Self-supporting aluminium facades
Self-supporting aluminium curtain walls offer a wide range of solutions for creating glazed facade formations using mullions (vertical bars) and transoms (horizontal bars) provided by our suppliers. With curtain wall elements, various architectural concepts can be realized, but suitable manufacturing and installation partners are necessary.
Self-supporting refers to externally glazed framed glass wall systems consisting solely of extruded aluminium system profiles for the supporting structure. While self-supporting curtain walls can have intermediate insulation, the steel or glued wood structure cannot form the supporting frame itself. The interior appearance of the framing can vary from the traditional closed-section “box” shape to blade or asymmetrical shapes. All aluminium window products can be integrated into aluminium curtain walls, whether they are doors, windows, sliding doors, lift-and-slide doors, or pivot doors. Integrating windows requiring special movement (motorization) is also not a significant issue, as their pre-wiring can be solved during manufacturing.
The external appearances of self-supporting aluminium curtain walls may include:
- Visible mullion, where glass panels are pressed against the frame from the outside. The cover profiles of the pressure plates provide significant design flexibility.
- Structural, where the junctions of the glass panels receive silicone sealing on their outer plane.
- Semi-structural, which is a combination of the two previous versions, usually arranged symmetrically according to a vertical or horizontal organizing principle.
Roof glazing can also be built from the material of self-supporting curtain walls. However, the node points and slope formations differ due to the design of the openable surfaces and the drainage of water entering the structure. When handling overhead glass panels, it’s necessary to involve a structural designer. The use of safety glazing in roofs is inevitable for both the lower and upper layers. Roof openings (aluminium roof windows) are generally motor-operated and suitable for integration into RWA (smoke and heat extraction) systems.
With the use of various insulating components, from the simplest to high-level thermal insulation, cost-effective and technically optimal systems can be developed for every climatic zone worldwide. We have designed and manufactured curtain walls for high facades in Reykjavik, Iceland, to withstand wind loads of 380 km/h. We have also manufactured curtain walls and glass roofs for altitudes around 2000 meters above sea level.
Schüco or Reynaers licensed mullion-transom products are tested and meet the highest quality and safety requirements, so we recommend them with confidence.