Components of glass curtain walls that you must know

Glass curtain walls can be seen everywhere in buildings. Glass curtain walls have good visual effects and functional practicality. Glass curtain walls are composed of multiple precisely matched components to achieve their functions (enclosure, lighting, beauty) and safety. So what are the components of glass curtain walls? Zhongdong Curtain Wall will take you to have a look!

1. Glass panels of glass curtain walls:
This is the most core and visible part of glass curtain walls. According to design requirements, a variety of glass can be selected:
Single-layer glass: tempered glass (safety), semi-tempered glass, wired glass, etc.
Insulating glass: A combination of two or more pieces of glass, with dry air or inert gas (such as argon, krypton) filled in the middle, with excellent heat insulation and sound insulation performance. It is the current mainstream choice.
Laminated glass: PVB or SGP film is sandwiched between two pieces of glass. When broken, the fragments adhere to the film. It has extremely high safety and anti-fall performance, and also provides a certain sound insulation effect.
Low-E glass: The surface is coated with a low-emissivity film, which can effectively reflect infrared rays and significantly reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.
Enamel glass/screen-printed glass: Used for decoration or sunshade.
Glass is usually tempered or semi-tempered to improve strength and safety performance.

2. Support structure (frame system):
This is the “skeleton” of the curtain wall, responsible for bearing and transmitting the self-weight, wind load, earthquake load, etc. of the glass to the main structure.
Main components:
Column: Vertical component, which is the main load-bearing component and is usually fixed to the main structure (floor or beam).
Beam: Horizontal component, connected between columns, supporting glass panels.
Material: The most commonly used is aluminum alloy profile (light weight, good strength, corrosion resistance, easy processing and molding). In large or super-high curtain walls, steel structures (steel square tubes, I-beams, steel tube trusses, etc.) may also be used.

3. Connection and fixing system:
The glass panel is safely and reliably fixed to the supporting frame. Exposed frame curtain wall:
Press plate: Metal component pressed on the edge of the glass panel.
Buckle cover: Decorative cover plate, covering the screws of the press plate, providing an aesthetically pleasing surface.
Glue strip: Located between the glass, frame and press plate, it plays an elastic supporting, sealing and buffering role (such as EPDM).

Concealed frame curtain wall/semi-concealed frame curtain wall:
Structural adhesive: High-performance silicone structural sealant, which bonds the glass to the auxiliary frame or supporting frame, and bears the self-weight of the glass and wind load. This is the key to the safety of the concealed frame curtain wall.
Attached frame: Aluminum alloy auxiliary frame, usually first glued to the edge of the glass with structural adhesive, and then the auxiliary frame is fixed to the main frame.
Point-supported curtain wall:
Joint claw: Stainless steel casting or machined parts (forked claws), connecting the joint and the supporting structure.
Joint: A component installed on the glass hole, connecting the glass and the joint claw. There are floating type (allowing displacement) and fixed type.
Support structure: It can be steel trusses, cable nets (cables, rods), glass ribs, etc.
Fasteners: Bolts, screws, pins, etc., used to connect frame members, fix pressure plates, connect claws, etc.

4. Sealing system:
Prevent rain, air, dust, etc. from penetrating into the room, and play a role in sound insulation.
Sealant: Mainly weather-resistant sealants (such as silicone glue, polyurethane glue, modified silicone glue), used to fill the joints between curtain wall panels and provide a durable elastic seal. Unlike structural glue, it mainly plays a sealing role and does not bear structural loads.
Sealing strip: As mentioned above, it is used for elastic sealing and padding of the contact surface between glass and frame in the exposed frame curtain wall.
Foam rod/backing material: Filled deep in the joint, control the thickness and shape of the sealant, provide support and prevent three-sided bonding.

5. Opening window system:
Openable parts are usually required on the curtain wall for natural ventilation.
Including window sashes, window frames, hardware (such as hinges, sliding supports, multi-point locks, handles), sealing strips, etc.

6. Drainage system (usually hidden in the frame):
Drain a small amount of rainwater that may penetrate into the curtain wall to the outside to prevent water from corroding components.
Water guide grooves and drainage holes are designed on the frame profile.

7. Fireproof structure:
Fireproof blocking must be set between the curtain wall and the edge of the floor slab and partition wall. Fireproof rock wool is usually used to fill the gap and sealed with fireproof sealant or fireproof board to prevent flames and smoke from spreading between floors. The curtain wall material itself (such as glass) also needs to meet the corresponding fire rating requirements.

8. Thermal insulation structure:
In order to prevent the aluminum alloy frame from forming a “cold bridge” and reduce energy consumption, thermal insulation strips (usually polyamide nylon PA66 plus glass fiber) are usually inserted into the aluminum alloy profile to separate the profile into two parts inside and outside to block heat transfer. This is often called a broken bridge aluminum alloy.

9. Lightning protection system:
The metal frame of the curtain wall needs to be reliably connected to the lightning protection system of the main building to form a passage to avoid the harm of side lightning strikes.

10. Other accessories:
Decorative cover/line: used to cover the connection points and joints to enhance the aesthetics.
Shading system: external sunshade blinds, internal sunshade, etc. (sometimes integrated in the curtain wall).
Interlayer backboard/sealing board: used to close the internal space between the curtain wall layers or at the junction with the solid wall, commonly used aluminum plates, galvanized steel plates, etc.
Ventilation blinds/gratings: used for equipment layers or parts that need ventilation.

In summary, the glass curtain wall is an organic whole composed of four core parts: glass panels, support frames, connection fixtures, and sealing systems, supplemented by key systems such as opening windows, drainage, fire protection, heat insulation, and lightning protection, which jointly ensure its safety, functionality, and durability. The design, material selection, and construction quality of each part are crucial.