1. Aluminum Extrusions 21 Cladding With Metal and Glass
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
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2. Alumnium in Curtain Walls
Aluminum Extrusions
Alumnium in Curtain Walls
Aluminum is most common in metal curtain wall because it:
Protects against corrosion
Accepts and holds a variety of attractive surface finishes
Can be fabricated into elaborate shapes by extrusion
Is light and strong
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

3. Extrusion Production The principle of extrusion is easily visualized:
Aluminum Extrusions
Extrusion Production
The principle of extrusion is easily visualized:
It is like squeezing toothpaste from a tube
The tube extrudes a column of toothpaste in the shape of the orifice which is cylindrical
Very intricate aluminum sections can be extruded for variety of purposes including curtain wall components, door frames, window frames, entrances, storefronts, handrails, grillwork, and structural shapes
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
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4. Aluminum Extrusions
Extrusion Production 1 2
Hundreds of extrusion dies for many components of curtain walls are organized in racks
A heated billet of aluminum is inserted into the cylinder of the extrusion press
An extrusion emerges from the die
Long extrusions cool on rollers, ready for straightening and cutting 3 4
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
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5. Connections of Extruded Shapes
Aluminum Extrusions
Connections of Extruded Shapes
Screw ports are extruded cylindrical features that allow a screw to be driven in parallel to the long axis of the extrusion
Self-tapping screws are driven through screw ports to fasten an extruded aluminum shear block to a vertical mullion 1 2 2
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

6. Connections of Extruded Shapes
Aluminum Extrusions
Connections of Extruded Shapes
Screw slots allow screws to be driven perpendicular to the long axis of an extrusion
Snap-on and snap together features are commonly used in extruded aluminum curtain wall components 1 2
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

7. Thermal Breaks and Finishes
Aluminum Extrusions
Thermal Breaks and Finishes
Thermal breaks
They are internal components of insulating material that thermally isolate the aluminum on the interior side from the exterior side
They dramatically reduce heat flow
Creating thermal breaks
Cast and debridged thermal break
Inserting Rubber, plastic gaskets or plastic strips
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
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8. Thermal Breaks and Finishes
Aluminum Extrusions
Thermal Breaks and Finishes
This aluminum glazing extrusion relies on an extruded rubber gasket (1) to act as a conductive separation between the pressure cap and the main body of the extrusion
Such thermally improved glazing systems are less expensive than fully thermally broken systems, but also allow greater heat loss 1
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
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9. Thermal Breaks and Finishes
Aluminum Extrusions
Thermal Breaks and Finishes
Surface finishes
Aluminum does not corrode but forms a tenacious oxide film
Anodizing is a process that produces an integral oxide coating on the aluminum. It can be done in different colors
Organic coatings can also be used such as fluoropolymer coatings, polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) and are available in broad spectrum of colors are most expensive but have high service life
Powder coatings are manufactured with thermosetting powders applied electrostatically.
Baked enamel finish consists of spray applied acrylic or polyester polymers and have high gloss
A wide range of surface effects are also possible by mechanical and chemical means
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10. Thermal Breaks and Finishes
Aluminum and Glass Framing Systems
Thermal Breaks and Finishes
A clear-anodized storefront system
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
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11. Aluminum and Glass Framing Systems
21 Cladding With Metal and Glass
Aluminum and Glass Framing Systems
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

12. Framing Systems 3 Entrances Storefronts Curtain wall 2 1
Aluminum and Glass Framing Systems
Framing Systems 3
Entrances
These are systems of aluminum framed doors, hardware, aluminum framing and glass typically used in commercial buildings
Storefronts
These are based on simplified, lighter framing elements that are less expensive and quicker to assemble than curtain wall
Rather then being hung it is installed between floor slabs or wall openings
They are lighter and mostly used on single storey
Curtain wall
They are more high performance and can be used on any number of stories 2 1
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

13. Modes of Assembly 21 Cladding With Metal and Glass
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

14. Stick System Principal components are:
Modes of Assembly
Stick System
Principal components are:
Metal mullions
Rectangular panels of glass
Rectangular panels of spandrel
All materials are assembled on the building
Low shipping bulk and high degree of ability to adjust to unforeseen conditions
Assembly on site more labor intensive and impacted by site conditions
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

15. Unit System Units with glass spandrel and mullion are shipped to site
Modes of Assembly
Unit System
Units with glass spandrel and mullion are shipped to site
Units need more space for shipping and more protection from damage then stick systems
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

16. Unit and Mullion System
Modes of Assembly
Unit and Mullion System
Mullion and units are shipped separately
Hybrid between unit and stick systems
Seldom used in today’s construction
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

17. Modes of Assembly
Panel System
Made up of homogenous units that are formed from metal sheet
Advantages and disadvantages are similar to unit system but its production involves higher tooling costs of a custom made die or mold
It is advantageous for buildings that requires large numbers of similar pieces
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

18. Column-Cover-and-Spandrel-System
Modes of Assembly
Column-Cover-and-Spandrel-System
Emphasizes the structural module of the building rather than creating its own grid on the facade
A custom design must be created for each project
Special care required in detailing spandrel panel support to ensure that panels do not deflect when loads are applied to spandrel beams of the building frame
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

19. Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Kawneer 1600 System – Outside Glazing
In an outside glazed system the glass must be installed or replaced by workers standing on scaffolding. Outside glazing systems utilize relatively simple set of shapes and are less expensive 1 3 7
Vertical mullions
Horizontal mullions
Shear block
Glazing gaskets
Pressure plates
Snap on cover
Molded rubber plug 5 2 6 4
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

20. Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Manufacturer’s details for Kawneer 1600 – outside glazed system. The details are keyed to location shown on top left
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

21. Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System 1 2
Detail of a vertical mullion
Basic extrusion is a rectangular shape that provides a neat appearance on the inside
Broken lines indicate a smaller profile availability
The extruded plastic thermal break attaches to the mullion with a projecting pine tree spline
Glazing gaskets attach to aluminum pieces with projecting splines 4 4 3 4 4
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

22. Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Outside Glazed Curtain Wall System 2 1
Detail of horizontal mullion – closed extrusion top and open-back extrusion bottom
Rubber setting blocks are shown beneath the glass
Aluminum extrusion added for spandrel glass
Weep holes are not shown but drilled horizontally through the top part of pressure plate
Weep holes are also drilled vertically through the bottom part of the snap on cover 3 1 4
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

23. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
An example of a building with outside glazed curtain wall system
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

24. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System 5 1
In an inside glazed system workers stand inside the building to install the glass. It is more convenient and economical for tall buildings but requires more elaborate extrusions 3 4
Vertical mullions
Horizontal mullions
Shear block
Glazing gaskets
Pressure plates
Snap on cover
Bottom half extrusion 6 2 7
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

25. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Manufacturer’s details for Kawneer 1600 – inside glazed system. The details are keyed to location shown on top left
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

26. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System 1 2
Detail of a vertical mullion
Basic extrusion is a rectangular shape that provides a neat appearance on the inside
Broken lines indicate a smaller profile availability
Thermal break is an H shaped extrusion of rigid plastic that is crimped securely into grooves
Removable glazing gaskets
Glazing pockets of different depths to allow for glazing from the inside 5 4 4 3
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

27. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Detail of horizontal mullion 3
Bottom half of mullion is off until glass is installed
Interior glazing gaskets are installed after the bottom part of the mullion. They are called glazing wedges because of their blunt wedge shape
Exterior gaskets have a different shape which are installed before the glass is installed 1 2
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

28. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System 2 4
Installing glass from inside 1
Setting blocks and exterior side gaskets are installed
Glass unit is pushed obliquely into the deep glazing pocket squared away and backed into the shallow pocket
Bottom half of mullion is installed (see previous slide #1)
Inside gaskets are installed 4 2 1
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

29. Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
Modes of Assembly
Inside Glazed Curtain Wall System
An example of a building with inside glazed curtain wall system
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

30. The Rainscreen Principle in Metal-and-Glass Cladding1 2 3 4
21 Cladding With Metal and Glass
The Rainscreen Principle in Metal-and-Glass Cladding
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

31. Rain Screen Principle in Metal-and-Glass Cladding
During a wind-driven rain gravity and capillary action would be likely to draw some water past the outer gasket
If water has leaked in along the vertical edge it will fall by gravity to the bottom where it drains out
If water accumulates in the horizontal mullion it is prevented from running out at the ends by plugs shown earlier
Its only recourse is to drain through weep holes in the pressure plate and the snap-on cover
External gasket serves only as a deterrent seal, essentially a rainscreen
Internal gasket serves as an air barrier
Hollow spaces are pressure equalization chamber 2 3 1 1 4
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

32. Rain Screen Principle A sheet metal, rain screen cladding system
Rain Screen Principle in Metal-and-Glass Cladding
Rain Screen Principle
A sheet metal, rain screen cladding system
Behind the metal skin is metal framing for supporting the panels, a drainage space, and a waterproof membrane
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

33. Expansion Joints in Metal-and-Glass Walls
21 Cladding With Metal and Glass
Expansion Joints in Metal-and-Glass Walls
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

34. Attachment and Joints in Mullion
Expansion Joints in Metal-and-Glass Walls
Attachment and Joints in Mullion
Vertical mullions are attached to the edges of the building’s floor with angle anchor. Oval slots (4) allow for adjustments to accommodate construction tolerances
Sections of vertical mullions are spliced with aluminum internal spline shown with dotted lines
The spline is screwed to the lower section of mullion with upper section free to slide to accommodate vertical movement 1 4 3 2
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

35. Sloped Glazing 21 Cladding With Metal and Glass
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

36. Sloped Glazing
Sloped Glazing
Kawneer 1600 S.G. Framed With Aluminum Extrusions Incorporating Internal Gutters
Water leakage is a big issue and therefore there is an internal drainage system
Structural issues need to be considered and laminated or plastic glass is often required
Moisture condensation can also be contained by the gutter
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.

37. MasterFormat Sections For Cladding With Metal and Glass
Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials & Methods, 5th Edition
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.