Everything about the Structural Glass Curtain Wall
Glass curtain walling can be defined as the set of walls, which surrounded and protected the castles and mansions during the medieval times. Curtain walling was used to describe building frontage which usually do not carry any dead from building. These walls were usually connected by a sequence of towers adding strength and durability to the mansions and castles. Before the middle of the eighteen century building were usually constructed with exterior supporting walls, so as to bear the load of the entire structure. Gradually the development and widespread use of steel structures reinforced the large columns replacing the initial glass curtains to bear all the weight of the building.
Some examples of these curtain walls were the Dunstan burg castle in England and the Muchalls castle in Scotland. These castles gave way to an increased use of glass as an exterior frontage during those times, which ultimately lead to the birth of the modern glass curtain wall. The first glass curtain walls were made from steel mullions that were attached to asbestos or the modified glass compounds. Most of the glass curtain walling designs integrated an outer cap, which could hold the glass in its place and protect the building at the same time.
Moreover the first curtain wall which was designed on this concept was used in New York during the year 1975. Some earlier examples of this prototype were used in Bauhaus and the Hallidie building which is situated in San Francisco. This initially began with the widespread use of aluminum extrusions which was then later replaced with glass mullions. This was because glass offers the unique benefit of being capable of taking any shape and design, when heated at high temperatures.
A major proportion of glass wall are attached as long pieces between the floor its holds, both vertically and horizontally. Though glass frames are fabricated and manufactured in the shop, but their installation and setting up is always done at the jobsite.
The most usual feature in the glass curtain wall is the rainscreen principle, which theorizes on the equilibrium of air pressure, which remains between the outer and the inner side of the rainscreen. This is the basic principle which prevents the rain water to penetrate into the building. This glass curtain is captured between the glazing rebate which holds it tight, without making it fall.
The glass curtain walling should be designed in such a way so as to make it capable of bearing all the weight and load, which is imposed on it. Moreover it should be capable of preventing air and rain to infiltrate within the building premises.
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