Which is better glass curtain wall or aluminum veneer curtain wall?

Among many exterior wall building decorations, glass curtain wall aluminum veneer is the most widely used. Today we will talk about which is better, glass curtain wall or aluminum veneer curtain wall. I hope it will be helpful to you.

1. Material characteristics and aesthetic expression

1. Glass curtain wall: the ultimate pursuit of transparency
Modern glass curtain wall has broken through the physical limitations of traditional materials through the iteration of technologies such as tempered glass, hollow glass, and Low-E glass. Its core advantages are:

– Visual transparency: It can achieve a light transmittance of more than 90%, blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor, and enhance the sense of space extension. For example, the Beijing China Zun Building uses a full glass curtain wall to create a visual effect of “Crystal Palace in the Sky”.

– Light and shadow artistry: Gradient patterns are formed through colored glaze, laminated glue and other processes, and dynamic light and shadow changes are produced in conjunction with the angle of sunlight. The spiral glass curtain wall of the Shanghai Tower achieves the unity of energy saving and aesthetics through double silver Low-E glass.

– Surface plasticity: Ultra-white glass and curved hot bending technology expand the possibilities of modeling. The Y-shaped curved curtain wall of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai demonstrates the shape-shaping ability of glass.

2. Aluminum veneer curtain wall: a model of industrialized aesthetics
Aluminum alloy materials form rich architectural expressions through surface treatment technologies such as roller coating and fluorocarbon spraying:

– Color diversity: Pantone color cards can achieve more than 2,000 standard color customizations. Shenzhen Ping An Financial Center uses gradient aluminum plates to create a “flowing cloud” effect.

– Modeling adaptability: 3mm thick aluminum plates can be bent more than 15°, easily achieving hyperbolic modeling. The “rounded double gravel” shape of the Guangzhou Opera House designed by Zaha Hadid relies on parametrically designed special-shaped aluminum plates.

– Texture expression: Imitation stone grain, wood grain transfer and other technologies enable aluminum plates to break through the inherent impression of the material. Chengdu Taikoo Li antique building complex uses old-fashioned aluminum plates to restore the texture of traditional bricks and tiles.

2. Comparison of physical properties and technical parameters

1. Structural performance
– Wind pressure resistance: The wind pressure deformation value of aluminum veneer (2.5mm thick) can reach 4.0kPa, which is better than the 3.0kPa of ordinary glass curtain wall. Coastal super high-rise buildings mostly use aluminum plate-glass composite curtain wall system.
– Earthquake resistance: The elastic modulus of aluminum alloy is 70GPa, which is lower than the 72GPa of glass, but has better ductility. Japan Skytree adopts elastic connection node design to ensure that the aluminum plate curtain wall remains intact in a magnitude 9 earthquake.

2. Thermal performance
– Heat transfer coefficient: The K value of single-layer glass curtain wall is about 5.7W/(㎡·K), while the aluminum plate curtain wall (including 100mm insulation layer) can be reduced to 0.6W/(㎡·K).
– Solar heat gain coefficient: The SHGC value of Low-E insulating glass can be controlled below 0.3, while the heat absorption coefficient of dark aluminum plate is as high as 0.8, which needs to be coordinated with ventilation cavity design to avoid heat accumulation.

3. Acoustic performance
– The weighted sound insulation of hollow glass curtain wall (12mm+12A+6mm) reaches 36dB, which is better than the 30dB of 25mm thick aluminum curtain wall. The Hong Kong West Kowloon Opera Center uses three-silver Low-E laminated glass to achieve 55dB background noise control in the performance hall.
III. Full life cycle cost analysis

1. Initial investment
– The cost of ordinary glass curtain wall is about 800-1200 yuan/㎡, the unit curtain wall can reach 2000 yuan/㎡; the cost of aluminum single plate curtain wall is about 400-800 yuan/㎡. However, special processes such as ultra-white glass and hyperbolic special-shaped plates can increase the cost by 30%-50%.

2. Operation and maintenance cost
– The average annual maintenance cost of glass curtain wall is about 50 yuan/㎡ (including cleaning and sealant replacement), and the aluminum curtain wall only needs 20 yuan/㎡. However, photovoltaic glass curtain wall can generate 15-25kWh/㎡·year of power generation income.

3. Service life
– Fluorocarbon sprayed aluminum panels have a weather resistance of 25 years, and anodized panels can last more than 40 years; ordinary glass curtain wall sealing systems usually need major repairs every 15 years. The Lloyd’s Building in London has undergone three curtain wall updates, which confirms the long-term effectiveness of the aluminum panel system.

In contemporary architectural practice, the competition between glass and aluminum panels has gone beyond simple material substitution and evolved into integrated innovation of system solutions. Architects need to maintain a clear understanding between “transparency worship” and “industrialized aesthetics”: when pursuing spatial permeability, glass curtain walls are still the first choice; if emphasizing the freedom of shape and the full life cycle cost, aluminum panels are more advantageous. The future trend may be towards material hybridization – new technologies such as photovoltaic aluminum composite panels and smart dimming glass are blurring the boundaries of traditional materials and opening a new era of building skins.

The above is the main content of which is better, glass curtain wall or aluminum veneer curtain wall. Glass curtain wall and aluminum veneer are mainly used in exterior wall construction. The specific curtain wall project to be used depends on the local regional climate, building function, cost budget and other factors for systematic calculation. If you have decoration needs for glass curtain wall and aluminum veneer curtain wall, welcome to talk.