Five core requirements and industry applications of curtain wall systems

With the acceleration of urbanization, the curtain wall system, as the external protective structure of modern buildings, has received great attention from the industry for its design and construction standards. Recently, at the "2025 International Building Technology Summit" held in Shenzhen, industry experts systematically sorted out the five core requirements of curtain wall projects and conducted in-depth analysis around actual application cases.

1. Structural safety: wind and earthquake resistance become hard indicators

The curtain wall system needs to meet the wind pressure resistance, earthquake resistance and bearing capacity requirements of different regions through precise calculations. Taking a super high-rise building in Shenzhen as an example, its unitized curtain wall uses 6063-T6 aviation-grade aluminum alloy frame, combined with steel embedded parts, and successfully withstood the test of a level 16 typhoon. Experts from the China Academy of Building Research pointed out: "Structural safety is the bottom line of curtain wall design and must comply with the requirements of the "Technical Specifications for Building Curtain Wall Engineering" (GB 50429)."

2. Sealing and waterproofing: triple protection system builds a barrier

In a riverside business building project in Wuhan, the curtain wall team innovatively adopted a triple sealing system of "EPDM strips + silicone structural adhesive + isobaric cavity drainage". Monitoring data show that the system achieves zero leakage in heavy rain weather, and humidity control is 20% better than the national standard. The latest document of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development emphasizes that the water tightness test at the curtain wall joints must meet the ≥2500Pa standard.

3. Energy saving and efficiency improvement: thermal performance improves building energy efficiency

The curved curtain wall of Beijing Daxing International Airport uses a combination of Low-E hollow glass and broken bridge aluminum profiles, which makes the overall energy saving rate of the building reach 32%. It is estimated that this design can reduce carbon emissions by about 1,800 tons per year. Industry trends show that the proportion of new materials such as photovoltaic curtain walls and smart dimming glass will increase by 47% compared with 2022.

4. Fire safety: vertical defense line guards life passage

The curtain wall system of Shanghai Tower is equipped with a 1.5-hour fire resistance limit fire blocking every three floors, using ceramic fiber and intumescent fireproof sealant composite technology. The fire department emphasized that the curtain wall of super high-rise buildings must pass the GB/T 9978 certification of "Classification and Test Methods of Fire Performance of Building Curtain Walls".

5. Long-term operation and maintenance: material technology determines the life cycle

A landmark building in Guangzhou uses fluorocarbon sprayed aluminum curtain wall, which still maintains more than 90% surface integrity after 10 years of wind and rain. Maintenance experts suggest: "A regular inspection mechanism should be established, focusing on problems such as sealant aging and loose hardware."