Curtain walls differ from store-front systems in that they are designed to span multiple floors, and take into consideration design requirements such as thermal expansion and contraction; building sway and movement; water diversion; and thermal efficiency for cost-effective heating, cooling, and lighting in the building.

This involves detailed pre-construction planning crucial to successful construction and on-time delivery and allows the client and team a clear pathway to the bidding process, construction phase, and through to completion.

1: Elimination of Water Penetration

Water penetration is the fundamental function of a facade. Here bringing a completely impermeable sealed curtain panel system is not possible. Hence two stages of prevention are placed. The primary level where the complete defense of water is conducted and if that fails a secondary level where a direction to let percolated water to drained out has to be provided.

2: Air impermeability

This function is more of environmental concern to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide due to the rate of heat loss or gain within the external and internal environment.

3: Resistance to wind, thermal and acoustic action

Wind actions are transferred by the cladding system to the building floors which act as linear support. Building cladding systems formed of large panels are usually one-way spanning. Each floor level, therefore, supports one level of wind load on a building.

A thermal insulation function is strictly necessary for a facade in order to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Insulating materials are provided to both opaque as well as transparent areas.

Acoustic Insulation too is necessary between the inside and the outside environment mainly in city-centered buildings. Massive structural elements possess higher acoustic insulation like masonry or concrete structures.

4: Solar levels

This can be reduced by providing a selective solar control coating on one of the surfaces of the glass. This coating is called selective because solar radiation of different wavelengths is selectively allowed to pass through the coating: visible wavelengths of light are allowed to pass more freely than infrared wavelengths. For example, spaces for exhibitions or displays of