• Title/Summary/Keyword: curtain walls

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The First Skyscraper Revisited

  • Ali, Mir M.;Moon, Kyoung Sun
    • International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.1-14
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    • 2022
  • Debates on what is the first skyscraper have been ongoing from time to time since the construction of the Home Insurance Building in Chicago in 1885, which is generally recognized as the first built skyscraper. This paper attempts to verify this assertion through a detailed investigation after identifying the criteria that characterize a skyscraper. By considering and examining several competing buildings for the title of "first skyscraper" in terms of their levels of satisfying these criteria, the paper reconfirms that the Home Insurance Building in Chicago indeed qualifies as the first skyscraper and is the harbinger of future skyscrapers. By introducing technological and associated architectural innovations in this pioneering building, its designer William Le Baron Jenney paved the way for the construction of future skyscrapers. In traditional construction, heavy masonry walls especially at lower levels did not allow large window openings in exterior walls that would permit ample daylight. For the Home Insurance Building, originally built with 10 stories, Jenney created a metal-framed skeletal structure that carried the building's loads, making the building lighter and allowed for large windows permitting ample natural light to the building's interior. The exterior iron columns were encased in relatively small masonry piers mainly for fireproofing, weather-protection and façade aesthetics. Relying on the structural framing on the building's perimeter, the exterior masonry thus turned into a rudimentary "curtain wall" system, heralding the use of curtain wall construction in future skyscrapers. This building's innovative structural system led to what is known as the "Chicago Skeleton," and eventually produced remarkable skyscrapers all over the world.

An Experimental Study on the Evaluation of Fastening Unit Insulation Developed for the Insulation of Curtain Wall

  • Kim, Bong-Joo;Kim, Kyeong-A
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.243-256
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    • 2012
  • This study is the experimental study to improve the insulation of the fastening unit system, which has the most vulnerable insulation in the curtain walls. The Fastening Units were designed and fabricated to minimize the connection part of mullions. In addition, slight movements were taken into account and the performance of the middle layer was evaluated by forming an insulation layer with the vibration-proof rubber and the silicon to satisfy the mechanical and thermal performance criteria. A total of 10 experiments were performed under various conditions, such as indoor-outdoor temperature difference, type of insulation material, thickness of insulation material, and others. using the fabricated Fastening Units. As a result, the vibration-proof rubber insulation showed the temperature difference of $2.2^{\circ}C-5.0^{\circ}C$, and the silicon insulation showed the temperature difference of $2.8^{\circ}C-4.5^{\circ}C$, compared to the non-insulated Fasteniirature difference, typesng Units. When these results were compared with the psychometric chart graph, the insulated Fastening Unit designed in this study can be considered to prevent the dew condensation.

Unit Module Construction Method for Freeform Facade (비정형 파사드의 유닛 모듈 시공 공법 개발)

  • Kim, Sung-Jin;Park, Sung-Jin;Park, Young-Mi;Ryu, Han-Guk
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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    • 2013.11a
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    • pp.220-221
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    • 2013
  • Exterior walls are designed and constructed through design focused exterior wall system. Nowadays, freeform facade design has been changing according to material, form and function of the exterior wall system. Especially, curtain wall facade system is designed and manufactured using solar shading faces. However, the traditional method have a lot of difficulties in the currently performing technology for curtain wall facade. It is important to make the freeform facade components that integrated as a surface of freeform buildings. Therefore it is necessary to develop unit module construction method for freeform facade.

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"Buildings Without Walls:" A Tectonic Case for Two "First" Skyscrapers

  • Leslie, Thomas
    • International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.53-60
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    • 2020
  • "A practical architect might not unnaturally conceive the idea of erecting a vast edifice whose frame should be entirely of iron, and clothing the frame--preserving it--by means of a casing of stone…that shell must be regarded only as an envelope, having no function other than supporting itself..." --Viollet-le-Duc, 1868. Viollet-le-Duc's recipe for an encased iron frame foresaw the separation of structural and enclosing functions into discrete systems. This separation is an essential characteristic of skyscrapers today, but at the time of his writing cast iron's brittle nature meant that iron frames could not, on their own, resist lateral forces in tall structures. Instead, tall buildings had to be braced with masonry shear walls, which often also served as environmental enclosure. The commercial availability of steel after the 1880s allowed for self-braced metal frames while parallel advances in glass and terra cotta allowed exterior walls to achieve vanishingly thin proportions. Two Chicago buildings by D.H. Burnham & Co. were the first to match a frame "entirely of iron" with an "envelope" supporting only itself. The Reliance Building (1895) was the first of these, but the Fisher Building (1896) more fully exploited this new constructive typology, eschewing brick entirely, to become the first "building without walls," a break with millennia of tall construction reliant upon masonry

Reading Performance Test of RFID Technology for Curtain Wall Material (커튼월 관련 자재에서 RFID 적용을 위한 인식 성능 테스트)

  • Kim, Yong-Bae;Song, Jae-Hong;Yoon, Soo-Won;Chin, Sang-Yoon;Kwon, Soon-Wook;Kim, Yea-Sang
    • Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.176-186
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    • 2008
  • The radio frequency identification (RFID) technology allows various forms of applications in many industries including construction. and in Korea, RFID has already been adopted for the use in daily labor control, logistics monitoring of ready-mix concrete, supply chain management of long-lead items, such as structural steel members and curtain walls. Even though RFID tags have varied reading performances depending on various factors including material of tracking target and surrounding environment, there is no information on how much the reading performance of an RFID tag can be achieved against a specific construction components or materials. Therefore, the objective of this research is to identify the actual reading performance of various RFID technologies and to derive a method to maximize the reading performance for the use in the supply chain management process of curtain wall components.

Experimental Study on the Evaluation of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Buildings' External Walls -Focusing on the winter heat transfer characteristics of four experimental model buildings in accordance with the location of insulation- (건물(建物) 외벽(外壁)의 전열특성(傳熱特性) 평가(評價)에 관한 실측(實測) 연구(硏究) - 단열재 위치에 따른 실험용 건물의 겨울철 열특성 평가를 중심으로 -)

  • Sohn, J.Y.;Yoon, D.W.;Park, J.H.
    • Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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    • v.1 no.3
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    • pp.228-234
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    • 1989
  • This paper describes the experimental thermal performance results of four experimental model buildings insulated differently. For the purpose of examining the thermal characteristics of external walls and indoor thermal conditions, four experimental model buildings are constructed as externally insulated, internally insulated, non-insulated &light-weight curtain wall types with different K-values and heat capacities, respectively.
    Through the measurements of temperatures at various points and solar insolation, the effects of insulation and heat capacities are evaluated, and the evaluated effects of each experimental model buildings are compared. Hence, the characteristics of temperature profiles, time-lag effects and decrement factors are discovered.

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A Study on the Application of Fixed-concentrated PV Module Hybrid Panel for BIPV (고정식 집속형 PV모듈 복합패널의 BIPV적용성 검토)

  • Seo, Yu-Jin;Huh, Chang-Su
    • Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.77-83
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    • 2005
  • The verified thermal efficiency, thermal capacity confirmed the effects of the cooling system. Therefore, it is useful for preventing the PV cell temperature rising when solar radiation accumulates in summer. When adopting a hybrid panel for the BIPV system, the affected areas include the vertical outside walls facing the south, southeast, and southwest on the curtain walls excluding windows. The standards on replace aluminum panel which were the popular exterior material were investigated, Designing practice made sure that it could be manufactured in various sizes, and confirmed the most proper method to install a hybrid panel in the BIPV system.

Forecast on Internal Condensation at Ceiling of Super-high Apartment Building Faced with Open Air (외기에 면한 초고층 아파트 천정 내부결로 예측)

  • Ahn Jae-Bong;Song Young-Woong;Choi Yoon Ki
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
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    • autumn
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    • pp.626-629
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    • 2003
  • This study is to forecast possible occurrence of internal condensation around parpets and H-beam located at the inside of balcony ceilings on the uppermost floor of super-high apartment buildings faced with open air in order to provide dwellers with more comfortable environment in the related space and get rid of their uneasiness about the condensation. In this study, we estimated internal condensation. which vary in accordance with humidity pressure distribution, at curtain walls, stone panels or lower parts of slabs that constitute outer space of the residence and are weak against heat, through temperature forecast and temperature distribution interpretation program at normal two-dimension temperature.

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A study on the application of BIPV to the Apartment Building (BIPV의 아파트 건물 적용 가능성에 대한 연구)

  • Lee, Eung-Jik
    • KIEAE Journal
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.25-32
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    • 2006
  • Regarding to the Domestic housing politics to improve residing environment and effective use of country land, apartment buildings have been constructed since early of 1970s. Now apartment is taking over 50% out of entire housing in Korea. In the view point of PV application to the apartment, PV has amny advantages because of the wideness of out-walls and high floors building in APT. Therefore, if APT could use the electricity produced by BIPV, we can solve more easily environment and energy problems caused by housing. The research conclusion by analysing conditions and application method to introduce BIPV application to APT in near future is as below. -The out look of APT has been developed periodically and recently gable roof or canopy is popular which PV installation is more favorable. -For Balcony part with double skin facade sassy window, It has a preferable condition to install on the wall depending on the window direction. -In case of shorter distance between buildings due to high ratio of outside measurement, it is more desirable to install PV on the roof than on the wall of Apartment by considering low solar altitude. -Also depending on the direction of APT building, it is more effective and productive in electricity in the broad surface of side wall of APT. -In case of superhigh floor APT where facade system is mostly double skin facade of curtain wall system, PV module can replace the traditional curtain wall and will reduce architectural materials and obtain various out look design thereof.

Sustainable Tall Buildings: Summary of Energy-Efficient Design

  • Kheir Al-Kodmany;Mir M. Ali;Paul J. Armstrong
    • International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.107-120
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    • 2023
  • Tall buildings are frequently decried as unsustainable due to their excessive energy usage. Early skyscrapers used natural light and ventilation to facilitate human comfort and applied organic materials such as stone, glass, wood, concrete, and terra cotta for cladding and finishes. With the advent of fluorescent lighting, modern heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and thermally sealed curtain walls, tall office buildings no longer had to rely on natural light and ventilation to provide comfort. Energy efficiency was not a significant factor when the operational costs of buildings were relatively inexpensive. However, today's skyscrapers must become more energy-efficient and sustainable due to energy crises and climate change. This paper highlights vital energy-efficient design principles and demonstrates with illustrative case studies how they are applied to tall buildings in various parts of the world. It shows how sustainable environmental systems do not act alone but are integrated with advanced curtain wall systems, sky gardens, and atria, among others, to regulate and sustain thermal comfort and conserve energy.