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This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) and ASCE Continuing Education

Instructor:  Stephen Fisher, S.E.

Course Length: 1 Hour

Purpose and Background

Modern curtain wall systems must be able to accommodate expected displacements to the building structural system. These displacements can be the result of floor deflections, temperature changes, wind and seismic loading. Displacements due to design level seismic events can be particularly large due the code allowances for the building structure to yield.

A curtain wall system is a specialized type of cladding typically used in the construction of commercial and institutional buildings. These curtain wall systems need to be designed so that they will withstand any expected building displacements due to seismic loading. In regions of higher seismicity the displacements a building experiences due to seismic loading can significantly exceed those due to wind loading. This webinar will focus on how modern curtain wall systems can be designed to accommodate expected building displacements due to seismic loading while minimizing damage and protecting the public in and around the building. Additionally this webinar describes different types of curtain wall systems, engineering calculations, and testing that can document the expected performance.

Primary Discussion Topics

• Elements of the curtain wall system affected by seismic loading and displacement
• Different types of curtain wall systems and how they accommodate displacements
• How to determine the displacement capacity of a curtain wall system through engineering calculations
• Building code requirements

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Obtain an awareness of how curtain wall systems accommodate displacements of all kinds
• Find what building codes say and/or not say about designing curtain wall systems to accommodate building displacements whether seismic or wind induced
• Recognize current research and testing that documents the types of performance that can be expected from different types of curtain wall systems
• Know that even though glass is a brittle element, curtain wall system containing glass lites can be effectively designed to accommodate building displacements even those expected in high seismic areas without posing a hazard to the public
• Observe practical examples of how to assess / design a curtain wall system to accommodate building displacements

Webinar Benefits

• Informed about current research on the performance of curtain wall systems subjected to building displacements
• Find out current building code requirements
• Learn how to design curtain wall systems to accommodate building displacements

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

• Architects
• Engineers
• Facility Managers / Bldg Owners
• Building Department Officials

Webinar Outline

• How do wind & seismic design of curtain wall systems differ?
• Curtain wall characteristics that affect seismic design and/or drift capacity
• Unitized vs. Stick, Sway vs. Rack
• Mechanically Captured vs. SSG, Dry Glazed vs. Wet Glazed
• SSG sealant bead size & glass edge clearance
• Glass lite size and aspect ratio
• Code requirements for curtain wall design
• IBC / CBC Ch 24
• 2013 CBC Ch 24 Section 10 for SSG Curtain Wall Systems
• ASCE 7, Chapter 13
• NEHRP
• Analytical calculations
• Mech. Captured Systems - Bouwkamp's Eqn.
• SSG Systems - Approx. Kinematic Eqn.
• FEM Analysis
• Design Examples
• Mechanically captured, Bouwkamp's Eqn.
• SSG, Calculations
• Summary
• How do different CW systems actually perform

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]