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
| Aug 11, 2010
USGBC honors Brad Pitt's Make It Right New Orleans as the ‘largest and greenest single-family community in the world’
U.S. Green Building Council President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi today declared that the neighborhood being built by Make It Right New Orleans, the post-Katrina housing initiative launched by actor Brad Pitt, is the “largest and greenest community of single-family homes in the world” at the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA report estimates up to 270,000 construction industry jobs could be created if the American Clean Energy Security Act is passed
With the encouragement of Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) conducted a study to determine how many jobs in the design and construction industry could be created if the American Clean Energy Security Act (H.R. 2454; also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill) is enacted.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architect Michael Graves to be inducted into the N.J. Hall of Fame
Architect Michael Graves of Princeton, N.J., being inducted into the N.J. Hall of Fame.
| Aug 11, 2010
Modest rebound in Architecture Billings Index
Following a drop of nearly three points, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) nudged up almost two points in February. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture firms NBBJ and Chan Krieger Sieniewicz announce merger
NBBJ, a global architecture and design firm, and Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, internationally-known for urban design and architecture excellence, announced a merger of the two firms.
| Aug 11, 2010
Nation's first set of green building model codes and standards announced
The International Code Council (ICC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) announce the launch of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), representing the merger of two national efforts to develop adoptable and enforceable green building codes.
| Aug 11, 2010
David Rockwell unveils set for upcoming Oscar show
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and 82nd Academy Awards® production designer David Rockwell unveiled the set for the upcoming Oscar show.
| Aug 11, 2010
More construction firms likely to perform stimulus-funded work in 2010 as funding expands beyond transportation programs
Stimulus funded infrastructure projects are saving and creating more direct construction jobs than initially estimated, according to a new analysis of federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The analysis also found that more contractors are likely to perform stimulus funded work this year as work starts on many of the non-transportation projects funded in the initial package.
