INTRODUCTION

Selecting the appropriate partition is a science and an art. In

fact, there are so many options available to the designer that it
is not unusual to refer to the partition as a system, a
combination of framing, sheathing and finish elements, all
working together to meet aesthetic, functional, code, and
economic requirements. Curtain walling is a form of vertical
building enclosure which supports no load other than its own
weight that of ancillary components and the environmental
forces which act upon it.

HISTORY
Dating back to the 1930s, curtain wall systems rapidly came into use post World War 2. This
was at a stage when aluminum just became available for use for purposes other than military
ones.
In the current era, curtain wall systems have gained structural importance equivalent to that of
other structural elements. Due to the fact that they are constantly exposed to the exterior
atmosphere, a curtain wall has to be appropriately designed, installed and maintained. All this
depends on the functionality and durability of the curtain wall system installed to support the
structure of the building. In late 18th-century Britain such as at Ditherington Flax Mill, and later
when buildings of wrought iron and glass such as The Crystal Palace were built, the building
blocks of structural understanding were laid for the development of curtain walls.

TYPES OF CURTAIN WALL SYSTEM

i. Stick
ii. Unitised
iii. Panellised
iv. Spandrel panel ribbon glazing
v. Structural sealant glazing
vi. Structural glazing
COMPONENTS OF A CURTAIN WALL
Following are the structural elements of a single curtain wall unit installed on the building
structure.
1. Transom
2. Mullions
3. Vision Glass
4. Anchor

Factors Responsible for the Failure of Curtain Wall Systems

Failures of Curtain Wall Systems in most of the cases are due to

(i) Wrong system selection for a given site/project requirement

(ii) Faulty fabrication & installation practices followed and

(iii) Neglecting or giving little importance to the performance testing of the façade system.

CURTAIN WALL DESIGN CONCERNS

Dead Load: Dead load is defined as the weight of structural elements and the permanent
features on the structure.
Wind load: Wind load is a normal force acting on the building as the result of wind blowing on
the building.
Seismic Load: Seismic loads in curtain wall system are limited to the interstory drift induced on
the building during an earthquake.
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.
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.

Air Infiltration: Air infiltration is the air which passes through the curtain wall from the exterior
to the interior of the building.

Water penetration
Water penetration is defined as water passing from the exterior of the building to the interior
of the curtain wall system.
Depending upon the material used partition walls may be divided into the following different
types:
 Brick partitions wall.
 Clay brick partition wall.
 Glass partitions wall.
 Concrete partitions wall.
 plaster slab partition wall.
 Metal lath partition wall.
 A.C. sheet or G.I. sheet partitions wall.
 wood-wool partition wall.