GB2160238A

GB2160238A - Curtain wall

Info

Publication number: GB2160238A
Application number: GB08511166A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Karl-Heinz Schoel
Original assignee: Nipp & Co Ernst
Current assignee: Nipp & Co Ernst
Priority date: 1984-06-13
Filing date: 1985-05-02
Publication date: 1985-12-18
Also published as: DE3421901A1; GB2160238B; GB8511166D0

Abstract

The spandrel elements of a curtain wall for buildings, consist of self-supporting cassettes 4, each of which covers the end face 5 of a particular intermediate floor 1 and is attached to the latter in a manner resistant to bending moments. The spandrel elements carry the window elements 12 arranged between them and therefore perform a static function. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Curtain wall for buildings The invention relates to a curtain wall for buildings, which has spandrel and window elements which are fastened or can be fastened to intermediate floors of the building.

Curtain walls of this type are known in many designs and embodiments. In the facade region of the building, the (end edges of the) intermediate floors are usually connected to one another by means of vertical profiles made of steel (or aluminium). The spandrel elements and window elements are fastened above one another to these profiles. Since the profiles span the (vertical) distance between the adjacent intermediate floors, they are able to protect the intermediate floors from the forces exerted on them by the wind pressure.

Because the multiple functions of a curtain wall are performed by a vertical carcass of girders satisfying static requirements, on the one hand, and by spandrel and window elements for providing facade apertures, on the other hand, the costs factor is considerable, fire protection becomes more difficult and the architectural design possibilities are naturally restricted.

The object on which the invention is based is, therefore, to provide a curtain-wall design and arrangement which does without vertical supports.

This object is achieved, according to the invention because the spandrel elements are self-supporting cassettes, each of which covers the end face of an intermediate floor and is attached or can be attached to the latter in a manner resistant to bending moments and which hold the window elements between them. There is therefore no need for the hitherto conventional static interlinking of the intermediate floors (by means of a set of vertical girders). This becomes possible as a result of the above-mentioned arrangement and method of attaching the spandrel cassettes. These thus perform (in addition) the static function of breaking down the wind load and at the same time provide the necessary fire protection against the danger of flames shooting from one storey into the storey above.

The manner of attaching the cassettes which is resistant to bending moments usually entails the use of several, generally two fastenings arranged above one another to the intermediate floor and/or to a bearer (lintel) or the like connected in one piece to the latter. It has been shown that the window elements can be fastened directly, that is to say without additional static measures, between spandrel cassettes designed, arranged and fastened in this way. Curtain walls with horizontally continuous window ledges can thus be produced without interruption by vertical supports (with the exception, of course, of the always necessary vertical frame spars of the concealed frames and window frames).

The cassettes preferably consist of sheetsteel troughs, the bottoms of which are fastened to the building. These can be provided with additional vertical reinforcements and can also be filled with heat-insulating material.

It is also possible, on essentially aesthetic grounds, for the spandrel cassette to include a facing panel which covers the trough and which, if appropriate, can be fitted separately from this.

The drawing illustrates the invention by means of exemplary embodiments, and in the drawing: Figure 1 shows, in a vertical section, a cutout from a curtain wall according to the invention, after it has been attached to the building; Figure 2 shows a representation, corresponding to that of Fig. 1, of a modified embodiment; Figure 3 shows a front view of a spandrei cassette (composed of two parts); Figure 4 shows a horizontal section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3; and Figure 5 shows a vertical section along the line V-V in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 shows, in a diagrammatic representation of a building, the intermediate floors 1 which in the region of the facade, designated as a whole by 2, are thickened into a lintellike bearer 3. Spandrel elements in the form of cassettes 4 are fastened to each intermediate floor 1 by means of the bearer 3, specifically in such a way that they cover the end face of the intermediate floor 1 (together with the bearer 3) and extend both upwards into the region of the storey located above and downwards into the region of the storey located below.

The cassettes 4 are fastened both to the topside of the intermediate floor 1 and to the underside of its bearer 3 at a vertical distance from one another by means of angle irons 6, 7. The direct fastening of the spandrel cassettes 4 to the intermediate floors 1 makes it possible to use them as fire-protection elements against flames shooting from one storey to the storey above; there is usually no difficulty in providing the minimum height of the cassettes of 90 cm necessary for this purpose.

The cassettes 4 are filled with heat-insulating material 8 and are covered on the outside of the building by a plate 9 consisting, for example, of hammered glass. Figs. 3 to 5 show that the sheet-steel trough 10 which essentially forms the cassette 4 is reinforced by supports 11 consisting in the example of rectangular tubes. The cassettes 4 are anchored to the intermediate floor 1 (or to the bearer 3) in the region of these reinforcements 11.

The cassettes 4 fastened in this way to the particular intermediate floor 1 (but also only to this) in a manner resistant to bending serve, in turn, for fastening the window elements 12, in such a way that the particular spandrel cassettes 4 belonging to two adjacent intermediate floors 1 hold the window elements 1 2 located between them.

The interior spandrel elements 1 3 indicated in the drawing are not connected in any way to the curtain wall 2 and also do not perform any static function.

In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 2, the only difference is that the bearer 3 of the intermediate floor 1 is shifted somewhat further into the building interior. Consequently, the cassettes 4 are fastened only against the end face 5a of the intermediate floor 1 by means of the angle irons 6, 7, but there are, in addition, stays 14 which also retain the cassettes 4 on the particular bearer 3 at a distance from the latter, consequently holding them additionally in a manner resistant to bending relative to the intermediate floor 1.

Figs. 3 to 5 shown an "empty" cassette 4 in a front view and in sectional views. In this case, because of its large width, it is composed of two parts which are joined together along a joint 1 5. These illustrations clearly show the cassette construction consisting of a trough 10 and vertical reinforcements 11 which in the present case are composed of rectangular tubes. They are welded to the trough 10, specifically, as shown above all in Fig. 5, to the forward (outward)-bent top edge of the trough 10. However, at the opposite (bottom) end, the reinforcements 11 are cut off obliquely and left open, so that they form with a corresponding bottom edge of the trough 10 an acute-angled slot 1 6. In this way, condensation water possibly precipitated in the reinforcements 11 in the event of differences in temperature can escape even after the trough 10 has been filled with heatinsulating material 8.

The cassettes 4 are fastened to the particular intermediate floor 1 or to a bearer 3 or the like through the reinforcements 11, thus guaranteeing that bending moments are transmitted without any buckling.

Claims

1. Curtain wall for buildings, which has spandrel and window elements which are fastened or can be fastened to intermediate floors of the building, characterised in that the spandrel elements are self-supporting cassettes (4), each of which covers the end face (5, 5a) of an intermediate floor (1) and is attached or can be attached to the latter in a manner resistant to bending moments and which hold the window elements (12) between them.

2. Curtain wall according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cassettes (4) consist of sheet-steel troughs (10), the bottoms of which are fastened or can be fastened to the building.

3. Curtain wall according to Claim 2, characterised in that the trough (10) is filled with heat-insulating material (8).

4. Curtain wall according to Claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the trough (10) is covered by a facing panel (plate 9).

5. Curtain wall according to Claim 2 or one of the following claims, characterised in that the trough (10) GE/il has vertical reinforcements (11).

6. Curtain wall substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 or 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.