Steelbuilt Curtainwall Infinity™ System From TGP Expands Design Flexibility with Nearly Limitless Back Mullion Profiles
Snoqualmie, Wash. - By utilizing the superior strength of steel, SteelBuilt Curtainwall® Systems from Technical Glass Products (TGP) allow architects and designers to use larger areas of glass, smaller frame profiles and wider free-spans than is possible with traditional aluminum curtainwall assemblies.
Now, the SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity™ System opens up a whole new realm of design possibilities by offering back mullions of virtually any profile, including I-, T-, U- and L-shapes. The system can use as a back mullion almost any type of framing member that can bear the load of the curtainwall, including stainless steel and glulam beams. The back mullion can be adapted to meet nearly any required engineering loads, including high wind loads and large glass panes. As a result, curtainwalls can now provide glass sizes and free-spans that far surpass typical aluminum systems. In addition, materials and profile shapes integral to a building’s overall design may now be incorporated, allowing the curtainwall to better complement a building’s surrounding design and materials.
The SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity System is a dramatic improvement over traditional aluminum curtainwall assemblies, which are typically limited to square-tube back mullions, creating performance limitations as well as a visual break between the main structure and the curtainwall. The flexibility in mullion profiles allows the SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity System to be used in many different types of designs, from high-end urban storefronts and grand entrances, to rustic lodges and other facilities that incorporate wood throughout.
The exterior cover caps and interior back mullions of SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity System frames can also be made from stainless steel, an increasingly popular material incorporated throughout building designs. Aluminum curtainwall systems, by contrast, must typically use cladding if stainless steel is desired. Such cladding increases the complexity of aluminum framing systems, including the need for additional fasteners and seams, along with increased bulk, labor, and material costs.
“Steel curtainwall systems have greatly expanded the ability to design with wide-open areas of glass,” says Jeff Razwick, vice president of business development for TGP. “With the flexibility in options for back mullions available with the SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity System, glazed curtainwalls can now be incorporated into a nearly limitless range of building types, designs, and performance requirements.”
Recognizing the superior performance of steel for curtainwall systems and the ability to expand glazing designs, readers of USGlass magazine selected SteelBuilt Curtainwall Systems as a “Product of the Year” for 2007. SteelBuilt Curtainwall Systems are distributed in the United States and Canada by TGP and are part of a range of steel framing solutions, including both fire-rated and non-fire-rated systems.
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