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Experimental study of temperature distributions across two curtain wall systems

Ge, H., Fazio, P. and Rao, J.
2001
Proceedings for Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings VIII: Integration of Building Envelopes, December 2-7, Clearwater Beach, Florida

Ge, H., Fazio, P. and Rao, J., (2001), "Experimental study of temperature distributions across two curtain wall systems", Proceedings for Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings VIII: Integration of Building Envelopes, December 2-7, Clearwater Beach, Florida.
Abstract:
Metal curtain walls are widely used in the building industry and offer many advantages including space saving, high quality in manufacturing, light weight, significant aesthetic freedom, and rapid construction. The recent concerns for energy conservation and improved indoor thermal comfort require improvements in their performance. Initially, the metal curtain wall industry grew within the metal window industry, and standards developed for windows are also used to evaluate the performance of curtain walls. However, the heat flow through curtain walls is more complex than in windows and depends to a great extent on the design details. For example, the application of high-performance glazing units to increase the thermal resistance of the envelope can be compromised by the thermal bridges at the joints, such as the fastening screws and the return of back-pans. To evaluate the overall thermal performance of curtain walls accurately, it is necessary to study the complete wall assembly. An experimental study of temperature distribution across two curtain wall systems is presented in this paper. A two-story full-size specimen (12.5 by 22 ft), incorporating various design details including spacer type, the glazing unit, the thermal break material, and the back-pan design, was tested in an environmental chamber under steady-state and periodic winter conditions. The temperature distributions on glazing panels and at the mullion sections are reported, and the condensation resistance factors for the glazing and the frame are calculated. The results of the preliminary analysis reveal the relative impact of these design details on the performance of the respective curtain wall systems. This is an initial report on the results of this experiment, and additional information will be published as the study proceeds and additional experimental data are analyzed.

Hua Ge Paul Fazio, Ph.D., P. Eng. Jiwu Rao, Ph.D.

Student Member ASHRAE

Hua Ge is a Ph.D. student, Paul Fazio is a professor, and Jiwu Rao is a research associate at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Ge, H.
Ph.D, - 2002, Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  2. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  3. Measuring air leakage characteristics with flexible double air chambers
  4. Measuring air leakage of full-scale curtain wall sections using a non-rigid air-chamber method
  5. Study on overall thermal performance of metal curtain walls
  6. Study on thermal performance of curtain walls using infrared thermography
  7. Test method to measure the relative capacity of wall panels to evacuate moisture from their stud cavity
  8. Transfer of heat, moisture and air through metal curtain walls  
Fazio, P.
Paul Fazio, Professor of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. A limit state design (LSD) approach for comparing relative drying performance of wood-frame envelope systems with full-scale lab, A roadmap towards intelligent net zero- and positive-energy buildings,
  2. A new test method to determine the relative drying capacity of building envelope panels of various configurations
  3. A new testing method to evaluate the relative drying performance of different building envelope systems using water trays
  4. A quantitative study for the measurement of driving rain exposure in the Montr¨¦al region
  5. A review of research activities in energy efficiency in buildings in Canada
  6. Airtightness testing and air flow modeling of two and three-unit multifamily buildings
  7. Airtightness testing of two- and three-unit buildings with a single fan
  8. Approach for the simulation of wetting due to rain infiltration for building envelope testing
  9. Approach for urban driving rain index by using climatological data recorded at suburban meteorological station
  10. Behavior of wall assemblies with different wood sheathings wetted by simulated rain penetration
  11. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  12. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  13. Cavity pressure in rain screen walls
  14. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  15. Continuous folded plate structures under uniform load
  16. Creative case adaptation for building engineering design
  17. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility
  18. Design Methodology of Solar Neighborhoods
  19. Development of experimental procedure to evaluate potential movement of mold spores from wall cavity to indoor environment
  20. Development of HAM tool for building envelope analysis
  21. Effect of capillarity on rainwater penetration in the building envelope
  22. Environmental chamber for investigation of building envelope performance
  23. Essai sur les toits plats isol¨¦s ¨¤ la fibre de cellulose
  24. Evaluation of radiance's genBSDF capability to assess solar bidirectional properties of complex fenestration systems
  25. Experimental evaluation of potential transport of mold spores from moldy studs in full-size wall assemblies
  26. Experimental setup for the study of air leakage patterns
  27. Folded sandwich plate structures
  28. Identification and transport investigation of microbial volatile organic compounds in full-scale stud cavities
  29. IFC-based framework for evaluating total performance of building envelopes
  30. Impact of added insulation on air leakage patterns
  31. Impact of air leakage pattern on reinsulated walls
  32. In-cavity evaporation allowance--A drying capacity indicator for wood-frame wall system
  33. Influence of air space on multi-layered material water vapor permeability measurement
  34. Influence of facade geometry on weathering
  35. Integrated analysis of whole building heat, air and moisture transfer
  36. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test hut: Part 1 - Experimental study
  37. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test-hut: Part 2- CFD study
  38. Large scale testing of two flat roof assemblies insulated with cellulose
  39. Mapping of air leakage in exterior wall assemblies
  40. Measuring air leakage characteristics with flexible double air chambers
  41. Measuring air leakage of full-scale curtain wall sections using a non-rigid air-chamber method
  42. Methods for the assessment of moisture content of envelope assemblies
  43. Modeling of moisture behavior of wood planks in nonvented flat roofs
  44. Modelling of indoor air humidity: the dynamic behaviour within an enclosure
  45. Moisture buffering capacities of five North American building materials
  46. Moisture performance of leaky exterior walls with added insulation
  47. Nonlinear elastic analysis of panelized shear sandwich walls
  48. Numerical investigation of the influence of room factors on HAM transport in a full-scale experimental room
  49. Performance evaluation protocol for full-scale wood-frame building envelopes
  50. Potential of rain screen walls to prevent rain penetration: pressurized cavity principle
  51. Quantitative driving rain exposure on a vertical wall at various Canadian cities
  52. Rapport Final Projet Site Internet - L'enveloppe du batiment et l'efficacit¨¦ ¨¦nerg¨¦tique
  53. Review and framework for large-scale laboratory studies on wetting and drying of building envelopes
  54. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  55. Study on thermal performance of curtain walls using infrared thermography
  56. Test method to measure the relative capacity of wall panels to evacuate moisture from their stud cavity
  57. Testing of flat roofs insulated with cellulose fiber
  58. The dynamic modelling of air humidity behaviour in a multi-zone space
  59. Transfer of heat, moisture and air through metal curtain walls
  60. Transient model for coupled heat, air and moisture transfer through multilayered porous media
  61. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  
Rao, J.
Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. A limit state design (LSD) approach for comparing relative drying performance of wood-frame envelope systems with full-scale lab, A roadmap towards intelligent net zero- and positive-energy buildings,
  2. A new test method to determine the relative drying capacity of building envelope panels of various configurations
  3. A new testing method to evaluate the relative drying performance of different building envelope systems using water trays
  4. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  5. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  6. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  7. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility
  8. Development of experimental procedure to evaluate potential movement of mold spores from wall cavity to indoor environment
  9. Development of HAM tool for building envelope analysis
  10. Effect of capillarity on rainwater penetration in the building envelope
  11. Environmental chamber for investigation of building envelope performance
  12. Evaluation of radiance's genBSDF capability to assess solar bidirectional properties of complex fenestration systems
  13. Experimental evaluation of potential transport of mold spores from moldy studs in full-size wall assemblies
  14. Identification and transport investigation of microbial volatile organic compounds in full-scale stud cavities
  15. In-cavity evaporation allowance--A drying capacity indicator for wood-frame wall system
  16. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test hut: Part 1 - Experimental study
  17. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test-hut: Part 2- CFD study
  18. Measuring air leakage characteristics with flexible double air chambers
  19. Measuring air leakage of full-scale curtain wall sections using a non-rigid air-chamber method
  20. Numerical investigation of the influence of room factors on HAM transport in a full-scale experimental room
  21. Review and framework for large-scale laboratory studies on wetting and drying of building envelopes
  22. Statistical analysis of microbial volatile organic compounds in an experimental project: identification and transport analysis
  23. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  24. Test method to measure the relative capacity of wall panels to evacuate moisture from their stud cavity
  25. Transfer of heat, moisture and air through metal curtain walls
  26. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  


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