Curtain wall structure makes a hit in the commercial buildings today

Curtain wall structure is regarded as a distinctive feature of the modern buildings today. Especially, various types of curtain walls are expected of commercial buildings, not only because of their numerous practical advantages but also because of their beautiful appearance in applications. Furthermore, curtain walls do provide benefits to commercial building design in spite of a higher curtain wall cost in construction budget. By taking into account the material used when building the wall, there can be energy savings due to reduced heating and cooling loads on the building.

In the current market, curtain wall structures are generally composed of vertical and horizontal framing members to structure the wall itself. And curtain walls can be built from many different materials depending on the desired appearance of the building. Common building materials include aluminum framing, stainless steel, brick, and glass. In addition, curtain walls contain structural materials such as rubber gaskets, sealant, metal connections, and insulation to ensure that the wall doesn’t compromise the energy efficiency of the building. In most cases, curtain wall systems can also be divided into two major “components”:
1) Vision areas that allow light to be transmitted into the building, promoting passive solar heating and natural light.
2) Spandrel areas that are designed to conceal the building floor beams and other supporting elements in applications. These are commonly seen in multi-story office buildings. This area is generally opaque, but can be modified to be aesthetically pleasing.

In addition, curtain wall also helps to soundproof the building, and this function is primarily a byproduct of the glazing choice and the strength of the seals that prevent air leakage. Also, installing a good insulator will help to make the construction airtight as well as improve the levels of soundproofing. Furthermore, curtain wall glazing is considered very important part of structural glass curtain wall applied in commercial buildings today. For example, glass curtain walls allow more light in, reducing the need for artificial lighting depending on the placement of the wall. Ensuring that a curtain wall is properly built can reduce air leakage in the building by sealing it well. This in turn improves the thermal performance of the building itself by controlling cool drafts. However, curtain wall structures are subject to rapid changes in temperature due to the lack of interior air beside them. They thus require a careful choice in insulation to minimize condensation.