Curtain walls are a commonly used material in high-rise buildings. They have many advantages, and many builders of high-rise buildings like to use this material. It is also popularly used in villas and bungalows because this material looks very nice as a decoration. In terms of practical functions, it helps with drainage, energy conservation, maintaining a constant indoor temperature, environmental protection, sound insulation, etc. These numerous advantages have made curtain walls a very popular decoration product.
Skeleton materials
Aluminum alloy profiles: They have the advantages of low density (2710kg/m³), appropriate strength, good chemical stability, and being easy to process and surface treat. They are suitable for making the keels and sub-frames of glass curtain walls and aluminum panel curtain walls, providing a good decorative effect and durability. The aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy of grade 6063—T5 is generally used for curtain wall profiles. When choosing skeleton materials, one should be cautious and select high-quality ones because they serve as the support. Since the installation height of this kind of curtain wall is usually high, safety becomes very important.
Steel: It has high strength and large load-bearing capacity, and is often used for the main skeleton of large-scale curtain wall projects and the keels of stone curtain walls. Carbon structural steel Q235B is mainly used, and low-alloy steel and weathering steel are also used. However, steel is heavy in weight and requires effective anti-corrosion treatment. Steel has great strength and strong bearing capacity. When constructing with steel, using this kind of steel can provide better bearing capacity and ensure good safety.
Stainless steel: The mainly used type in curtain walls is austenitic stainless steel, which has a certain strength, good corrosion resistance, large toughness, and good welding performance. It is often used in some parts with high requirements for corrosion resistance, such as the connection nodes of curtain walls and hardware fittings like clamping claws.
Panels
Glass: It has good light transmittance, perspective, and decorative properties, enabling the building to present a simple and modern appearance. There are various types, including ordinary flat glass, float glass, coated glass, frosted glass, enameled glass, insulating glass, laminated glass, etc. Different types of glass vary in optical performance, thermal insulation performance, safety performance, etc., and can be selected according to specific needs. For example, Low-E glass has good heat insulation and UV protection effects and is often used in buildings with high energy conservation requirements; ultra-clear glass has a high light transmittance and can better show the transparency of the building.
Stone: Such as natural marble and natural granite, it has natural textures and colors, giving people a solemn, elegant, and high-end feeling, with a unique decorative effect. Stone has high strength and good durability, but it is heavy in weight, which requires a high load-bearing capacity of the building structure, and the installation process is relatively complex. At the same time, the fire resistance of stone curtain walls is poor, and special fire prevention measures need to be taken when used in high-rise buildings.
Aluminum panels: Usually single-layer aluminum panels, with materials of grades such as 3003, 5005, 3004, 5052, etc. They have the advantages of being lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant, easy to process and form, and rich in colors. They are easy to install and can adapt to various complex building shapes, and are a widely used material in metal curtain walls. In addition, there is also aluminum-plastic composite panel, which is composed of an aluminum panel and a plastic core material. It has good flatness and decorative properties, but its fire resistance is relatively weak.
Structural bonding and sealing joint filling materials
Silicone structural sealant: It is mainly used for the structural bonding between curtain wall panels and metal frames, between panels, and between panels and glass ribs, providing reliable connection strength and sealing performance.
Silicone weather-resistant sealant: It is used for door and window installation, glass assembly, curtain wall joint filling and sealing, and metal structure project joint filling and sealing, etc. It has good weather resistance and anti-aging performance and can meet the sealing requirements under different environmental conditions.
Hardware fittings
Steel parts, embedded plates, aluminum corner pieces, aluminum hanging pieces, dry hanging pieces: They are used to connect the skeleton, panels, and main structure of the curtain wall, playing the roles of transferring loads, fixing, and supporting.
Stainless steel screws, bolts, anchor bolts: They are used to fasten various parts of the curtain wall to ensure the reliability and stability of the connection.
In addition, there are some auxiliary materials, such as foam rods, rubber strips, stone plastic spacers, insulating gaskets, etc., which also play important roles in the curtain wall system, such as filling gaps, buffering and damping, and preventing electrochemical reactions.
Ceramic thin panels
Features: It has extremely high hardness and wear resistance, is not easy to be scratched or fade, and can maintain its beauty for a long time. It has excellent weather resistance, strong resistance to acid rain and ultraviolet rays, and can be used stably in various harsh environments. At the same time, ceramic thin panels also have good fire resistance and are non-combustible materials, which can effectively improve the fire safety level of the building. In addition, ceramic thin panels can achieve various colors and textures through special processing techniques to meet the personalized needs of different architectural designs.
Application scenarios: It is suitable for public buildings with high requirements for the durability of the building appearance and fire resistance, such as cultural and art buildings like museums, art galleries, and theaters, as well as buildings in coastal areas with high environmental adaptability requirements or buildings in high-pollution industrial areas.