To prepare for the typhoon or hurricane season, we want products or systems that can help people in coastal countries or regions protect their buildings, property, and even lives from natural disasters. Curtain walls are a feasible solution that can be incredibly beneficial and sustainable for areas frequently affected by extreme weather conditions, such as high winds (typhoons or hurricanes) and pounding rains.
What Are Curtain Walls
Curtain walls are an outer covering of a building, designed to keep the weather out and people in. They may be designed as "systems" integrating frame, wall panel, and weatherproofing materials. Because the curtain wall façade carries no structural load beyond its dead load weight, it can also be made of lightweight materials. Aluminum extrusions have almost replaced steel frames in construction. Glass is frequently used for infills because it can save construction costs, create an architecturally pleasing look, and enable natural light to enter a structure deeper. Other common infills include stone veneers, metal panels, louvers, and operable windows or vents.
Curtain wall systems are designed to span several floors while taking into account building sway and movement, seismic requirements such as expansion and contraction, water diversion, and thermal efficiency for cost-effective heating, cooling, and interior lighting.
Advantages of Curtain Wall Design
● Wind Force Management
Curtain walls are designed to transfer lateral wind loads around a building: The wind goes through the building through channels connecting building floors or columns to reduce damage in case of a natural disaster, and you don't have to replace entire walls.
● Leak Prevention
Curtain walls can protect a building from heavy rains that can attack main structure vulnerabilities and create leaks, just like a suit of armor.
● Sway Management
Curtain walls, with thoughtful placement of glass windows or other paneled materials and extruded aluminum frames, can absorb sway during hurricanes and earthquakes, making them less likely to crack or crumble.
● Flexibility
Curtain walls offer more design flexibility compared to concrete or stone load-bearing walls. For example, if you decide your previous installation of a clear glass curtain wall is too bright and want a change, you can simply replace the clear glass panels with tinted glass panels or opaque materials.
● Sustainability
Most curtain walls are made from glass, allowing more natural light into a building. This helps reduce the need for artificial interior lighting, improve thermal efficiency, and reduce energy costs. Other curtain walls can also be energy-efficient. For instance, many aluminum curtain walls incorporate features such as double glazing and high-performance insulation to minimize the building's energy usage.
● Aesthetic Freedom
Curtain walls can add cohesiveness and beauty to a building.
Find Curtain Wall Designs and Products on BuildMost
Global project owners and developers like you can get professional glass curtain wall design services on BuildMost and find the ideal designers for your projects. Also, you can choose different types of curtain wall options on BuildMost, including glass curtain walls, aluminum curtain walls, stone curtain walls, and other curtain wall products and accessories.
View Glass Curtain Wall Design Works on BuildMost
Get Glass Curtain Wall Design Services on BuildMost
Explore Curtain Wall Options on BuildMost
Apart from curtain walls, many other products such as windows, doors, roofs, and shutters can weather the storm or other natural disasters to a certain extent. Start your exploration on BuildMost and find the right product suppliers for your projects.
References: 1. Wikipedia 2. HMC
Comments
Feedback from Buyer