Ground Floor Curtain Wall

Window wall is also non load bearing.

Ground floor curtain wall.

Window wall employs large side stacking window units contained in head and sill receptors also called starters which accommodate movement and drainage but require field applied perimeter sealants. Curtain wall is utilized to traverse various floors. Window wall systems span from the top of one floor slab to the underside of the slab above it. So curtain walls are arranged like vertical members that attached to the floors slabs and spanning from floor to floor continuously.

When glass is used as the curtain wall an advantage is that natural light can penetrate deeper within the building. The steel structure is used to support the curtain wall at every floor slab. Curtain wall vs window wall. Typically storefront is only used on the ground floor of a building but can be used up to the second or third floor.

A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are nonstructural but are attached to the building structure and used to keep out the weather. The wind and gravity loads of the curtain wall are transferred to the building structure typically at the floor. Ordinarily storefront is utilized on the ground floor as it were. The member of structure that greatly influence the design of curtain wall is the floor slabs which provide proper location for the anchorage of curtain walls system.

The right side of the detail shows the condition at the window. Like unitized curtain wall window wall is also built in a shop and shipped to the site pre assembled. A curtain wall is defined as thin usually aluminum framed wall containing in fills of glass metal panels or thin stone. Since the curtain wall is non structural it can be made of lightweight materials thereby reducing construction costs.

Units are anchored at the head and sill and sealed in place using caulking. A muntz metal panel is used to cover the inside face of the curtain wall. The bronze tee bar is bolted to the steel angles. A curtain wall is 2in profound or less.

Curtain wall is thicker than storefront. In the most basic sense of the term the curtain wall is any non load bearing exterior wall that hangs like a curtain from the floor slabs. Curtain wall to ground floor junction. A curtain wall system is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non structural utilized only to keep the weather out and the occupants in.

Curtain wall begins at the 2 5in top to bottom and can be as thick as 8in profound. The tee bar is plug welded to the continuous bronze mullions. Storefront is typically center glazed and is not self draining. May 28 2017 detail.

The framing is attached to the building structure and does not carry the floor or roof loads of the building.