A Code for Curtain Wall Systems in Seismic Regions

Abstract eng:
Despite the fact that they are not part of the structural systems of buildings, glass and aluminum curtain wall systems are far from being secondary in importance. The response of a curtain wall to seismic action depends on the response of the structural system to which it is connected. Thus, it depends not only on the characteristics of the ground motion that excites the structural base of the building, but also on the dynamic characteristics of the buildings. Until 1990, buildings with curtain walls were practically absent in Romania. Today, glass and aluminum curtain walls are found in city centers, in many new buildings, being quite popular as cladding and exterior walls for all types of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential buildings. The need for modern buildings led to the situation in which the private investors, together with certain autonomous administrations, finance buildings with claddings made of different curtain wall systems. Almost everybody has unfortunately ignored one single aspect: the peculiar characteristics of the Vrancea source seismic ground motion in Romania. The author of this paper was involved in the design of a high-rise building with a curtain wall system in a high seismic region, while being confronted with a critical problem: the lack of technical regulations for curtain wall systems. He was also in charge with the drafting of a code for the Romanian “Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing” concerning the design of curtain wall systems in seismic regions. The paper presents a summary of this code, focusing on its specific earthquake provisions to cope with Romanian intermediate depth earthquakes.

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