How to look at functional performance of structural glass curtain wall in applications?

Glazed curtain wall systems have been gaining much more popularity in recent times, which are commonly found in commercial, industrial, institutional and residential buildings today. The design of curtain wall facade systems covers aesthetic considerations, weather proofing and structural evaluation. Recently, curtain wall structures are generally regarded as one of the distinctive features in the modern building applications. In most cases, structural glass curtain walls perform two main functions:
1. Acts as a weather barrier against air or water
2. Allows light to enter the interior space.

Generally speaking, which type of curtain wall systems would be better for you depends on your personal preference and curtain wall costs in the construction budget. If you would like to improve energy use of your building, then a thermally-broken unitized system or stick design may be most effective. However, if you just need an aesthetically-pleasing curtain wall that lets in plenty of natural light, then the number of seams may not be an issue. In that case, ladder design may be sufficient. Of course, it is possible for you to create a custom curtain wall, with a wide range of colors and array of texture options available. Furthermore, considering that the flexibility of curtain wall would be so robust, you can design a distinctive structural glass curtain wall system based on your specific requirements in applications.

For a long time, curtain walls that envelop an entire building or only one side are non-load bearing and created to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. In recent years, modern curtain wall designs play an important role in commercial buildings not only to protect mid-rise and some high-rise buildings against the harshest elements, but also to improve vertical stability, especially in some natural disaster zones. Because fewer stability concerns exist for buildings low to the ground, curtain walls are not typically designed for single or two-story buildings. In addition, structural glass curtain walls are involved in 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. 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. By using glass or other glazings that use an e-coating, temperature inside the building can be regulated more efficiently by the building.