Natural light, ventilation and heat are increasingly controlled by building users, which necessitates adjustments to the envelope design. As well as their accepted role in weatherproofing and extemal aesthetics, curtain walling systems are now being asked to perform an increasingly active role within the overall structure of the building.
The external glass box is disappearing as environmental issues take centre stage. Curtain walling is currently experiencing an era of rapid and exciting development. Literally thousands of unique profiles, each one able to perform a number of specific structural and aesthetic tasks, are now available to designers, as either off-the-peg or bespoke systems. While not all curtain walling systems use aluminium framing, aluminiums unique capability of being extruded into complex shapes to exact tolerances provides the unrivalled versatility which makes it the material of choice to this day.
Illuminated by a series of landmark projects including Pietro Belushis Equitable Building, SOMs Lever Building and Mies van der Rohe and Phillip Johnsons Seagram Building, leading architects have capitalised on the ability of curtain walling manufacturers to produce elegant solutions to complex design and engineering challenges. All information contained herein E&OE.Įver since Shreve, Lamb & Harmon specified aluminium curtain walling for the iconoclastic Empire State Building in 1929, this form of construction has helped redefine our built environment. However, standards are regularly updated and superseded, and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of standards information or its suitability for specific uses, and we recommend that readers make their own enquiries where detailed information or its suitability for specific uses, and we recommend that readers make their own enquiries where detailed information is required. Standards The standards information quoted in this document is current and correct, to the best of our knowledge, as we go to press. However, provided that specific permission is granted in writing by the company in advance of publication, we will allow the reproduction of extracts from the information contained herein. Copyright The contents of this document are strictly copyright Kawneer UK Limited.
Sources of Information 6.0 Trade Associations and Research Bodies 6.01 Relevant Standards 6.02 Further Reading 6.03 11 Kawneer Contact File 6.04 12 Please Note: 1. Performance and Testing 3.0 5 Test Classifications 3.01 Wind Resistance and Structural Loading 3.02 Fabrication Advances 3.03 Technological Integration 3.04 Design Development 3.05 6 Contracting 3.06Ĭase Studies 4.0 7 Oterprise Square, Hong Kong - Commercial/Office 4.01 Five Brindleyplace, Birmingham - Commercial/Office 4.02 Motorola, Swindon - Industrial 4.03 Calakmul, Santa Fe, Mexico - Commercial/Office 4.04 8 State University of New York, USA - University 4.05 Warner Village Cinema, Inverness - Leisure 4.06 Cheng Loong Plaza, Taipei, Taiwan - Commercial/Office 4.07 9 Newport Wafer-Fab, Gwent - Industrial 4.08 Lippo Centre, Hong KongCommercial/Office 4.09 Contents Section Page Principles of Curtain Walling 1.0 1 What is Curtain Walling? 1.01 Why Aluminium? 1.02 Coating Confidence 1.03 Factory Finished for Fast Track Construction 1.04 2ĭesign Principles 2.0 2 Weathertightness 2.01 Design Solutions 2.02 Stick or Unitised Curtain Walling? 2.03 3 Zone or Mullion Drainage? 2.04 Dry Gasket or Silicone Sealed Glazing? 2.05 4 Roof Glazing and Rainscreens 2.06