Curtain Walls and Window Walls – Their Roles in Skyscraper Construction

Building skyscrapers poses design and structural challenges to building owners and their design and construction teams including architects, engineers, construction managers and general contractors. At the most basic level, they are not only challenged to come up with a structurally sound building, they are also challenged to make the building aesthetically appealing and cost effective.

And most of all, they have to make sure the building offers maximum amount of comfort and convenience to its users, including making sure the building’s occupants are protected from the elements. The skyscraper must be resistant to rain, wind, fires, earthquakes and other destructive forces, both natural and man-made. Curtain walls and window walls are the construction elements that serve to protect high rises against the elements.

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 facade does not carry any dead load weight from the building other than its own dead load weight.

A window wall is a factory-glazed window (and door) unit that is installed between the floor slabs of multi-story buildings. When the floor slabs edges are covered on the exterior with aluminum slab covers, the resulting appearance is that of curtain wall.

Curtain wall is on the outside of the structure. Window wall sits between the floor slabs at the outer edge – – in other words, it is a curtain wall but broken at every floor slab.

Commercial high rise office buildings typically use curtain wall. Residential high rise towers typically use window wall, but can also use curtain wall. Why?

In curtain wall, as it is OUTSIDE the slab itself, you get less infringement on the slab and therefore more rentable space. Commercial office buildings most always are rented by the square foot. Large high rise residential space is usually sold /rented by the unit, not the square foot. Window wall typically is thought of by high rise residential owners/developers as LESS expensive than curtain wall, so that’s why it is more prevalent usually in large residential hi rise building.

There are different types of curtain and window walls, depending on what is best suited for the building’s design. Metal and glass curtain wall systems are among the most popular types of curtain walls for skyscrapers and other multi-storeyed buildings. Installing curtain walls is a specialized area in construction. It must be done by companies that are experts in this area. A respected curtain wall and window wall company, like Gamma U.S.A., Inc. and Gamma Windows and Walls International Inc. (Canada), will help you realize your creative ideas.


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