Curtain Walls Research

INTRODUCTION

A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is that natural light can penetrate deeper within the building. The curtain wall façade does not carry any dead load weight from the building other than its own dead load weight. The wall transfers horizontal wind loads that are incident upon it to the main building structure through connections at floors or columns of the building. A curtain wall is designed to resist air and water infiltration, sway induced by wind and seismic forces acting on the building, and its own dead load weight forces.
Curtain walls are typically designed with extruded aluminum members, although the first curtain walls were made of steel. The aluminum frame is typically in-filled with glass, which provides an architecturally pleasing building, as well as benefits such as day lighter. However, parameters related to solar gain control such as thermal comfort and visual comfort are more difficult to control when using highly-glazed curtain walls. Other common in-fills include: stone veneer, metal panels, louvers, and operable windows or vents.
Curtain walls differ from store-front systems in that they are designed to span multiple floors, and take into consideration design requirements such as: thermal expansion and contraction; building sway and movement; water diversion; and thermal efficiency for cost-effective heating, cooling, and lighting in the building.














History


Prior to the middle of the nineteenth century, buildings were constructed with the exterior walls of the building (bearing walls, typically masonry) supporting the load of the entire structure. The development and widespread use of structural steel and later reinforced concrete allowed relatively small columns to support large loads and the exterior walls of buildings were no longer required for structural support. The exterior walls could be non-load bearing and thus much lighter and more open than the masonry load bearing walls of the past. This gave way to increased use of glass as an exterior façade and the modern day curtain wall was born.

Oriel Chambers, Liverpool, England,1864. The world's first glass curtain walled building. The stone mullions are decorative.










 16 Cook Street, Liverpool, England,1866. Extensive use of floor to ceiling glass is used, enabling light penetration deeper into the building maximizing floor space.






Oriel Chambers in Liverpool, England, was the world's first metal framed glass curtain walled building in 1864, followed by 16 Cook Street, Liverpool, in 1866. Both buildings were designed and built by local architect Peter Ellis. The extensive glass walls allowed light to penetrate further into the building utilising more floor space and reducing lighting costs in short winter months. Oriel Chambers comprises 43,000 sq ft (4,000 m2) set over a maximum of five floors as the elevator had not been invented.[1]
Some of the first curtain walls were made with steel mullions and the plate glass was attached to the mullions with asbestos or fiberglass modified glazing compound. Eventually silicone sealants or glazing tape were substituted. Some designs included an outer cap to hold the glass in place and to protect the integrity of the seals. Thefirst curtain wall installed in New York City was this type of construction. Earlier modernist examples are the Bauhaus in Dessau and the Hallidie Building in San Francisco.


The 1970’s began the widespread use of aluminum extrusions for mullions. Aluminum offers the unique advantage of being able to be easily extruded into nearly any shape required for design and aesthetic purposes. Today, the design complexity and shapes available are nearly limitless. Custom shapes can be designed and manufactured with relative ease.
Similarly, sealing methods and types have evolved over the years, and as a result, today’s curtain walls are high performance systems which require little maintenance.
Stick systems
The vast majority of curtain walls are installed long pieces (referred to as sticks) between floors vertically and between vertical members horizontally. Framing members may be fabricated in a shop, but all installation and glazing is typically performed at the jobsite.

Unitized systems
Unitized curtain walls entail factory fabrication and assembly of panels and may include factory glazing. These completed units are hung on the building structure to form the building enclosure. Unitized curtain wall has the advantages of: speed; lower field installation costs; and quality control within an interior climate controlled environment. The economic benefits are typically realized on large projects or in areas of high field labor rates.

Rainscreen principle
A common feature in curtain wall technology, the rainscreen principle theorizes that equilibrium of air pressure between the outside and inside of the "rainscreen" prevents water penetration into the building itself. For example the glass is captured between an inner and an outer gasket in a space called the glazing rebate. The glazing rebate is ventilated to the exterior so that the pressure on the inner and outer sides of the exterior gasket is the same. When the pressure is equal across this gasket water cannot be drawn through joints or defects in the gasket.




A building project in Wuhan China, the difference in progress between the two towers illustrates the relationship between the inner load bearing structure and the exterior glass curtain









Design
Curtain wall systems must be designed to handle all loads imposed on it as well as keep air and water from penetrating the building envelope.



Loads
The loads imposed on the curtain wall are transferred to the building structure through the anchors which attach the mullions to the building. The building structure design must account for these loads.
Dead load
Dead load is defined as the weight of structural elements and the permanent features on the structure. In the case of curtain walls, this load is made up of the weight of the mullions, anchors and other structural components of the curtain wall, as well as the weight of the infill material. Additional dead loads imposed on the curtain wall, such as sunshades, must be accounted for in the design of the curtain wall components and anchors.
Wind load
Wind load acting on the building is the result of wind blowing on the building. This wind pressure must be resisted by the curtain wall system since it envelops and protects the building. Wind loads vary greatly throughout the world, with the largest wind loads being near the coast in hurricane-prone regions. For each project location,building codes specify the required design wind loads. Often, a wind tunnel study is performed on large or unusually shaped buildings. A scale model of the building and the surrounding vicinity is built and placed in a wind tunnel to determine the wind pressures acting on the structure in question. These studies take into account vortex shedding around corners and the effects of surrounding area
Seismic load
Seismic loads need to be addressed in the design of curtain wall components and anchors. In most situations, the curtain wall is able to naturally withstand seismic and wind induced building sway because of the space provided between the glazing infill and the mullion. In tests, standard curtain wall systems are able to withstand three inches (75 mm) of relative floor movement without glass breakage or water leakage. Anchor design needs to be reviewed, however, since a large floor-to-floor displacement can place high forces on anchors. (Additional structure must be provided within the primary structure of the building to resist seismic forces from the building itself.)



Snow load
Snow loads and live loads are not typically an issue in curtain walls, since curtain walls are designed to be vertical or slightly inclined. If the slope of a wall exceeds 20 degrees or so, these loads may need to be considered.


Thermal load
Thermal loads are induced in a curtain wall system because aluminum has a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion. This means that over the span of a couple of floors, the curtain wall will expand and contract some distance, relative to its length and the temperature differential. This expansion and contraction is accounted for by cutting horizontal mullions slightly short and allowing a space between the horizontal and vertical mullions. In unitized curtain wall, a gap is left between units, which is sealed from air and water penetration by wiper gaskets. Vertically, anchors carrying wind load only (not dead load) are slotted to account for movement. Incidentally, this slot also accounts for live load deflection and creep in the floor slabs of the building structure.
Blast load
Accidental explosions and terrorist threats have brought on increased concern for the fragility of a curtain wall system in relation to blast loads. The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has spawned much of the current research and mandates in regards to building response to blast loads. Currently, all new federal buildings in the U.S. and all U.S. embassies built on foreign soil, must have some provision for resistance to bomb blasts.
Since the curtain wall is at the exterior of the building, it becomes the first line of defense in a bomb attack. As such, blast resistant curtain walls must be designed to withstand such forces without compromising the interior of the building to protect its occupants. Since blast loads are very high loads with short durations, the curtain wall response should be analyzed in a dynamic load analysis, with full-scale mock-up testing performed prior to design completion and installation.
Blast resistant glazing consists of laminated glass, which is meant to break but not separate from the mullions. Similar technology is used in hurricane-prone areas for the protection from wind-borne debris.


Infiltration
Air infiltration is the air which passes through the curtain wall from the exterior to the interior of the building. The air is infiltrated through the gaskets, through imperfect joinery between the horizontal and vertical mullions, through weep holes, and through imperfect sealing. The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) is an industry trade group in the U.S. that has developed voluntary specifications regarding acceptable levels of air infiltration through a curtain wall . This limit is expressed (in America) in cubic feet per minute per square foot of wall area at a given test pressure. (Currently, most standards cite less than 0.6 CFM/sq ft as acceptable.) Testing is typically conducted by an independent third party agency using the ASTM E-783 standard.
Water penetration is defined as any water passing from the exterior of the building through to the interior of the curtain wall system. Sometimes, depending on the building specifications, a small amount of controlled water on the interior is deemed acceptable. AAMA Voluntary Specifications allow for water on the interior, while the underlying ASTM E - 1105 test standard would disqualify a test subject if any water is seen inside. To test the ability of a curtain wall to withstand water penetration, a water rack is placed in front a mock-up of the wall with a positive air pressure applied to the wall. This represents a wind driven heavy rain on the wall. Field quality control checks are also performed on installed curtain walls, in which a calibrated spray nozzle is used to spray water on the curtain wall for a specified time in order to investigate known leaks or leading up to a validation test like the ASTM E-1105.



ASTM E783 - 02(2010) Standard Test Method for Field Measurement of Air Leakage through Installed Exterior Windows and Doors.

Significance and Use
This test method is a standard procedure for determining the air leakage characteristics of installed exterior windows and doors under specified static air pressure differences.
Note 1—The air pressure differences acting across a building envelope vary greatly. The factors affecting air pressure differences and the implications of the resulting air leakage relative to the environment within buildings are discussed in the literature. These factors should be fully considered in specifying the test pressure differences to be used.
Rates of air leakage are sometimes used for comparison purposes. Such comparisons may not be valid unless the components being tested and compared are of essentially the same size, configuration, and design.
Rates of air leakage of essentially identical windows or doors, as determined in the laboratory (Test Method E283) and as measured in the field by this test method, have sometimes been used for comparison purposes. The correlation between the laboratory and field test results, and the correlation between actual performance of in-service products and the response to these tests has not been established because of insufficient data.
Rates of air leakage, as determined by this test method may be affected by: the age or physical condition of the test specimen; the type or quality of installation; the care exercised in the attachment of the test apparatus and the determination of extraneous leakage; and the actual conditions to which the test specimen is exposed beyond those imposed by the test method, that is temperature, relative humidity, wind impingement, etc. Consideration must be given to the proper selection of test specimens, the choice of appropriate test technique (when a choice is given within this test method), and the proper use and interpretation of the results obtained from this test to minimize the effect of these conditions.
Rates of air leakage, as determined by this test method may include air leakage that does not occur during normal operation and exposure, or that does not contribute to the overall air leakage for the structure. Air may be supplied to or exhausted from wall cavities or adjacent construction, or may bypass interior or exterior trim or components in a manner not experienced during normal operation or exposure. Care must be taken to prevent such leakage from occurring, or consideration must be given that such leakage may have occurred during the test.
This test method addresses the issue of air leakage through the high pressure face of the test specimen only. Air leakage from the adjacent wall cavity through sill, head, and jambs of the window frame is considered extraneous air leakage and, therefore, not a component of the measured specimen air leakage. Such extraneous air leakage through the perimeter frame of the test specimen can be a significant source of air leakage into, or out of, the building if the frame is not sealed against air infiltration from the adjacent wall cavity.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method provides a field procedure for determining the air leakage rates of installed exterior windows and doors.
1.2 This test method is applicable to exterior windows and doors and is intended to measure only such leakage associated with the assembly and not the leakage through openings between the assemblies and adjacent construction. The test method can be adapted for the latter purpose, provided the potential paths of air movement and the sources of infiltration and exfiltration can be identified, controlled, or eliminated.
1.3 This test method attempts to create and given set of natural environmental conditions. There is a strong possibility that the test method or the test apparatus may, by virtue of their design and use, induce air leakage that does not occur under natural environmental exposure.
1.4 This test method is intended for the field testing of installed exterior windows or doors. Persons interested in laboratory testing of fenestration products should reference Test Method E283.
1.5 Persons using this procedure should be knowledgeable in the area of fluid mechanics and instrumentation practices, and shall have a general understanding of fenestration products and components.
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see Section 7.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately)
ASTM Standards
E283 Test Method for Determining the Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions


ASTM E1105 - 00(2008) Standard Test Method for Field Determination of Water Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference.

Significance and Use
This test method is a standard procedure for determining the resistance to water penetration under uniform or cyclic static air pressure differences of installed exterior windows, skylights, curtain walls, and doors. The air-pressure differences acting across a building envelope vary greatly. These factors should be considered fully prior to specifying the test pressure difference to be used.
Note 1—In applying the results of tests by this test method, note that the performance of a wall or its components, or both, may be a function of proper installation and adjustment. In service, the performance will also depend on the rigidity of supporting construction and on the resistance of components to deterioration by various causes, vibration, thermal expansion and contraction, and so forth. It is difficult to simulate the identical complex wetting conditions that can be encountered in service, with large wind-blown water drops, increasing water drop impact pressures with increasing wind velocity, and lateral or upward moving air and water. Some designs are more sensitive than others to this upward moving water.
Note 2—This test method does not identify unobservable liquid water which may penetrate into the test specimen.
Laboratory tests are designed to give an indication of the performance of an assembly. Field performance may vary from laboratory performance since the supporting structure for the test specimen, methods of mounting, and sealing in the laboratory can only simulate the actual conditions that will exist in the building. Shipping, handling, installation, acts of subsequent trades, aging, and other environmental conditions all may have an adverse effect upon the performance of the installed product. This field test procedure provides a means for determining the performance of a product once installed in the building.
The field test may be made at the time the window, skylight, curtain-wall, or door assemblies are initially installed and before the interior of the building is finished. At this time, it is generally easier to check the interior surfaces of the assemblies for water penetration and to identify the points of penetration. The major advantage of testing when assemblies are initially installed is that errors in fabrication or installation can be readily discovered and corrections made before the entire wall with its component assemblies is completed at which time the expense of corrective work may be increased many times.
The field test may also be made after the building is completed and in service to determine whether or not reported leakage problems are due to the failure of the installed assemblies to resist water penetration at the specified static air pressure difference. Generally it is possible to conduct tests on window, skylight, and door assemblies without too much difficulty, and to identify sources of leakage.
1.5 Persons using this procedure should be knowledgeable in the area of fluid mechanics and instrumentation practices, and shall have a general understanding of fenestration products and components.
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see Section 7.




E283 Test Method for Determining the Rate of Air Leakage through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions

A curtain-wall assembly, on the other hand, may not be accessible from the inside without the removal of interior finished walls and ceilings. Even with removal of interior walls and ceilings, it may not be possible to observe curtain-wall surfaces behind spandrel beams. The feasibility of conducting a meaningful static air pressure difference water penetration test on an in-service building must be carefully evaluated before being specified.
Weather conditions can affect the static air pressure difference measurements. If wind gusting causes pressure fluctuation to exceed±10 % from the specified test pressure, the test should not be conducted.
Generally it is more convenient to use an interior mounted pressure chamber from which air is exhausted to obtain a lower pressure on the interior surface of the specimen. A calibrated rack of nozzles is then used to spray water at the proper rate on the exterior surface. Under circumstances where it is desirable to use an exterior-mounted pressure chamber, the spray rack must be located in the pressure chamber and air supplied to maintain a higher pressure on the exterior surface. Exterior chambers are difficult to attach readily and seal to exterior surfaces.
Even though the equipment requirements are similar, this procedure is not intended to measure air infiltration because of the difficulty of isolating the component air leakage from the extraneous leakage through weep holes, mullion joints, trim, or other surrounding materials.

1. Scope
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the resistance of installed exterior windows, curtain walls, skylights, and doors to water penetration when water is applied to the outdoor face and exposed edges simultaneously with a static air pressure at the outdoor face higher than the pressure at the indoor face.
1.2 This test method is applicable to any curtain-wall area or to windows, skylights, or doors alone. It is intended primarily for determining the resistance to water penetration through such assemblies for compliance with specified performance criteria, but it may also be used to determine the resistance to penetration through the joints between the assemblies and the adjacent construction. Other procedures may be appropriate to identify sources of leakage.
1.3 This test method addresses water penetration through a manufactured assembly. Water that penetrates the assembly, but does not result in a failure as defined herein, may have adverse effects on the performance of contained materials such as sealants and insulating or laminated glass. This test method does not address these issues.
1.4 The proper use of this test method requires a knowledge of the principles of pressure measurement.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The inch-pound equivalents of SI units may be approximate.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.


*
 The Bank of China Tower (abbreviated BOC Tower) is one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in Central, Hong Kong. It houses the headquarters for the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. The building is located at 1 Garden Road, in Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island.
Designed by I. M. Pei, the building is 307 m (1,007.2 ft) high with two masts reaching 360.9 m (1,184.1 ft) high. It was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992, and it was the first building outside the United States to break the 305 m (1,000 ft) mark. It is now the fourth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, afterInternational Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre and Central Plaza.








Deflection
One of the disadvantages of using aluminum for mullions is that its modulus of elasticity is about one-third that of steel.
This translates to three times more deflection in an aluminum mullion compared to the same steel section under a given a load. Building specifications set deflection limits for perpendicular (wind-induced) and in-plane (dead load-induced) deflections. It is important to note that these deflection limits are not imposed due to strength capacities of the mullions. Rather, they are designed to limit deflection of the glass (which may break under excessive deflection), and to ensure that the glass does not come out of its pocket in the mullion. Deflection limits are also necessary to control movement at the interior of the curtain wall. Building construction may be such that there is a wall located near the mullion, and excessive deflection can cause the mullion to contact the wall and cause damage. Also, if deflection of a wall is quite noticeable, public perception may raise undue concern that the wall is not strong enough.
Deflection limits are typically expressed as the distance between anchor points divided by a constant number. A deflection limit of L/175 is common in curtain wall specifications, based on experience with deflection limits that are unlikely to cause damage to the glass held by the mullion. Say a given curtain wall is anchored at 12 foot (144 in) floor heights. The allowable deflection would then be 144/175 = 0.823 inches, which means the wall is allowed to deflect inward or outward a maximum of 0.823 inches at the maximum wind pressure. HOWEVER, some panels require stricter movement restrictions, or certainly those that prohibit a torque-like motion.
Deflection in mullions is controlled by different shapes and depths of curtain wall members. The depth of a given curtain wall system is usually controlled by the area moment of inertia required to keep deflection limits under the specification. Another way to limit deflections in a given section is to add steel reinforcement to the inside tube of the mullion. Since steel deflects at 1/3 the rate of aluminum, the steel will resist much of the load at a lower cost or smaller depth.





Strength
Strength (or maximum usable stress) available to a particular material is not related to its material stiffness (the material property governing deflection); it is a separate criterion in curtain wall design and analysis. This often affects the selection of materials and sizes for design of the system. For instance, a particular shape in aluminum will deflect almost three times as much as the same steel shape for an equivalent load (see above), though its strength (i.e. the maximum load it can sustain) may be equivalent or even slightly higher, depending on the grade of aluminum. Because aluminum is often the material of choice, given its lower unit weight and better weathering capability as compared with steel, deflection is usually the governing criteria in curtain wall design.

Thermal criteria
Relative to other building components, aluminum has a high heat transfer coefficient, meaning that aluminum is a very good conductor of heat. This translates into high heat loss through aluminum curtain wall mullions. There are several ways to compensate for this heat loss, the most common way being the addition of thermal breaks. Thermal breaks are barriers between exterior metal and interior metal, usually made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These breaks provide a significant decrease in the thermal conductivity of the curtain wall. However, since the thermal break interrupts the aluminum mullion, the overall moment of inertia of the mullion is reduced and must be accounted for in the structural analysis of the system.
Thermal conductivity of the curtain wall system is important because of heat loss through the wall, which affects the heating and cooling costs of the building. On a poorly performing curtain wall, condensation may form on the interior of the mullions. This could cause damage to adjacent interior trim and walls.
Rigid insulation is provided in spandrel areas to provide a higher R-value* at these locations.



The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry.

*

*

The WTC 2 towers – by foster partners.




 Two World Trade Center is a skyscraper under construction as part of the new World Trade Center at 200 Greenwich Street in New York City. When completed, the tower will be located where the former 5 World Trade Center building was located.
The sloping roof consisting of four diamonds inclined toward the memorial will provide a visual marker around the skyline of just where the original towers were. The tower is designed to resemble a diamond, with cross bracing intersects and indentations breaking up the sides.






In-fills
Infill refers to the large panels that are inserted into the curtain wall between mullions. In-fills are typically glass but may be made up of nearly any exterior building element.
Regardless of the material, infills are typically referred to as glazing, and the installer of the infill is referred to as a glazier. More commonly this trade is now known as Fenestration.



Glass

 By far the most common glazing type, glass can be of an almost infinite combination of color, thickness, and opacity. For commercial construction, the two most common thicknesses are 1/4 inch (6 mm) monolithic and 1 inch (25 mm) insulating glass. Presently, 1/4 inch glass is typically used only in spandrel areas, while insulating glass is used for the rest of the building (sometimes spandrel glass is specified as insulating glass as well). The 1 inch insulation glass is typically made up of two 1/4-inch lites of glass with a 1/2 inch (12 mm) airspace. The air inside is usually atmospheric air, but some inert gases, such as argon, may be used to offer better thermal transmittance values. In residential construction, thicknesses commonly used are 1/8 inch (3 mm) monolithic and 5/8 inch (16 mm) insulating glass. Larger thicknesses are typically employed for buildings or areas with higher thermal, relative humidity, or sound transmission requirements, such as laboratory areas or recording studios.
Glass may be used which is transparent, translucent, or opaque, or in varying degrees thereof. Transparent glass usually refers to vision glass in a curtain wall. Spandrel or vision glass may also contain translucent glass, which could be for security or aesthetic purposes. Opaque glass is used in areas to hide a column or spandrel beam or shear wall behind the curtain wall. Another method of hiding spandrel areas is through shadow box construction (providing a dark enclosed space behind the transparent or translucent glass). Shadow box construction creates a perception of depth behind the glass that is sometimes desired.

Fabric veneer
Fabric is another type of material which is common for curtain walls. Fabric is often times much less expensive and serves as a less permanent solution. Unlike glass or stone, fabric is much faster to install, less expensive, and often times much easier to modify after it is installed.
Stone veneer
Thin blocks (3 to 4 inches (75-100 mm)) of stone can be inset within a curtain wall system to provide architectural flavor. The type of stone used is limited only by the strength of the stone and the ability to manufacture it in the proper shape and size. Common stone types used are: Arriscraft(calcium silicate);granite; marble; travertine; and limestone.
Panels
Metal panels can take various forms including aluminum plate; thin composite panels consisting of two thin aluminum sheets sandwiching a thin plastic interlayer; and panels consisting of metal sheets bonded to rigid insulation, with or without an inner metal sheet to create a sandwich panel. Other opaque panel materials include fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), stainless steel, and terracotta. Terracotta curtain wall panels were first used in Europe, but only a few manufacturers produce high quality modern terracotta curtain wall panels.
Louvers
A louver is provided in an area where mechanical equipment located inside the building requires ventilation or fresh air to operate. They can also serve as a means of allowing outside air to filter into the building to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions and minimize the usage of energy-consuming HVAC systems. Curtain wall systems can be adapted to accept most types of louver systems to maintain the same architectural sightlines and style while providing the necessary functionality.
Windows and vents
 Most curtain wall glazing is fixed, meaning there is no access to the exterior of the building except through doors. However, windows or vents can be glazed into the curtain wall system as well, to provide required ventilation or operable windows. Nearly any window type can be made to fit into a curtain wall system.
*
 99 Church Street, also known as 30 Park Place, is a building under construction in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It will be the tallest residential building in the city, at 912 feet. The building was designed by Robert A. M. Stern, and is being developed by Silverstein Properties. The facade of 99 Church Street will be clad in limestone. 99 Church Street will contain a Four Seasons Hotel and condominium apartments. The new building will be constructed next to and surpass in height theWoolworth Building, which was the world's tallest building at its construction. Tishman Construction is managing the project, which is currently on hold. The building replaced the old 99 Church Street, also known as the Moody's Building. It was built in 1951 by Reinhard, Hofmeister & Walquist for the mercantile agency of Dun & Bradstreet. At the time it had the distinction as the first substantial new office building in Lower Manhattan for almost 20 years.
 



Fire safety
Fire-stopping at the "Perimeter slab edge", which is a gap between the floor and the back pan of the curtain wall is essential to slow the passage of fire and combustion gases between floors. Spandrel areas must have non-combustible insulation at the interior face of the curtain wall. Some building codes require the mullion to be wrapped in heat-retarding insulation near the ceiling to prevent the mullions from melting and spreading the fire to the floor above. It is important to note that the fire stop at the perimeter slab edge is considered a continuation of the fire-resistance rating of the floor slab. The curtain wall itself, however, is not ordinarily required to have a rating. This causes a quandary as Compartmentalization (fire protection) is typically based upon closed compartments to avoid fire and smoke migrations beyond each engaged compartment. A curtain wall by its very nature prevents the completion of the compartment (or envelope). The use of fire sprinklers has been shown to mitigate this matter. As such, unless the building is sprinkled, fire may still travel up the curtain wall, if the glass on the exposed floor is shattered due to fire influence, causing flames to lick up the outside of the building. Falling glass can endanger pedestrians, firefighters and fire hoses below. An example of this is the First Interstate Tower Firein Los Angeles, California. The fire here leapfrogged up the tower by shattering the glass and then consuming the aluminum skeleton holding the glass. Aluminum's melting temperature is 660°C, whereas building fires can reach 1,100°C. The melting point of aluminum is typically reached within minutes of the start of a fire. Fires tops for such building joints can be qualified to UL 2079 -- Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems. Splinkler of each floor has a profoundly positive effect on the fire safety of buildings with curtain walls. In the case of the aforementioned fire, it was specifically the activation of the newly installed sprinkler system, which halted the advance of the fire and allowed effective suppression. Had this not occurred, the tower would have collapsed onto fire crews and into an adjacent building, while on fire. Exceptionally sound cementitious spray fireproofing also helped to delay and ultimately to avoid the possible collapse of the building, due to having the structural steel skeleton of the building reach the critical temperature, as the post-mortem fire investigation report indicated. This fire proved the positive collective effect of both active fire protection (sprinklers) and passive fire protection (fireproofing).
Fireman knock-out glazing panels are often required for venting and emergency access from the exterior. Knock-out panels are generally fully tempered glass to allow full fracturing of the panel into small pieces and relatively safe removal from the opening.

Maintenance and repair
Curtain walls and perimeter sealants require maintenance to maximize service life. Perimeter sealants, properly designed and installed, have a typical service life of 10 to 15 years. Removal and replacement of perimeter sealants require meticulous surface preparation and proper detailing.
Aluminum frames are generally painted or anodized. Factory applied fluoropolymer thermo-set coatings have good resistance to environmental degradation and require only periodic cleaning. Recoating with an air-dry fluoropolymer coating is possible but requires special surface preparation and is not as durable as the baked-on original coating.
Anodized aluminum frames cannot be "re-anodized" in place, but can be cleaned and protected by proprietary clear coatings to improve appearance and durability.
Exposed glazing seals and gaskets require inspection and maintenance to minimize water penetration, and to limit exposure of frame seals and insulating glass seals to wetting.












References:

Wikipedia.com
Urbika.com
e-architect.co.uk
greatbuildings.com
sgrada.com
ibany.com
ny.curbed.com