Why are glass curtain walls all over the world?

The glass curtain wall believes that everyone will not be unfamiliar. Usually, you can see many office buildings, commercial buildings and landmark buildings using glass curtain walls. Now many shops, villas and hotel rooms will also choose to use glass curtain wall. In fact, even the sun room we often touch is also a kind of glass curtain wall. In modern urban architecture, glass curtain wall is gradually becoming the mainstream of aesthetics.

The origin of glass curtain wall

The continuous advancement of glass manufacturing technology has promoted the application and development of glass in the construction industry. The development path and trajectory of glass curtain wall can be roughly divided into the following stages: the window of the early residential building, the Gothic church building period and its The succession period, the plant garden greenhouses and commercial street galleries, the enlightenment applications of industrial buildings, the large-scale popularization of office and office buildings.

The internationally recognized early application of the glass curtain wall was designed by Willis Jefferson Polk and built in 1918 in the Harid building in San Francisco, USA. It uses a reinforced concrete structure with a glass curtain wall hanging 3 feet from the axis of the outer wall. The cantilever cement board has all the features of the modern building curtain wall: the structural system with the glass panel and the supporting glass panel, the relative deformation with the main structure, and the role of the main structure.

After the reform and opening up, with the increasing frequency of exchanges with foreign countries, some advanced foreign building technology and technology have gradually been introduced into China, and the building curtain wall technology has made considerable progress in China. In 1981, the first glass curtain wall project appeared in the front facade of the Canton Fair. It has the characteristics of modern glass curtain wall and can be used as the beginning of China's glass curtain wall era.

Why are you using glass curtain walls?

The curtain wall is the outer coat of the building, the soul of the building, the external expression of the architectural style, and the glass as a beautiful and easy to use design material, which makes many designers rely on the glass to create beauty in the design. We can also find more and more glass curtain wall buildings around us. The material of glass is also very suitable for architectural aesthetics, such as creating an inspiration and a sense of extension.

High-rise office buildings such as office buildings have a high demand for natural daylighting, and the glass curtain wall is well lit. The design of the glass curtain wall will make the interior of the building more open when the daylight is full. The glass curtain wall is clear enough to see the outside scenery, so that people can enjoy the beautiful scenery in a transparent space and bring people Come with visual and spiritual comfort.

Advantages and disadvantages of glass curtain wall performance

The glass curtain wall is made of a combination of mirror glass and ordinary glass, and the compartment is filled with dry air or inert gas. The insulating glass has two layers and three layers. The two layers of insulating glass are sealed by two layers of glass to form a sandwich space. The three layers of glass are composed of three layers of glass and two interlayer spaces. Insulating glass has the advantages of sound insulation, heat insulation, anti-frosting, moisture proof, increased daylighting and high wind pressure resistance.

There are also some limitations in the glass curtain wall, such as light pollution and high energy consumption. The curtain wall of the building uses coated glass or coated glass to reflect glare due to the specular reflection of the glass when direct sunlight and sky light hit the glass surface. However, with the development of glass curtain wall technology and the continuous emergence of new material technology, the materials used in the glass curtain wall in the building can better solve the problem of light pollution and energy consumption.

The main problem of the use of glass curtain wall

The safety problem is to pay attention to the actual use of the glass curtain wall. The glass curtain wall will wear out, crack or even fall off due to long-term use, and the falling debris will hurt the passers-by. This kind of accident did happen, and not only one case. In fact, many local construction and construction departments have issued relevant notices to restrict the use of glass curtain walls, pointing out that non-special use requirements should not be used in large areas. Special requirements refer to public buildings such as airports and theaters, office buildings and hotels.

There is also the cost issue. The glass curtain wall is more expensive than the traditional tile structure. After one year of completion and acceptance of the curtain wall project, a comprehensive inspection of the curtain wall project should be carried out. After that, it should be inspected every 5 years. The practical application of the glass curtain wall The inspection and maintenance price is not low. However, the sensory enjoyment and the value of the building brought by the glass curtain wall are also unreachable by the traditional tile structure.