Evolution of curtain wall design against water infiltration
Ting, R.
1997 ICBEST97
Ting, R., (1997), "Evolution of curtain wall design against water infiltration", ICBEST97.
Abstract:
Since the invention of curtain wall, the building industry has undergone a long painful design struggle against the water leakage problem through curtain wall panel joints. The first generation design known as wet seal system is based on perfect seal principle. The second generation design known as internal gutter system is based on controlled leakage principle. The third generation design known as unitized system is based on multiple defense principle and sometimes supplemented by rain screen principle. All the above three generations of design failed to produce a long lasting watertight curtain wall due to the unsolvable workmanship and material durability problems. The fourth generation design (the author's recent invention) is based on air loop principle and supplemented by a concealed instantaneous drainage system. The watertightness performance of the design is tolerable to imperfect seal anywhere in the system. Full scale water tests (ASTM E-33 1 and AAMA 501.1) were conducted in the U.S.A. and in Taiwan on the fourth generation design with the following test results.
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