Curtainwallproblems|GlassMagazine

Tipsonfabrication,constructionandtesting
ByDerekMcCowan,MarkBrownandMichaelLouis
June1,2007
COMMERCIAL:CURTAINWALL
Thirdinaseries
Glassandmetalcurtainwallscanprovideanattractive,durableandcosteffectivecladdingsolution,butin
manybuildings,theyareplaguedwithproblemsrangingfromairandwaterleakagetofallingtrimcovers.
ThefirsttwoarticlesinthisseriesonPage82ofAprilGlassMagazineandPage60ofMaydiscussed
someofthecommoncurtainwalldesignproblemsthatafflictowners,architectsanddevelopers.Thisarticle
focusesonfabricationandconstruction,aswellasitemsrelatingtolaboratoryandfieldtesting.
Construction
Qualityconstructionteamandqualityassurance/qualitycontrol:Thebestdesignwillfailifnotproperly
implemented.Experiencedprojectmanagers,foremen,factorypersonnel,glaziers,ironworkers,crane
operatorsandsimilarprofessionalsareneededforasuccessfulproject,regardlessofthetypeofcurtainwall
andinstallationmethod.Evenwithhighlyqualifiedcontractorsandsubcontractors,factoryandfieldquality
assuranceandqualitycontrolareoftennotsufficientlyplannedorimplemented.
Assembleaqualifiedteam:Projectexecutivesshouldreviewthecredentialsofthepeoplewhowillperform
thework,includingthoseconstructingthemodulesinthefactoryandthoseerectingthewallatthesite.
Experienceshowsthatthefactoryandfieldforemenaresomeofthemostcriticalmembersofthe
contractorsworkforce,ifnotthesinglemostcriticalmembers.Thespeedofcurtainwallerectionmakes
prompt,sounddecisionmakingbythecontractorsandarchitectsfieldteamscrucialtotheperformanceof
thebuilding.
TheprimeresponsibilityforQA/QCofcurtainwallslieswiththefabricatorsandcontractors.Itisimportant
thatdesignersandownersrequiredemonstratedproofofQA/QCmeasures.Requirethecurtainwall
manufacturerandinstallertoeachdevelopQA/QCmanualstohelpstandardizeandstreamlinethequality
controlprocess.Thesemanualsshouldincludechecklistsofqualitycontrolandinspectionpointstobe
reviewedforeveryassemblyfabricatedandinstalled.
Tobeeffective,eachprefabricatedassemblyshouldbegivenanidentificationnumberanditsownindividual
QA/QCchecklist.Thesechecklistsshouldbereviewedbythearchitectorhis/herrepresentativeduring
factoryvisitsanddiscussedwiththemanufacturersdesignatedQCmanager.CopiesoftheQA/QC
checklistsshouldbesubmittedaspartoftheprojectrecord.Inthefield,theQA/QCchecklistshouldinclude
similarpointsforreviewandshouldnoteeachpanelsfinalrestingplace,oritsuniqueaddress,onthe
building.Notonlywillthishelpwiththeestablishmentofreviewableprocedures,butitwillforcethe
manufacturerandthepanelerectortoimplementandmaintainrigorousselfinspectionpractices.
Werecommendperiodicfactoryvisitsbyaqualifiedcurtainwallconsultantengagedbytheowneror
architectforanymodularcurtainwallprojectandforstickbuiltprojectswheresignificantassemblyis

performedintheshop.Whilefieldvisitsbyarchitectsandengineersarenotuncommonintheindustry,
factoryvisitsarenotperformedonmanyprojects.Wefindthatfactoryvisitsbyaqualifiedprofessionalcan
helpidentifyproblemsbeforesubstantialareasofcurtainwallaremanufacturedandinstalled,before
considerablereconstructionbecomestheonlyfeasiblefix.
Askamanufacturerforitsqualitycontrolmanualforfabricationproceduresforaspecificcurtainwallsystem,
andyoumightbemetwithablankstare.Experienceshowsthatmanymanufacturersandsubcontractors
havepoorlymanagedandoftenineffectiveornonexistentqualitycontrolprocedures.Rarelyhavewe
encountereddesignatedqualitycontrolpersonnelwhosesoleresponsibilityistoensurethatallaspectsof
therequireddesignareimplemented.Flybyandhitormissqualitycontrolproceduresseemtobemore
thenormthantheexception.
Carelesserectiontechniques
Totakecareduringerectionofthecurtainwallisthemostobviouscaution.Itisalsooneoftherulesmost
oftenbroken.Wehaveinvestigatedcurtainwallswithdamagedstone,glass,aluminum,metalpanels,
gasketsandothermaterialscausedbyrecklesstransportationandplacementofframingandpanelsduring
erection.Curtainwallmodulesareoftenlarge,heavyandawkwardandrequirecarefulplanningand
implementationofprotectivecrating,handling,transportationanderection.Itiscriticaltohaveexperienced
curtainwallinstallersperformtheinstallation,notjustmembersoftherighttrade,forexampleglaziersor
ironworkers.Requireinstallerswithatleastfiveyearsexperienceinsuccessfulcurtainwallinstallationto
comprisethekeyorleadpositionsintheerectioncrew.

Attemptstomakeuplosttimefromconstructiondelayscanresultindamagetocurtainwallcomponentsas
crewsrushtomeetunrealisticproductiontargets.Aprudentownerandarchitectshouldprovideadditional
fieldvisitstomonitorinstallationwhentheprojectschedulegoessouth.Meetingthetargetsubstantial
completiondatemeanslittleiftheresultisapunchlistofdamageditemsthatrequiresmonthsto
complete.
Misalignment
Misalignmentofadjacentcurtainwallelementscanhaveseriousconsequences.Suchmisalignmentisoften
duetoerrorsinlayingoutthestructuralframingsystems,butmightalsoresultfromlackofcoordinationof
buildingstructuretolerancesandcurtainwalltolerances,orimproperlayoutofimbedstoreceivecurtainwall
anchors.Inthecaseofcoordinatingconstructiontolerances,iftheconstructiontoleranceforthestructural
frameis+/1inchovertheheightofthebuildingandthetoleranceforthecurtainwallis+/14inchover
thatsameheight,itisthecurtainwallthatwillneedtobeadjustedtoconformtotheloosertoleranceofthe

structuralframing.Whatoftenresultsisacombinationofcuttingaluminum,rackingmodules,andother
fudging,ortechniquesthatcanresultinavarietyofproblems.Suchmisalignmentcanbeparticularly
disruptiveforunitizedsystemsthatarelikelytohaveimproperorineffectivegasketengagementbetween
modulesand/orbottomingoutofindividualmoduleframes,ratherthantheintendedfloatingbetween
frames.Lossofengagementoftheblindgasketswithintheinterlockinghorizontalandverticalmullionsat
theperimeterofunitizedpanelscancreatedirectpathsforairandwatertoinfiltratethebuilding.Repairof
thesehiddengasketconditionsisoftennotfeasibleastheyarenotaccessibleafterthesurroundingcurtain
wallmodulesareinstalled(seefigureonpreviouspage).Misalignmentproblemsencounteredduring
erectionofstickbuiltsystemscanresultinachangeintherequiredglasssize,orworse,areductioninthe
glassbitetheoverlapthealuminumframinghasontheglass.
Misalignedcurtainwallelementscanresultinanunacceptableappearanceofthefaade(seephotoright).
Evenifmisalignmentsarenotvisiblefromtheground,theymightbevisiblefromterraceroofsorthebuilding
interioratinsidecorners.

Properalignmentrequiresfieldmeasurementsbythecurtainwallsubcontractor,carefulplacementof
curtainwallanchorassemblies,andcoordinationbetweenthegeneralcontractor,curtainwallsubcontractor
andtheironworkersinstallingthestructuralsteel.Layoutofembedsinstructuralslabs,particularlypost
tensionedslabs,mightrequirethedevelopmentofspecialanchorconditionstoavoidinterferencewiththe
slabpullpointsandtendons.Thiscoordinationmusttakeplaceintheearlyplanningstagesofconstruction
andshouldnotbelefttothefieldtechnician.Alaserlevelsurveyofthebuildingstructurebeforethestartof
curtainwallerectionwillhelptodeterminewhatalignmentproblemsarelikelytooccurandmighthelpthe
designteamtodevelopcorrectiveactionbeforethecurtainwallissetonthebuilding.Similarly,alevel
surveyofthecurtainwallcomponentsduringerectioncanhelptoensureproperalignment,thoughthisis
notstandardpractice.
Performancetesting
Curtainwallmockupsarecriticalforidentifyingsystemicproblemsrelatedtobothdesignandconstruction.
Thesetestshelpfocuseveryonesattentionontheweakpointsofthesystem.Apreconstructionmockupin
atestingfacility,followedbyafieldmockupduringtheearlystagesofconstruction,oftenhelptoidentifyfit
upanderectionproblems,aswellasotherunforeseenproblems.

Allfailedmockupsshouldresultinstoppageofwork,redesignifneeded,andsuccessfulretesting.Though
applicationofadhocsealantsisthequickestandeasiestrepair,suchrepairsarerarelyreliableoverthe
longterm.ThePhotobelowshowsanexampleoftheentirebacksideofhorizontalmullionthatwascovered
insealantafterafailedwatertest.Notonlyissuchahaphazardrepairunreliable,itisnotreasonableto
expectthattheworkerswilltakethetimetocarefullyapplylargevolumesofcaulkingtoeachmullionto
replicatesucharepairateachandeverysimilarwallcondition.Thefewthousanddollarsspentto
rework/redesignaproblematicconditionduringpreconstructionwillpayforitselfmanytimesoverifit
preventsproblemsthathavetobeaddressedaftertheworkiscompleteandthebuildingisoccupied.
Whilemockupsarenecessarytoworkoutconstructibilityandperformanceissues,theyarenotsufficientby
themselvestoensurereliablelongtermperformanceofacurtainwallsystem.Carefuldesign,factoryand
fieldqualitycontrol,andperiodicfieldtestingduringconstructionalsoarerequiredtohelpensurecurtain
wallperformance.Considermockupsatooltoaidintheunderstandingofthepotentialproblemsthatmight
beencounteredwithasystemthatisbasedongoodengineeringprinciples.Failuresduringmockuptests
candrawattentiontoworkmanshipconcernsandinadequatequalitycontrolprocedureswhilemockup
failuresdonotnecessarilyrequireredesignofcurtainwalldetails,theyalwaysprovidesomesortof
importantinformationthatcanbeusedtoimprovetheoverallproject.Wehaveneverparticipatedinamock
uptestingprocedurethathasnotprovedusefulforthedesignandconstructionteams.
Summary
Withallofthepotentialproblemsthatdesignersfindonmostprojects,itsbecomingincreasinglynecessary
togetcurtainwallconsultantstohelpidentifyperformanceissuesandassesstherisksthatunusualdesigns
mightpresent.Whilemanycurtainwallconsultantsareactiveinindustryandremainontheforefrontof
technologyinthiseverchangingfield,mostdonothaveahistoryofforensicexperience.Curtainwall
consultantsactivelyengagedinthebusinessofperformingforensicevaluationsofagingandfailedcurtain
wallsarebetterequippedtoconsultonthemeritsofpastsuccessesandfailures,whilehelpingtomanage
ownerexpectationsforthemoreunusualcurtainwalldesigns.

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