowers certification bodies to carry out the following procedures:
1. Inspect & map the product’s manufacturing
2. Technically assess test data generated by compliance testing conducted by an independent testing
laboratory accredited to conduct the requisite tests
3. Conduct surveillance audits at manufacturing premises to ensure repeatability of product performance
4. Issue a certification marking and maintain a directory (online) of the certification information.
After seeing the extent to which a simple hardware as a hinge is specified as per the its application you can
appreciate the need of a “third party certification” scheme which helps assure system designers and
manufacturers that their systems will perform to desired levels.
Having a third party product certification is the key to assure quality at the Product Manufacturing level.
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9. 1. AIR INFILTRATIONTEST ASTM E 283
Test pressure 600 Pa
Permitted leakage fix wall 1.5 m³/hr/m²
Permitted leakage window 2.0 m³/hr/m
2. STATIC WATER PENETRATIONTEST ASTM E 331
Test Pressure 600 Pa
Leakage Details No water penetration on interior surface
3. STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCETEST ASTM E 330
Test Pressure + 2.67 kPa
Acceptable Deflection - 3.40 kPa
L/200 or 20 mm whichever is less,
4. DYNAMIC WATER PENETRATIONTEST AAMA 501.1-05
Test Pressure 600 Pa
Permitted leakage No water penetration on interior surface
5. SEISMICTEST (+/-) 14 mm from
Horizontal displacement normal position
6. HOSETEST AAMA 501.2-09
7. STRUCTURAL PROOF LOAD ASTM 330
Test Pressure = 1.2 X design load + 3.204 kPa
Acceptable Deformation - 4.080 kPa
L/1000
Project 1 -Table 1
Quality Check of “System Design and Execution”
Every project is unique and quite often structures & systems designed call for modifications in materials and
components purchased to build it. Most of the time systems like facades, fenestrations and partitions are
uniquely designed for each project. To ensure that tested and certified products and materials will perform in
the unique environment; systematic testing is required.
The geographical and climatic environment the building is being erected is a key factor influencing the
specifications of compliance of each element of the building. As an example the illustration below shows
two different project specifications. These two will call for different approaches of material usage as well as
testing to check quality. (table1, table2)
At this stage of the project the representative mockups of sections of curtain walls, windows, partitions and
other systems need to undergo tests which simulate the final conditions which are specified by the design
consultants.
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1. STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCETEST AS/ NZS 4284-95
Test pressure 1.6 kPa
Acceptable Deflection L / 240 or 20 mm
2. AIR INFILTRATIONTEST AS/ NZS 4284-95
Test Pressure 300 Pa
Permitted Leakage 3.6 m³/hr/m² (1.0 L/s/m²)
3. STATIC WATER PENETRATIONTEST AS/ NZS 4284-95
Test Pressure 300 Pa
Leakage Details No water penetration on interior surface
4. CYCLIC WATER PENETRATIONTEST AS/ NZS 4284-95
Test Pressure Cycle 1 150 – 300 Pa
Cycle 2 320 – 640 Pa
Cycle 3 480 – 960 Pa
Leakage Details No water penetration on interior surface
5. STRUCTURAL PROOF LOADTEST AS/ NZS 4284-95
Test Pressure 2.4 kPa
6. SEAL DEGRADATIONTEST AS/ NZS 4284-95
Project 2 -Table 2
Tools to create evidence of compliance of systems and workmanship:
 Break down the design to critical sub-systems to check the uniquely designed elements for known
failures as per prescribed standards and limits set by the design consultant.
 Test these sub-systems with uniquely designed and fabricated mockups that simulate the project
environment. Test standards specify methodologies of testing and data capture.
 Use on-site testing to arrive as proof of compliance of the final work at the site.
 Utilize (if available) technical opinions (assessments) to extrapolate existing test data to prove
compliance with certain modifications.
 Conduct inspections to correlate the workmanship of fabrication system erection.
Points worth noting while conducting such tests:
 The mockups should be erected by the same subcontractors and using the exact same design and
materials which will be later deployed at site.
 The inspectors reviewing final work done at site should refer to test reports which have captured the
design, material and method of fabrication to check the workmanship of the final work.
 Careful attention should be given to the design. The stakeholders should not attempt to achieve
compliance to under or over specified requirements.
 The third party testing or inspection agency should have appropriate accreditations to conduct the requisite tests.
This system level quality check is most prone to short cuts. Design consultants and governing authorities
(like fire departments, public works departments, municipalities, etc.) are the guardians of quality. They set
codes, guidelines and criteria of acceptance of buildings and their performance. These guardians can be
tough or lax in their monitoring processes.
Conclusion:
With increased awareness amongst developers, owners and users there is an increased level of
understanding for quality checks and the availability of the right tools and processes brings about a promise
for more accuracy in curtain wall performances.
The above elaboration aimed at making quality checks more quantifiable. Empowered with correct
knowledge and equipment the stakeholders can be mindful of the pitfalls and false quality claims.