Curtain Wall Design Considerations
Add in the requirements sway induced by wind and seismic forces acting on the building and designing curtain walls gets complex.
Curtain wall design considerations. Select frames with wept glazing and pocket sills sloped to the exterior to collect water that penetrates the glazing and drain it to the exterior. Curtain wall design considerations please note this is for guidance only 1. Today s fast paced construction schedules demand it all design innovation flexibility high quality fast installation simplified fabrication and superior performance. There are structural engineering considerations needed during the designs.
The following summarizes recommended features. Curtain wall design should start with the assumption that external glazing seals perimeter sealant joints and curtain wall sills will leak. Curtain wall systems have been designed and engineered to meet these demands and more. A balanced holistic approach to the curtain wall construction is emphasized.
With soft tech s software platform designing curtain walls is made simple. A curtain wall system is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non structural utilized only to keep the weather out and the occupants in. Publication of aama cwm 19 the curtain wall manual marks the culmination of efforts by volunteers from aama curtain wall storefront council member companies to update and enhance the former aama mcwm1 89 the metal curtain wall manual. When glass is used as the curtain wall an advantage is that natural light can penetrate deeper within the building.
Curtain wall design software. Visualizing three dimensional curtain wall when it is subjected to wind loads and anticipate load distribution and the response of curtain wall to the influences of the wind is a crucial key to a well performed curtain wall design. Kawneer s curtain wall systems have been designed and engineered to meet these demands and more. 2 abstract aluminum and glass curtain walls have gained enormous popularity across canada and the united states as an engineered system used as the vertical envelope for a variety of low rise and.
The american architectural manufacturers association aama has developed a new manual providing guidelines for the design of curtain walls. Curtain wall design considerations. Curtain wall analytical models and detailing related to connections anchors and fastener. Our curtain wall systems have been.
Design considerations for curtain wall parapets in cold climates mario d.