Sheridan College Architectural Technology

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Sheridan College
Architectural Technology
ARCH29969 STUDIO 3
MODULE 14: WALL ASSEMBLIES: CURTAIN WALLS
1.0 The Wall Assembly

A Curtain Wall is an exterior wall assembly supported entirely by the steel or concrete structural frame of a building. It alone
has no capacity to bear any part of a buildings load; it maintains its own structural capacity to bear its own weight plus wind
loads.
Think of a curtain wall assembly as a structure in and of itself, hung from the structure of the building. The buildings structure
(in addition to resisting lateral loads, carrying live and dead loads, etc.) will also carry the weight of the curtain wall assembly.
The curtain wall does not transfer any load of the building to which it is attached into the earth.
A Curtain Wall may be made from metal framing containing glass (clear vision or opaque spandrel units), or thin veneer stone,
metal, masonry or concrete.
2.0 External Forces and Elements

A curtain wall, like other wall systems, must withstand:
+ Loads Movement must be allowed to occur between the structural system of the building and the structure of the curtain
wall assembly. Deformation or deflection of the buildings structural system cause by seismic, wind, or differential settlement,
for example, must be separated from the curtain wall assembly. Deflection in the curtain wall assembly itself could lead to the
failure of glazing and stone veneers.
+ Wind The curtain wall has to transfer wind loads through itself to the structural frame of the building without excessive
deflection.
Wind can create positive or negative pressure on the wall, either pushing the assembly into the structural frame of the
building or acting as a force pulling it off. The curtain walls connections to the building must adequately resist these lateral
forces as well as its own gravity loads.
+ Fire While a glazed curtain wall provides no fire resistance rating, the building code enforces the use of fire stopping
between floor assemblies to prevent the vertical passage of smoke and fire between floors. Opaque spandrel panels employed
throughout a clear glass curtain wall at floor assemblies may provide a fire resistance rating.
http://trantor.sheridanc.on.ca/webct/arct4001/html/arch29969_mod14_curtainwalls_2013.html 1/17
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From: Fundamentals of Building Construction, Allen/Iano

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From: Fundamentals of Building Construction, Allen/Iano
3.0 Assembly Modes of Glazed Metal Systems:

+ Stick System
+ Unit System
+ Unit and Mullion System
+ Panel System
+ Column Cover and Spandrel System
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From Francis D. K. Ching, Building Construction

Illustrated
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Vertical Mullions of a twostorey Stick System at World Trade Center in New York
BELOW: A glazed metal Unit System curtain wall assembly. Note the construction worker in the top right of the photo and the
size of the steel anchor plates bolted to the edge of the slab. This Unit spans two storeys and was manufactured offsite, then
hoisted into place onsite. Note the difference in size and colour between the structural steel members of the unit (closest to
the slab) and the extruded aluminum mullions (farther away from the slab). Note also the sprayon fireproofing on the
buildings structural steel columns.
Below: An allaluminum unit with an insulated portion. The unit is hung from plates connected to the slab by substantial anchors
(that act liked hooks) on either end of the top of unit. The threaded rod emanating from either anchor is adjusted onsite to
level the unit. The insulated portion meets and hides the floor assembly and plenum.
(See Connections image below.)
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4.0 Connections
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Both images above feature robust anchor points at the top corners of each unit (parallel to the unit on the left, and
perpendicular to the unit on the right) that are suspended to anchor plates bolted to embedded steel components cast within
the slab.
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5.0 Glazed Curtain Walls
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HMC: Curtain wall at parapet, pg. A601 (Insulated unit with metal panel at left, Doubleglazed at right.)
Kawneer
PDF 1 Unitwall A
PDF 2 Unitwall F
PDF 3 Clearwall A
PDF 4 Clearwall F
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6.0 PreCast Concrete Curtain Walls

Steel Building Structure (left), Concrete Building Structure (right)
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Curved Surfaces are actually panels facetted together. How would the edge of a floor slab be designed and constructed to
receive such a configuration?
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7.0 Brick Veneer Curtain Wall Assembly
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9/29/2016 ARCH29969MODULE14

MODULE 14: WALL ASSEMBLIES: CURTAIN WALLS

1.0 The Wall Assembly

2.0 External Forces and Elements

3.0 Assembly Modes of Glazed Metal Systems:

From Francis D. K. Ching, Building Construction

5.0 Glazed Curtain Walls

6.0 PreCast Concrete Curtain Walls

7.0 Brick Veneer Curtain Wall Assembly

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