The curtain wall system, also known as a light façade, can be defined as the self-supporting external envelope made up of linear elements, joined together and anchored to the main structure of the building. The objective is to provide the façade with the usual requirements of an external enclosure through panel-type filling elements; practicable or fixed, but without contributing to supporting the structural loads of the building.
The components of a light façade are as follows:
- Structural elements
- Filling elements; practicable or fixed
Light facades, or curtain walls, are generally designed in a grid shape, so their structural elements can be divided into vertical and horizontal elements, commonly called mullions and crossbeams respectively.
Normally, the uprights that are fixed by anchors to the structure of the building are designed to support their own weight, the actions transmitted to them by the crossbeams and the rest of the elements that are fixed to them and the loads that affect the façade: mainly wind (suction and pressure), earthquake, impacts, etc.
The choice of the upright and crossbeam, therefore, depends mainly on the type of load to be supported as well as the design and assembly criteria when executing the façade.
Riventi systems for light façades are made of aluminium and are mainly divided into two groups according to their construction configuration:
STICK SYSTEMThese curtain wall systems are the most traditional and are composed of the juxtaposition of profiles, uprights and crossbars, generally forming a framework. Their design allows the incorporation of opaque, semi-transparent or transparent panels. Transport and assembly on site is carried out individually for each component.
In turn, there are variants that differ from each other by the way the panels are fixed to the grid:
- Fixation with Tapeta, is the case of R50T system, by means of pressure-fitting covers, which fix the filling panel to an interior element. There are different morphological possibilities for this piece, which can be converted into different elements, both in the uprights and in the crossbars: Brise-soleil and partesoles.
Mechanical fixation by means of Staple in the glazing gap
- R50SG System: What characterizes this model is the direct fixing of the glazing to the profiles through a staple which holds the piece integrated into the spacer, without the need for a perimeter frame.
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- R70ST system: The panels; glass, double glazing or opaque panels are fixed to the profiles through a frame element, to which they are held by the adhesion that guarantees the silicone structurel. This system allows the glass to offer a continuous surface without any offset, avoiding external elements and providing a completely flat appearance, with only the filling elements visible. R70ST is the most suitable for integrating façade elements such as walkways and double glass skins. The support pieces of these accessories are guided by the open pit between the panes, guaranteeing watertightness. The finish is therefore completely uniform with an open gap between the panes of 20 mm.
- MODULAR SYSTEM, in Riventi called Modular RDS, It is considered an evolution of the stick system. The modules are composed of uprights, crossbeams and the required infill and practicable elements. The modules are pre-assembled in the workshop and then, once finished, they are placed directly on site. Riventi's Modular RDS is characterised by the direct structural fixing of the panels to the profiles, without intermediate frames.
