The current generation of unitized curtain wall systems is designed to transfer lateral loads, typically wind-induced pressures to the structural floor slabs. Unitized curtain wall systems are the façade system of choice in high-rise buildings because the prefabricated assembly of units ensures high quality and allows fast installation without external access. Unitized curtain wall systems consist of cladding units where façade panels (typically glass, metal or stone) and metallic framing members (mullions and transoms) are pre-assembled in factory and then transported to site and attached to the load-bearing elements in the buildings, normally via pre-fixed brackets along the edge of the structural floor slab. The stick-built system was the initial curtain wall system with a metal framework of vertical mullions and horizontal transoms attached to the building and supporting glass panels installed on site. The two main curtain wall systems are stick-built and unitized. Nowadays curtain walls are an indispensable element of architecture for a contemporary city. Metal and glass facades, known as curtain walls, are built from metal framing with the spaces filled with glass. Traditional brick or heavy weight envelopes have been replaced for decades by lightweight enclosures, such as metal–glass facades and ventilated or rainscreen walls. The construction sector is constantly looking at the development of new building construction systems. IntroductionĮxternal envelopes are the image of every building creating fundamental component of the scenario of cities. It also indicates that the GFRP areas adjacent to the support might require reinforcing to reduce shear stresses. The results confirm the reduction to one fifth is possible since the allowable deflections are within limits. The material test results are used in a computer-based numerical model of a GFRP-glass composite unitized panel to predict the structural performance when subjected to realistic wind loads. This paper selects the candidate frame and adhesive materials performing mechanical tests on GFRP pultrusions to characterize strength and elasticity and on GFRP-glass connections to identify failure module and strength. The novel curtain wall is achieved by bonding a pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) frame to the glass producing a composite insulated glass unit (IGU). In response to the limited performance of conventional systems, an innovative frame-integrated unitized curtain wall is proposed to reduce structural depth to one fifth (80%) allowing an inside flush finish and gaining nettable space. The absence of composite action between glass and metal results in deep frames, protruding to the inside, occupying valuable space and causing visual disruption. In conventional curtain walls, the glass panels are simply supported by the metal framing which transfers any imposed load to the building structure. (This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Construction and Building Materials)Ĭurtain walls are the façade of choice in high-rise buildings and an indispensable element of architecture for a contemporary city. Authors: Mercedes Gargallo, Belarmino Cordero and Alfonso Garcia-Santos
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