Curtain Wall Testing Procedure

In the case of a unitized curtain wall system a vertical module joint should also be included within the test area.

Curtain wall testing procedure.

Astm e1105 procedure a water penetration testing is conducted at the specified air pressure differential while simultaneously spraying water on to the exterior face of the assembly at the required rate of 5 gph ft2. Typically the height of the test area should be at least one full floor storey high. The nozzle is held 1 foot away from the glass and slowly moved back and forth for the duration of the 5 minute test. The curtain wall mock up is subjected to alternating hot and cold cycles maintained for two hours per cycle.

After the cure period take a razor blade and under cut one end of the tab exposing a flap that can be grasped with fingers. Pull this flap at approximately 90oangle. The basic tests are. The height of the test area should include at least one expansion or stack joint at least one spandrel section and one vision section.

Water penetration testing consists of utilizing a portable wind generator and installing a spray rack system at the exterior of the specimen. Air infiltration water penetration and structural load. Testing representative segments of curtain wall or windows for example comprises three basic tests plus three others. The tab sample consists of a single 3 8 9 mm diameter bead of sealant that is tooled to a thickness of 1 4 6 mm.

Premature failure is likely to dramatically reduce building life because replacement or repair is a massive undertaking requiring a vacant building extensive exterior access and replacement of all interior finishes in perimeter rooms. Window washer anchorage load tests supplemental water resistance following sealant removal negative load sealant bonding tests are performed when specified. During the test a member of the testing team will be inside to monitor the wallsand check for any leakage. Aama 501 1 standard test method for water penetration of windows curtain walls and doors using dynamic pressure dynamic water penetration testing hawg.

The chosen area is soaked from the lowest horizontal brace to any adjacent vertical framing. During testing the interior face of the test area is inspected for water leakage. Curtain walls have to keep the weather out and the people in. Significance and use 5 1 this test method is a standard procedure for determining the resistance to water penetration under uniform or cyclic static air pressure differences of installed exterior windows skylights curtain walls and doors.

We provide design review and full scale testing to make sure that these systems do this reliably for the life of the building.