PECULIARITIES OF DESIGN OF CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS TO ASSURE THERMAL INSULATION
Pages 51 - 56
Power efficiency of residential houses requires the application of varied thermal insulation systems, including curtain walls. Peculiarities of their design that can produce a substantial impact on their durability and operational reliability are discussed in the article.
A standard curtain wall system represents a structure composed of one layer of thermal insulation made of mineral cotton attached to the bearing wall by dish-shaped dowels, a bearing frame (a subsystem) attached to the wall by anchors, and outer lining materials (panels, boards or sheets) that are mounted in such a manner so that the spacing between the outer lining and the layer of thermal insulation is 0.4 to 0.8 m.
Evidently, strength analysis of structural and fixture elements (anchors) must be completed in the course of the building design (new project) or as a supplementary pre-repair stage in the event of extensive repairs, to assure reliable and safe operation of curtain wall systems. Any analysis is to be based on the most complete information about the materials and elements of the curtain wall system, its structural peculiarities, and the whole variety of loads and impacts that the building may be exposed to, including dynamic loads associated with its height. The quality of the analysis depends upon proper identification of the forces that the structure of the wall system is exposed to, and proper selection of design models of elements (namely, with the account for the kinematic analysis) of the structure of the curtain wall system being designed.
Evidently, many factors of strength of structural details, elements and joints must be substantiated by tests that may be specified as procedures of identification of structural reliability of a curtain wall system. Besides, the analysis-related section of the design project must be based on a set of tests (of separate elements and joints) performed in the environment close to the natural conditions of the curtain wall maintenance (field tests).
The results of laboratory tests (given the adjustments for permissible tolerances) may be regarded as the principal criteria in the assessment of applicability of a curtain wall system in the course of a major building repair project or a new construction to assure the required reliability and durability.
DOI: 10.22227/1997-0935.2012.3.51 - 56
- STO FCS – 44416204-010—2010. Krepleniya ankernye. Metod opredeleniya nesuschey sposobnosti po rezul’tatam naturnyh ispytaniy [Standard of Organization (FGU FCS– 44416204-010-2010). Anchors. Method of Testing for Determination of the Bearing Capacity as a Result of Field Tests], Moscow, 2010.
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