The facade is responsible for the decorative component of the design of the building. Exterior decoration always performed an aesthetic function, expressing the nature of the house, its purpose and, of course, the tastes of the owner. Today, advanced trends in facade decoration are most effectively implemented in administrative buildings, shopping and entertainment centers, office and other commercial facilities. Structural glazing of facades stands out against the general background , through which almost monolithic high-strength structures of glass and metal are formed. In finished form, such surfaces look stylish, presentable and modern.
Principles of facade glazing
The standard design, on the basis of which the front glazing is carried out, consists of two components - the supporting part of the rack (vertical) and the supporting horizontal element. In the gap created by the crossbar and the resistant gap, a glass cloth is attached, which can be supplemented by various opening mechanisms, doors or transoms. This is a traditional scheme by which a facade glazing system is implemented. But there are other options for structural performance, not to mention the stylistic diversity of both individual elements and the whole design. In particular, there are three varieties of such glazing: standard, semi-structural and structural. The latter area is considered the most technological and in demand, as it allows you to get not just beautiful, but also functional and reliable finish.
Features of structural glazing
In addition to the widespread use of high-strength metal and glass components, some structural glazing technologies also involve the use of silicone materials. In this combination, aluminum glazing significantly wins in the flexibility of developing design projects for facade design.
The sealant in this case is used not only as a direct insulator, but also as a means of protecting individual components of the facades. Under the condition of high-quality installation, such systems withstand loads in the form of pressure, traction, shear, regular movement, etc. Given all of the advantages listed above, it can be concluded that the structural type glazing system provides comprehensive protection for the room or the entire building from external influences of various kinds - from weather to mechanical damage. The metal base coupled with tempered glass form a reliable and aesthetic barrier.
Spider glazing
One of the most popular structural glazing concepts, which does not assume support frames. This feature allows you to save the system from many devices that provide fixing frames to the panels. An alternative to obsolete practice was the fastening of glass paintings to the spider with drilled holes and rutel. That is the name of the technology - spider glazing of facades, the task of the fixing device in which is performed by a spatial bracket made of high alloy metal. Despite the rather strict technical rules for installation and development of the project, the described system provides many opportunities for modeling the structure, as well as changing the shapes and sizes of its elements.
The features of this design allow glazing with the possibility of joining canvases at different angles, while the load distribution will be uniform at all fixation points. For this reason, spider glazing of facades can be found on buildings with non-standard architectural forms. But there is one drawback that is important to consider when using this method of glazing. It is associated with the characteristics of the material used, which, depending on environmental conditions, can naturally expand. However, careful calculation of the coefficients avoids the possible deformation of glass elements during operation.
Rack-and-beam system
Such structures provide for an aluminum frame that forms a solid foundation. The device of the supporting system includes struts with crossbars and an external profile for providing downforce. In order to increase aesthetic attractiveness, the clamping elements, which include rack-and-beam crossbar glazing of the facades, have decorative covers that are fixed according to the laid on principle. Glass panels are installed between the aluminum frame and the clamping profile. The outer side looks quite presentable, which makes such systems the optimal solution in the design of the facades of shopping and entertainment centers.
Double-glazed windows in structural facades
The development of technological approaches to the implementation of frames and frames in facade design systems could not but affect the main construction material - glass. It can be transparent or opaque, standard or enhanced, and also vary in shades and additional features. So, if glazing of facades of shopping center buildings is planned, then fire-prevention double-glazed windows are used. For private needs, energy-saving models are relevant, and for office buildings - armored. One double-glazed unit can combine several operational and physical qualities - for example, have a reinforced base, as well as possess energy-saving and refractory properties. One way or another, there are uniform requirements for minimum strength indicators for everyone.
Advantages of the latest systems
In modern modifications of facade glazing systems, various additions are used that increase the operational qualities of structures. For example, a facade glazing system based on posts and crossbars can be equipped with hinged windows. These are the so-called hidden wings, which do not affect the appearance of the facade.
Also, advanced manufacturers are actively using thermal inserts and gaskets, which, in addition to providing noise and heat insulation, also retain the ability to install double-glazed windows up to 3.8 cm thick. A rare facade glazing system dispenses with sealants that fill the joints. One of the innovations in the field of design of gaskets has been development, which allows replacing sutural structural silicone. This is a special material designed for integration into the groove of the thermal bridge.
Facade mounting methods
The variety of designs on the basis of which glazing of building facades is carried out has also led to a differentiation of approaches to installation. But first of all, appropriate preparation of the building frame is required with the expectation of installing glass paintings with minimal gaps between the latter.
Many systems involve gluing a double-glazed unit to an installed aluminum frame. After that, the design is already mounted on horizontal crossbars and vertical metal racks. In some embodiments, structural glazing of facades is carried out according to the gluing technique. This applies to systems that use long outer and short inner windows. This ratio allows two panels to be glued simultaneously to the base frame. Mechanical fixation also does not lose ground. Such systems are implemented by lengthening the support frame and then bending it outward, beyond the edges of the glass packet.
The cost of front glazing
In terms of cost, modern options for glazing facades are not cheap, which, however, is offset by the high quality of the result. With the help of new technologies, specialists perform reliable and durable facade glazing, the price of which can vary from 6 to 20 thousand rubles. for 1 m 2 . This amount will include the cost of the stained glass frame, double-glazed windows, fixing and lining elements, as well as the cost of design work. Together with the installation of the most affordable pricing will be a rack-mount and crossbar system, which will cost 6-8 thousand, and spider glazing, as one of the most expensive, can be implemented for 17-20 thousand