Modern Curtain Wall Systems

In the past, the exterior walls of a building were weight-bearing parts of the structure. Since the walls were load-bearing, it limited the design options and material choices when building structures. Once structural steel and reinforced concrete were developed, exterior walls were no longer required to be structural supports. As a result, the steel allowed for smaller columns that could support larger loads and construction costs were reduced, exterior walls had more design options, and lightweight materials could be utilized. These advancements lead to the development of curtain wall systems in the modern building construction today.

Simply put, a curtain wall system is the exterior face or covering of a building that spans multiple floors. It blocks the weather from outside and protects occupants inside. Modern curtain wall systems primarily utilize two materials, aluminum and glass. The walls or rooftops are typically framed with aluminum alloy because it accommodates almost any shape while also being strong and lightweight. The aluminum frames are then glazed with glass panels. Glass has become the preferred material choice for the panels because of its variety of colors, thickness, and opacity. It gives buildings an ultra-modern appearance while also allowing for the maximum amount of natural light inside. In addition, modern curtain wall systems are available from standard prefabricated systems to specialized custom wall units in the current market. Increased costs often come with additional customization and larger sizing. In recent years, glass curtain walls are not exclusive to commercial applications. They also provide viable glazing solutions for residences as well.

In the current market, modern curtain-wall systems are extensively used in both commercial and residential building construction, which can be applied to building facades with high-efficiency properties prescribed by the designer. And among these properties, the most important are high strength-to-self-weight ratio, serviceability requirements, recyclability of the constituent parts, as well as transparency and overall aesthetic characteristics. The structural performance of curtain-wall systems has to be meticulously analysed and designed to fulfil structural Eurocodes requirements because curtain wall facade systems are, in most cases, subjected to strong environmental actions. In addition, as a second design step, by applying advanced finite-element analysis schemes and taking into account structural design criteria, an optimal structural design of the glass curtain-wall system has to be carried out to achieve cost minimisation once structural integrity and serviceability requirements have been fulfilled.

Dong Peng Bo Da Steel Pipe Group is a famous steel pipe manufacturer in China. We are committed to producing various types of steel products for your choice in your building project in future. Our products are all designed for the fast and easy installation of curtain walls. Contact us if you have any need in your project.