SAFTI FIRST recently announced that in addition to meeting ASTM E-119/NFPA 251/UL263 with hose stream for up to two hours, the SAFTIfire CW Framing System meets or exceeds performance specifications for fire rated or non-fire rated curtain wall systems by successfully passing the following tests:
- Air Infiltration, ASTM E 283-04, Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls and Doors.
- Static Pressure Water Resistance, ASTM E 331-00, Standard Test Method for Metal Curtain Walls and Doors by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.
- Dynamic Water Pressure Resistance, AAMA 501.1-05, Standard Test Method for Metal Curtain Walls and Doors by Uniform Dynamic Pressure.
- Structural Performance, ASTM E 330-2, Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.
- Seismic Movement, AAMA 501.4-09, Recommended Static Test Method for Evaluating Curtain Wall and Storefront Systems Subjects to Seismic and Wind Induced Interstory Drifts.
- Thermal Cycling and Condensation Evaluation.
- Interstory Vertical Displacement Tests.
“The SAFTIfire CW Framing System is unique because it performs as a fire barrier while still being part of the building’s exterior skin. It provides protection in the event of a fire while enhancing the building’s overall aesthetics and performance,” says Tim Nass, VP of National Sales at SAFTI FIRST. “Our recent testing based on the CDC prescribed project performance requirements provided empirical data that demonstrates the SAFTIfire CW Framing System’s ability to prevent air and water infiltration under non-static conditions, such as wind load or moving live loads that meets or exceeds the performance of curtain wall systems offered by other leading U.S. manufacturers.”
Meeting property line requirements was exactly the case for The Kensington, a 27-story, 488,000-sf, mixed-use, residential building in Boston, Mass. The west-facing elevation had to meet ASTM E-119/NFPA 251/UL263 for 60 minutes, so SAFTI FIRST supplied SuperLite II-XL 60 insulated with Solarban 70XL in SAFTIfire CW Framing. CDC was hired to make sure that the building was air and water tight. They were present during the dynamic testing performed by ATI (Architectural Testing, Inc.), an independent testing laboratory, where the mock-up of the system provided by SAFTI FIRST passed all required testing.
The aluminum covers used in the SAFTIfire CW Framing System mimics the appearance of an aluminum pressure wall, making it easy to match the non-rated exterior glazing systems seamlessly. The ability to incorporate Solarban 70XL to the fire resistive system also contributed to meeting an average U-value not more than 0.40 and a solar heat gain coefficient no greater than 0.25 as required in the specifications. Because the SAFTIfire CW Framing system is thermally broken, it is a natural selection for exterior fire resistive applications in places that experience extreme weather like the Northeast. +
Related Stories
| Apr 12, 2011
American Institute of Architects announces Guide for Sustainable Projects
AIA Guide for Sustainable Projects to provide design and construction industries with roadmap for working on sustainable projects.
| Apr 11, 2011
Wind turbines to generate power for new UNT football stadium
The University of North Texas has received a $2 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office to install three wind turbines that will feed the electrical grid and provide power to UNT’s new football stadium.
| Apr 8, 2011
SHW Group appoints Marjorie K. Simmons as CEO
Chairman of the Board Marjorie K. Simmons assumes CEO position, making SHW Group the only firm in the AIA Large Firm Roundtable to appoint a woman to this leadership position
| Apr 5, 2011
Zaha Hadid’s civic center design divides California city
Architect Zaha Hadid is in high demand these days, designing projects in Hong Kong, Milan, and Seoul, not to mention the London Aquatics Center, the swimming arena for the 2012 Olympics. But one of the firm’s smaller clients, the city of Elk Grove, Calif., recently conjured far different kinds of aquatic life when members of the City Council and the public chose words like “squid,” “octopus,” and “starfish” to describe the latest renderings for a proposed civic center.
| Apr 5, 2011
Are architects falling behind on BIM?
A study by the National Building Specification arm of RIBA Enterprises showed that 43% of architects and others in the industry had still not heard of BIM, let alone started using it. It also found that of the 13% of respondents who were using BIM only a third thought they would be using it for most of their projects in a year’s time.
