How to make a curtain wall

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Contents 1 Foreword 2 The archives of the facade 3 The design of the facade 3.1 The insertion of mullions and transoms 4 Attic management 5 Management of frame cuts 6 How to insert a door 7 How to insert the opener 8 Priority Management Crossbars

Foreword

Opera Job Management allows you to design three types of curtain walls:

• Mullions and transoms: this is the simplest curtain wall, which involves a grid composed of vertical mullions and horizontal transoms that delimit the mirrors where curtain walls and opening elements are subsequently inserted.
• Structural/Semi-structural: consists of a curtain wall where the glass is fixed on special frames by means of special sealants; this involves being able to eliminate the elements of external structure, thus giving the facade a continuity of glazed surfaces. The difference between structural and semi-structural consists in the fact that in the latter the glass is resting but inside the profile, which consequently is visible on the outside.
• Blocks: consists of modular frames prefabricated in the workshop with the infills already inserted.

The design of a curtain wall is similar for all the types listed; however, the profiles and accessories to be used will be different. Below is the procedure for making a curtain wall with mullions and transoms.

The archives of the facade

The design of a curtain wall presupposes the presence of a profile archive dedicated to a curtain wall series. Therefore, it is necessary to create a system and series that contain profiles and accessories related to this type. The loading procedure is identical to the one already seen for the 'profile archive, for which please refer to that chapter.

It is important that the compound profiles that are widely used in this typology are loaded into the facade archive, and the accessories are inserted correctly. Again, the relevant guide articles can be consulted.

The design of the facade

From the Design Sheet, press the File:Keyinser.png button to enter a new type: this will open the Type Selection panel where we can choose the type or create a new one. Once we have made our choice, press the File:Keyook.png button to return to the Design Sheet and enter the type. We now press the File:Keyinser.png button and give the typology we entered the dimensions that the facade should have. The next step is to create the lattice within the structure.

The insertion of mullions and transoms

• To insert the mullions and transoms manually we press the File:Motiplica.png button and open the Multiplication Parameters panel.
• We choose from archive the upright compound profile, fill in the field Type ins. choosing Up to wall and enter the number of uprights for example 1.
• If the composed profile has the accessories matched, according to the procedure seen above, the program asks us if we want them to be inserted with the profile: we select YES.
• In the fields Base elevation and Top elevation you can specify the distance from the ground of the first traverse and the distance from the ceiling to the last traverse, respectively.
• Let's go back to the Design Sheet and select the File:Keyboardcolumns.png button.
• Let's position ourselves to the right or above and below the structure, and with a click of the mouse insert the uprights and crossbars that are provided for the structure.
• The program will ask you which type of input to choose:

for the first insertion we suggest that you select Unity, to maintain the priority of the upright over the traverse.

Let's enter all the profiles (figure 1) and, if we want to have equal glasses, we select the File:Keyequal.png button and then the File:Keyequalglasses.png button (figure 2). When this is finished, we uncheck the item Equal glasses (figure 3).

Modulo1.png figure 1

Modulo2.png figure 2

Modulo3.png figure 3

Attic management

To enter attics we press the File:Attics.png button and open the Attic Management panel, where we can enter the attics planned for the structure. In the field Location we enter the measurements identifying the attic heights. The field Reference indicates the point where the reference measurement for the specified attic height will be taken.

• Sopra, The distance from the ground to the top of the attic will be considered;
• Centrale, The distance from the ground to the middle part of the floor will be considered;
• Sotto, The distance from the ground to the bottom of the floor slab will be considered;

Then fill in the fields Description of the attic (e.g., 1st attic, 2nd attic...) and Thickness. The color field is optional and represents the color to be shown in the design sheet for the attic.

Let's now assign accessories to the attic: clicking on the Accessories area will open the selection panel from which you can choose the self-selection that includes brackets.

In the Job Material panel, it will be possible to see a summary of the quantities entered.

Management of frame cuts

Pressing the File:Keytaglitelaio.png button opens the Frame Break Management panel where we can enter data about frame cuts.

• Press the button to enter a new frame cut.
• Fill in the field Position, in which the value that determines the frame break should be reported.

• Tipo : From the list opened by the matched button, the type of interruption setting is detected, in other words, whether the interruption refers to vertical or horizontal cuts.
• Desc: In this field we can enter a description of the type of interruption.
• Tipo componente profilo: The paired menu allows you to choose and enter different profile components.
• Intercapedine: It is the gap velore between the profiles of the frame cut.
• Offset: It is the displacement value for the shear of the profile component with respect to the frame axis.
• Mostra intercapedine: Specifies the type of component for which the gap will be displayed (Internal, Reinforcement, Connection).

Finally, match the accessories to each cut in the space provided.

How to insert a door

Again, it is necessary to upload profiles to the archive with the technical data useful for creating the type suitable for the curtain wall.

Regarding the profile for the fixed frame, in addition to the data regarding the chamber, rebate, glass wing, cavity, etc. (see the data shown in the image at the side), it is necessary to enter a second use Frame Carryover', the thickness of the interlocking of the carryover, and the values of Carryover Cavity.

Regarding the profile for the sash, in addition to the data in the side image seen above, it is necessary to enter a push or push' glass system (depending on the type of profile used and the type of façade we are designing), the gap value and the glass gap.

With that done, we can create and register the 'type in the relevant archive to be ready for inclusion in the curtain wall.

Another function of the program that facilitates curtain wall design is provided for door insertion and involves the use of the File:Keyomerge.png button. Its use makes it possible to merge the selected mirrors and apply a new structure, for example, a door.

• In the Design Sheet, we select the File:Keyomerge.png button and position ourselves over that part of the mirroring that we want to merge.

• We select the File:Apply.png button and choose the type to insert after clicking on the mirroring. The program will present you with this message:

• We choose Archive and in the Structure application panel, we select In the frame

• This will open the Fill Management panel that allows us to enter the frame carryover with the gaskets.

• After choosing the seals, we return to the Design Sheet where the program will have entered the type.

How to insert the opener

• We select the File:Apply.png button and choose the type to insert after clicking on the mirroring. The program will present you with this message:

• We choose Archive and in the Structure application panel, we select In the frame

• This will open the Fill Management panel that allows us to enter the frame carryover with the gaskets.

• After choosing the seals, we return to the Design Sheet where the program will have entered the type.

• To insert the other openables we select the File:Apply.png button and in the message seen above we choose Existing.
• We click once on the already inserted opener and then on the affected mirror.
• In the Structure Application panel we select All and continue this way until we have entered all the types we need.

In the Structure Definition Framework' will appear, in addition, the File:Keyport.png button, which returns to the fill management framework seen earlier.

The program will insert the new frame respecting the frame cuts, dimensions, and matching the frame carryover to the fixed frame.

Priority Management Crossbars

• Within the Data File:Typedata5.png there is the function Frame Priority, the chosen parameter will determine the priority of the general inserted post or transom for the whole structure.

• In addition, as shown in the figure (Fig. 1) it will also be possible to change the cut of only a single intersection, clicking on the cut to be changed will display the image in Fig. 2

• File:Taglioincrocioauto.png Will use the cut as set in the function Structure frame priority
• File:TaglioincrocioTraverso.png priority will be given to the traverse
• File:TaglioincrocioMontante.png priority will be given to the upright

The change will be displayed through two red lines (Fig. 3) indicating that the change has been made