The wisdom of the glass curtain wall

The wisdom of the glass curtain wall

    Yesterday, I had a chat with an old friend who has many years of experience in the glass assembly industry and discussed the advantages and performance of glass curtain walls in China's glass industry. I have benefited a lot. TOYOCC has been engaged in the export of glass machinery for many years. I hope to use this article to briefly introduce you to the relevant knowledge of glass curtain walls and look forward to your active discussions.

      The curtain wall is the outer wall of the building. It is not load-bearing and hangs up like a curtain, so it is also called a "curtain wall". It is a light-weight wall with decorative effect commonly used in modern large and high-rise buildings. A building envelope or decorative structure that is composed of a panel and a supporting structure system that can have a certain displacement relative to the main structure or has a certain deformation capacity, and does not bear the role of the main structure (external wall frame support system is also a curtain wall system One of them).

The curtain wall uses a variety of strong, light, and beautiful building materials to replace the traditional masonry or window-wall combination of exterior wall construction methods. It is surrounded by the periphery of the main structure to make the whole building beautiful, and the use of a functional and safe exterior Wall construction method. In short, the building is put on a beautiful coat.

Development History

    Architectural decorative curtain walls have been used in construction projects as early as 150 years ago (mid 19th century). Due to the limitations of materials and processing techniques at that time, the curtain walls could not achieve absolute water tightness, air tightness, and resistance to various natural external forces. (Such as wind, earthquake, temperature), thermophysical factors (heat radiation, condensation), sound insulation, fire prevention and other requirements have not been well developed and promoted.

Since the 1950s, due to the rapid development of building materials and processing technology, various types of building materials have been successfully developed, such as the invention of various sealants and the appearance of other sound insulation and fire-resistant filling materials, which have solved the problem of building Peripheral requirements for curtain walls have gradually become a new trend in contemporary exterior wall architectural decoration.

Today, curtain walls are not only widely used in the exterior walls of various buildings, but also in the interior walls of buildings with various functions, such as communication rooms, TV studios, airports (airports), large stations, stadiums, museums, cultural centers, and large buildings. Hotels, shopping malls, etc.

In the future, due to the combination of curtain wall technology and technology, in response to the global call for energy saving and emission reduction, intelligent curtain walls, such as solar photovoltaic curtain walls, ventilation duct breathing curtain walls, wind and rain induction smart curtain walls, will show the unique charm of the building.

Metal curtain wall

Glass curtain wall

Stone curtain wall display

Curtain wall panel

1. Glass curtain wall:

(1) According to the type of glass, it is divided into a single glass, glued glass, and hollow glass.

(2) According to the glass installation method, it is divided into all-glass curtain wall, glass brick curtain wall, and point-connected glass curtain wall.

2. Metal plate curtain wall:

Single-piece aluminum plate, composite aluminum plate, aluminum-plastic plate, stainless steel plate, titanium alloy plate, color steel plate, copper plate (no longer used).

3. Non-metallic panels (except glass) curtain wall:

Stone board, honeycomb composite board, Trespa board, ceramic board, calcium plastic board, artificial board, precast cement processing board.

Curtain wall components



1. Frame type (element type) curtain wall

(1) Open frame curtain wall

(2) Hidden frame glass curtain wall

(3) Horizontal, bright, and vertical hidden glass curtain wall

(4) Horizontally hidden and vertical exposed glass curtain wall

2. Unit curtain wall

     Unit type glass curtain wall: The unit type curtain wall is the same as the conventional component type curtain wall. When starting the design, the first thing to consider is to meet the requirements of the architectural effect. On the basis of meeting the architectural effect, focus on the structure and structural design of the curtain wall.Common glass curtain wall structure: hidden frame, semi-hidden frame, exposed frame, point type, full glass, etc.

Advantages of curtain wall

1. Lightweight: In the comparison of the same area, the quality of the glass curtain wall is about 1/10～1/12 of the whitewashed brick wall, 1/15 of the wet method wall of marble and granite finishes, and 1 of the concrete hanging slab. /5～1/7. In general buildings, the quality of the inner and outer walls is about 1/4 to 1/5 of the total weight of the building. The use of curtain walls can greatly reduce the weight of the building, thereby reducing the cost of foundation engineering.

2. Flexible design:

The artistic effect is good. Architects can design various shapes according to their own needs, which can be presented in different colors, coordinate with the surrounding environment, and coordinate with the lighting to integrate the building with nature and reduce the sense of oppression of high-rise buildings.

3. Strong earthquake resistance: flexible design, strong wind, and earthquake resistance, it is the best choice for tall buildings.

4. Systematic construction: Systematic construction is easier to control the construction period and takes less time.

5. Modernization: It can improve the novel and technological construction of buildings, such as photovoltaic energy-saving curtain walls, double-layer ventilation duct breathing curtain walls, and other designs that are matched with intelligent technology.

6. Easy to update and maintain: Because it is built on the outer structure of the building, it is convenient to repair or update it.

Analysis of the future trend of curtain wall

1. From cumbersomeness to lighter plates and structures (the thickness of the natural stone is 25mm, and the thinnest of new materials is 1mm)

2. Less variety and gradually move towards more types of plates and richer colors (currently there are stone, ceramic plates, glass-ceramics, high-pressure laminates, cement fiber silk boards, glass, inorganic glass fiber reinforced plastics, clay plates, ceramic plates, metal plates Nearly 60 kinds of panels are applied to external walls)

3. Higher safety performance

4. More flexible and convenient construction technology

5. Higher waterproof performance extends the life of the curtain wall (from closed curtain wall to open curtain wall)

6. Environmental protection and energy saving (the metal decorative insulation board is commonly used in the European and American construction market today, which is made of aluminum-zinc alloy carved veneer with colored baking varnish, polyurethane insulation layer, and glass fiber cloth; it takes into account decoration and thermal insulation and energy-saving functions, top paint No fading for 10-15 years, the overall service life can reach 45 years;)

If you have more information about the glass industry, please share with us, thank you.

The future will be better.

PS  : Merry Christmas