Managing Design and Implementation of Curtain Walls for High Rise Buildings

Abstract

Finishing the installation of the curtain walls through successive phases (design, manufacturing, implementation, maintenance) and each phase affected by the previous phases. Lack of communication between stakeholders (architect, consultant, structural engineer, client, faced engineer, manufacturing officials, contractor) leads to conflicting information leading to failure of curtain walls.

Problems in many curtain walls in the design, manufacture and implementation phases resulting from the absence of a framework that helps the project manager to make the appropriate decision when designing and implementing curtain walls.

The thesis deals with the study of the design phase and the implementation phase of the curtain walls and the factors affecting the performance of the curtain walls to try to reach a frame that helps the architect in making the design decisions and assisting the project manager in the implementation of the curtain walls to improve the performance of curtain walls by reviewing literature and analyzing case studies and interviewing engineers with experience in designing and implementing facades.

During the design phase, the curtain wall system is chosen according to the cost, quality, performance and appearance. The environmental conditions, the location of the project and the built-in orientation should be studied. The use of the checklist helps the designer achieve the performance requirements of the curtain walls , Wind resistance, air leakage resistance, water leak resistance, fire resistance, curtain wall maintenance and access). Checking and documenting the materials used for the curtain walls not only facilitates the work during the design phase, but also helps to improve the performance at all phases.

Organizing the site and setting a timetable for the implementation of the tasks of installation, documentation and control of the work from the delivery of parts of curtain walls to the site until the completion of installation leads to the success of the implementation phase. For each system has the special installation method recommended by the manufacturer to ensure the quality and safety of installation.

Any defect during the installation may lead to the failure of the system such as a complete leakage of water, air leakage and glass breaking resulting from the expansion of aluminum. The use of checklist during the implementation phase of the curtain walls helps to follow the progress of the work during the implementation phase, as well as the confirmation of receipt of all the necessary drawings to install and confirm the implementation as the required form in order to provide a suitable faced for building and capable of the following performance requirements: