Hybrid window wall/curtain wall system and method of installation
There are currently two major types of exterior building envelope finishing systems: window wall systems, and curtain wall systems. Window wall systems use panels which fit between concrete floor slaps, and hence, are prone to leakage and are not aesthetically appealing. Curtain wall systems are installed proud of the concrete slabs, so have better performance, but are expensive to install. The system of the invention has the high performance of a curtain wall system, with the ease of installation of a window wall system. The invention uses rigid panels which cover the face of a building like a curtain wall system, providing a complete gasketed seal without the need for caulking as in the case of window wall systems. The vertical mullions are notched, so that the mullions can be easily anchored to the upper and lower surfaces of the concrete slabs.
1. A unitized exterior building envelope cladding system comprising:
individual framed panels, supported with vertical mullions on their sides, said vertical mullions interconnecting adjacent ones of said individual framed panels;
each of said vertical mullions being notched to accommodate the thickness of a concrete floor slab;
each of said individual framed panels being attached to the top of a lower concrete floor slab and the underside of an upper concrete floor slab with anchors fastened respectively to said top and underside surface of said concrete floor slabs; and
one of said anchors being fixed to said vertical mullion, and the other of said anchors slidably engaging with said vertical mullion.
2. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 1 , wherein each of said vertical mullions is approximately equal in length to the distance between the top of said lower concrete floor slab and the top of said upper concrete floor slab to which said framed panels are to be installed.
3. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 2 , wherein the height of said notch in each of said vertical mullions is approximately equal to the thickness of said lower concrete floor slab and said upper concrete floor slab.
4. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , wherein said individual framed panels are of sufficient height to seal against vertically adjacent individual framed panels to cover the exterior of a building.
5. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising an integrated extruded aluminum sleeve anchor assembly.
6. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 5 , wherein each of said anchors comprises a flat plate portion, and a vertical extrusion portion.
7. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 6 , wherein the depth of said notch in each of said vertical mullions is large enough to insert said vertical extrusion portion of said anchor into said vertical mullion in an installed arrangement.
8. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 6 , wherein said anchors are fastened to said concrete floor slabs by way of expansion anchors.
9. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 4 , wherein said panels comprise a material selected from the group consisting: of vision glass, spandrel glass insulated panels, laminated panels, and monolithic panels.
10. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 4 , wherein said panels comprise alternate spandrel infill materials selected from the group consisting of: granite, limestone, stainless steel panels, aluminum plate and composite panels.
11. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 4 , wherein said panels further comprise a layer of mineral board insulation to insulate said upper and lower concrete floor slabs.
12. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 11 , wherein said layer of mineral board insulation further comprises an aluminum foil backing or metal back pan.
13. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising a capless horizontal joint being vertically adjacent rigid panels, sealed with structural silicone.
14. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising a horizontal airseal gasket as part of the horizontal expansion assembly, thereby absorbing vertical interstory movement.
15. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising exterior aluminum, stainless steel caps and pressure plates.
16. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 6 , wherein said vertical mullions comprise vertical split mullions.
17. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 16 , wherein said vertical split mullions comprise male and female split mullion halves, installed on adjacent panels in a complementary manner.
18. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 17 , further comprising a vertical air seal gasket integrated into said split mullions and mating/overlapping with a horizontal air seal gasket to create a continuous gasketed air seal system.
19. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 9 , further comprising an extruded aluminum transom at the head of said vision glass.
20. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising interior extruded aluminum closure trim, field installed to cover up mullion anchors at underside of slab and mounting surface for tenant applied curtain rail or other sunshade system.
21. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising two fasteners connecting vertical split mullion to integral sleeve anchor for dead load transfer and moment connection between said mullion and said anchor.
22. The unitized exterior cladding system of claim 3 , further comprising a horizontal snap-on trim cover at said sill extrusion, to be installed after installation of fixed anchor to conceal said fasteners.
23. The unitized cladding system of claim 3 , wherein said mullions and anchors are fabricated from aluminum.