Glazing and Wall Ratio Studies for High Rise Building Envelope to Achieve Energy Saving in Hong Kong - Essay Example

When a curtain wall is made of glass, for example the International Finance Center (IFC) in Hong Kong, a great benefit is that light from the sun can penetrate more easily and deeper into the inner rooms. The curtain wall structure is normally spared of any dead load burden from the construction other than the weight of the materials used in its construction (Hart, 2008). The wall transmits lateral wind loads to the building’s pillars through linkages to floors or columns. Curtain walls are designed to prevent air and water penetration.

Additionally, the structures also reduce the load caused by air currents and seismic forces playing out on the external surfaces, and its own sway triggered by the dead load weight. The paper explores how glazing to wall ratio affects energy saving in a curtain wall house. 2.0 Background to the project Curtain walling is essentially build with protruding aluminium metals, although in the past steel was used in the making of the structure. Apart from glass, stone veneer, louvers, vents, and metal panels can also be used as in-fills.

Copper cladding can be used by architects to achieve visually attractive features into structural design. The project will revolve around the impact of glazed curtain walls on energy saving. 3.0 Aims and broad objectives The study will explore the level at which the metal can a material in terms of conducting heat. A study will be conducted to establish the significance of aluminium metal in heat loss through the curtain wall mullions made of the metal, especially in hot temperature. On the other hand, when it is cold, numerous ways aimed at checking the amount of heat loss will be explored; in IFC for example, apart from the curtain wall shading, the role of thermal breaks to the window will be explored.

Due to the fact that thermal breaks are materials made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the study will explore the significance of the material and how it is used on the curtain wall to provide a substantial reduction in the heat conductivity of the wall structure. 4.0 Methods to be adopted Owing to the significance of the ‘U’ value in energy efficiency, the coefficient will be studied in shaded curtain walls. U value stands for the effectiveness of a curtain wall window structure to prevent heat transfer.

In an effort to ascertain the solar factor in the heating and cooling of the IFC building, heat transfers across solid, liquid and gas will be examined. 5.0 Deliverables According to Glassman (2009), the glazed curtain wall models essentially show smaller U value coefficients as compared to concrete wall. Additionally a mechanically fixed system has a slightly higher U value compared to a hybrid system, if an identical IG spacer was employed. The repercussions of the wearing out of the mechanically fixed system gasket are more pronounced.

Owing to the significance of wet sealing, most curtain walls constructed through this method achieve better U-values as opposed to dry sealing method (Donaldson, 1988). Nonetheless, structurally glazed systems which are dry sealed, usually display high efficiency if IG spacer bars are used. Warm edge spaces made of desiccated silicone foam have been rated highest in terms of energy performance