Facade of the building. Facade elements, structure. Elemental facade. Double facade

Elemental facades

Light hanging glass-metal facades have appeared in America in the fifties. At that time rationalization and preliminary assembling tendencies predominated in construction. At that very moment of the history of construction development appearance of panel-elements with complete preliminary factory assembly has become possible.

Elemental construction has come to Europe in the sixties of XX century. At the same time large-area glass construction technologies have been mastered.

Conditional zones of elements by height

There are 4 main zones of elements by height:
upper zone (transparent) – serves for natural lighting of space;

• middle zone – is used for visual connection with environment, natural lighting and ventilation;
• glazed zone – can be used for overview, or can be partially non-transparent to avoid discomfort because of height;
• floor deck zone – prevents from spreading of noise, fire and smoke between adjacent floors, and provides joining of other elements.

Advantages of elemental facades

Elemental construction does not have ano alternative from the point of view of speed and quality of erection of facade casing:

• independence of erection from weather conditions;
• high quality of assembly and permanent control at all stages of performance;
• minimal storage area needed;
• reduction of erection costs;
• erection with less number of working operations;
• early readiness for operation;
• quick taking over of works.

Double elemental facades

At present so called double facades made by the principle of elemental assembly are often used to provide natural ventilation in high-rise buildings, sound insulation and heat comfort.

As a rule, double facades have external threaf made of single laminated tempered glass, and air grids for external air intake. Internal insulating thread provides tightness, sound proofing, and water-proofing and heat-insulating characteristics of building casing. It is equipped with opening elements for technical maintenance and natural ventilation of space. In the translucent zon, in the air gap between two glassing lines there are sunbreakers usually mounted (lattice windows, roll shutters).

Double facades can soften pressure fluctuations arising, for instance, during strong flaws. But permanent (static) pressure on the external thread of facade allows external air to enter interthread space without obstacles and then spead in rooms through open windows.

Double facades are divided into facades with wide- (300-800 mm) and narrow-set (80-150 mm) glass threags, and they have different types of layout which are defined by ways of ventilation of rooms and interthread space.

Use of all types of double facades requires development of individual project and is the result of complex solution of tasks set by designer and investor.