GB2148970A

GB2148970A - A metal-frame curtain-wall structure with sound and heat ruptures

Info

Publication number: GB2148970A
Application number: GB08424264A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gilles Meunier
Original assignee: METALLIQUES ENTREPR CIE FSE
Current assignee: METALLIQUES ENTREPR CIE FSE
Priority date: 1983-09-29
Filing date: 1984-09-26
Publication date: 1985-06-05
Also published as: ZA847668B; FR2552798B1; GB2148970B; GB8424264D0; FR2552798A1

Abstract

A metal-frame curtain-wall structure with heat and sound ruptures, these juxtaposed frames containing the different filling elements - breast wall, dormant or opening glazed window frame, etc. - being each associated with a device for positioning and fixing it on the fabric of the building and being mutually adapted so as to satisfy the requirements of alignment and sealing of the frontage, characterized in that it comprises, for the sealing connection of the frames (1), instead of the dry joint devices, an elastomer joint cast in situ (13) whose adherence to the support surfaces and perfect continuity guarantee good air impermeability. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A metal frame curtain-wall structure with sound and heat ruptures The present invention relates to a metal frame curtain-wall structure with sound and heat ruptures.

Among the different principles for constructing curtain-walls, this "frame" technique is more and more widely chosen by contractors and constructors.

According to this technique, the structure of the curtain-wall is formed by a series of juxtaposed metal frames containing the different filling elements-breast wall, fixed or opening glazed window frame etc.-and associated with each other so as to satisfy the sole requirements of alignment and sealing of the frontage. Each frame comprises a device for positioning it and fixing it to the fabric of the building and covers an area generally determined by the floor height of the building and the texture of its distribution.

With respect to the older so-called "grid" formula, this technique allows greater elaboration of the product in the factory and consequently the reduction of the work force and the time required for setting up on the site.

Finally, the frames comprise at their periphery devices for their sealing connection by means of so-called "dry" joints such as extruded polychloroprene or ethylene-propylene joints.

Two drawbacks however must be mentioned inherent in this constructional principle.

Although assembly of the frames in the factory allows construction thereof under the best conditions, it does not exclude the existence of joints between structure and filling elements of the curtain-wall.

It may be assumed that the linear length of these joints alone is equal to the whole length of the joints occurring in a "grid" solution for the same building proportions and outline.

The joints between frames form then an extra length with respect to the joints occurring in a grid wall, which extra length may reach 100% of this mimimum linear length.

If we accept that there exists a ratio between the mean linear length of its joints and the air permeability of a frontage, we will have to admit a priori, all other things being equal, an inferior performance of the "frame" solution in so far as heat insulation is concerned.

In fact, besides the fact that air permeability of the joints causes outside air to enter into the inhabited volume, it creates in the space between the adjacent frame uprights convection movements increasing the exchanges by the structure and annihilating, when they exist, the effect of heat bridge rupture devices.

It should further be noted that the juxtaposition of the frames defines one or more tubular ducts forming as many local acoustic vectors, which greatly decrease the performances of the distribution dividing walls in this respect.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of frame curtain-wall structures.

For this, a curtain-wall structure of the type mentioned at the beginning will, according to a first arrangement of the invention, be essentially characterized in that it comprises, for the sealing connection of the frames, instead of dry joint devices, an elastomer joint cast in situ whose adherence to the support surfaces and perfect continuity guarantee good air impermeability.

Thus, the heat exchanges are minimized which are due to the air permeability of the frontage and proportional, for equal quality of joints, to the length thereof.

In other words, by increasing the air impermeability the increase in length of the joints resulting from adoption of the frame system will be largely compensated for.

Said cast elastomer joint may be used either from inside the building, when the fabric thereof does not form masks which are too large to prevent access thereto, or from outside the building in the opposite case.

In both cases, it will be further advantageous to provide, in accordance with a complementary arrangement of the invention, for the above-defined structure to further comprise a first barrier formed by a "dry" joint, formed in front of said cast joint, on the one hand for draining off the main part of the water streaming over the frontage and on the other hand for protecting the cast joint against atmopheric aggressions and particularly against ultra-violet radiation.

In the case of the joint case from inside the building, this arrangement offers the additional advantage, while providing sufficient sealing to water during the mounting phase by simultaneously using the first barrier, of delaying formation of the cast joint until the optimum conditions for its application are present.

According to another arrangement of the invention, in the case of a structure integrating heat bridge rupture devices, said cast elastomer joint may be formed immediately behind these devices.

it may thus b. provided for this cast joint to be in contact with the parts of the structure at a low and substantially constant temperature, which condition adds to its durability.

A structure according to the invention may be further characterized in that the frames have externally a peripheral profile such that two adjacent frames of the structure form between their two adjacent sides a space opening towards the inside of the building and extending, towards the outer plane of the building, as far as said cast elastomer joint, this space being in general occupied either by a heat insulating material and being then closed on the inner side of the building by a cover, or, when it is a question of the vertical sides of the frames, by a dividing wall head extending similarly between the frames as far as said joint.

This arrangement provides excellent heat and sound insulation between premises on the same level. When the two sides in question of the frames are uprights, i.e. vertical sides, a dividing wall eleinent contiguous with the frontage may be engaged by its head between these uprights and thus provide with the jointing device a continuous sound barrier as far as the outer plane of the building.

The frames may be further characterized by a peripheral profile such that, in addition; it allows by means of appropriate gutters opening towards each other of two adjacent frames, fish-plating between uprights extending each other, situated on each side of said space.

The fish-plating will therefore in no wise hinder the positioning of the heat insulating material between adjacent frames, nor, if such be the case, the passage of a dividing wall head.

The accompanying drawings show by way of non limitative example one embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view at the position of the junction between vertical uprights of two adjacent frames, of a curtain-wall structure constructed in accordance with the invention, the frames supporting double glazed window frames; Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 in the case where a dividing head occupies the space formed between the two frames, these latter supporting composite breast wall panels; and Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, at the position of the junction between the horizontal sides of two adjacent frames, the upper frame supporting a double glazed window frame and the lower frame a composite breast-wall panel.

In the different figures, the same references have been used for designating the same elements or parts of the structure, in accordance with the following nomenclature: 1-hollow sections made from extruded aluminium, with rectangular cross section, forming the frames of the structure; 2-thermal rupture joints made from extruded PVC, engaged in grooves formed at the ends of the flanges 1' of sections 1; 3---opening or fixed glazed window frame, with heat bridge rupture joints 3' made from polyurethanb fgin (Figs. 1 and 3); 4metal fittings of a window frame opening in the Italian fashion (Figs. 1 and 3); 5---double insulating glazing (Figs. 1 and 3); 6 extruded ethylene-propylene joints; 7cover for covering between frames (Figs. 1 and 3); 8- composite breast-wall panels (Figs. 2 and 3); 9-mineral fiber heat insulating material for the breast-walls (Figs. 2 and 3); 10breast-wall bottom made from prelacquered, soundproofed and galvanized steel sheet (Figs. 2 and 3).

The elements which now follow are more specific of the present invention as will be clear from the explanations which have already been given above: 11-heat insulating material between frames (Figs. 1 and 3), this material completely filling the space formed between the two adjacent sides of the frames; 12, 1 2'first sealing barrier, formed by a joint bottom made from closed cell polyethylene foam (12) and a bellows ethylene-propylene membrane (12').

This barrier forms a joint bottom for the main sealing at the same time as sealing between panels during assembly. It also provides, as already mentioned, drainage of the main part of the water streaming over the frontage and protection of the main seal with respect to atmospheric aggressions and in particular with respect to ultra-violet radiation (Figs. 1 to 3).

1 3-main elastomer sealing joint cast in situ. This joint is of course cast progressively, from inside the closed building, on the joint bottom 1 2 to which it strongly adheres, as well as to the end most facing faces of the flanges 1' of the sections, which provides excellent air impermeability, appreciably better than that obtained with extruded joints.

It should be noted that this joint 1 3 is situated behind the thermal protection and is thus kept at a mean and substantially constant temperature.

The insulation of the breast-wall forms with the heat bridge rupture device 2, 3' a practically continuous plane, behind which is located said main joint 1 3. The gradient "0" is situated in the immediate vicinity of the external face of the curtain-wall (Figs. 1 to 3).

1 4-lateral fish-plating of adjacent uprights of two super-imposed frames. The fish-plates are engaged in two external gutters, opening towards each other, formed at the periphery of the sections. This fish-plating requires very little room and leaves the whole of the space between the uprights entirely free (Figs. 1 and 2); 1 5-penetrating dividing wall head (Fig. 2) which occupies the above-mentioned space as far as the insulation plane of the breast-wall, which provides continuity of acoustic protection between the premises on the same level: 16, 17shock-absorbing joints of the dividing wall made from foam (Fig. 2).

Claims

1. A metal frame curtain-wall structure with sound and heat ruptures, these juxtaposed frames containing the different filling elements-breast wall, dormant or opening glazed window frames etc.-being associated each one with a device for positioning and fixing it on the fabric of the building and being mutually adapted so as to satisfy the requirements of alignment and sealing of the frontage, characterized in that it comprises, for the sealing connection of the frames, in place of dry joint devices, an elastomer joint cast in situ whose adherence to the support surfaces and perfect continuity guarantee good air impermeability.

2. Structure according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a first barrier formed by a "dry" joint formed in front of said cast joint, on the one hand so as to provide drainage of the main part of the water streaming over the frontage, and on the other hand for protecting the cast joint against atmospheric aggressions and particularly against ultra violet radiation.

3. Structure according to claim 1 or 2, of the type integrating heat bridge rupture devices, characterized in that said cast elastomer joint is formed immediately behind these devices.

4. Structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frames have outwardly a peripheral profile such that two adjacent frames of the structure form between their two adjacent sides a space opening towards the inside of the building and extending, towards the outer plane of the fabric of the building, as far as said cast elastomer joint, this space being in general occupied either by a heat insulating material and being then closed on the inner side of the building by means of a cover or, when it is a question of vertical sides of the frames, by a dividing wall head extending similarly between the frames as far as said joint.

5. Structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the frames have outwardly a peripheral profile such that, in addition, it allows, by means of appropriate gutters opening towards one another of two adjacent frames, fish-plating between uprights which extend each other, situated on each side of said space.

6. A structure, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

7. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.