AUTOMATION OF STANDARD

CURTAINWALL CALCULATIONS
GI JSBERT LIBOUREL, P.E.
By automating the structural engineering calculations of standard curtainwall units as part of the
pre-sale and pricing phase of a building project, resources are optimized, building material quantities
are reduced, and a standardized set of deliverables is developed for the bid proposal presentation. As
a bi-product, automated calculations eliminate mistakes caused by human error in standard calculations. The automation of these calculations enables structural engineers to focus on job specific
challenges that distinguish Enclos from the competition.

TIME
Throughout the bid process, structural engineers spend a significant amount of time on the design
analysis of standard curtainwall elements. The structural engineers sizing of facade elements and
the designers mullion section is a somewhat iterative process that is critical to the pre-sale process.
If the Studios can reduce the turnaround time of proposals, we are able to bid for more work with
the same resources.

STANDARDIZATION
The engineering calculations included in proposals produced by the Studio include unique content
for each project. This is not desirable, at least for the standard curtainwall units. Although the added
value of the Studio is embedded in the capability to solve nonstandard complex problems, there is
no added value in varying the calculation report of standard curtainwall units.

OPTIMIZATION
Market conditions in facade manufacturing are moving into a direction that favor optimized use of
material. Labor costs and logistical know-how may sway an owner in awarding a project, but everything else being equal, material quantities and associated costs are increasingly becoming a deciding
factor. The structural engineer sets the limit of minimum amount of material that can safely support
specified loads. The responsibility to optimize material quantities and increase the likelihood of
project award rests in the Studios' hands.

INSIGHT 03

OPTIMIZATION 67

GEOMETRY

LOADS

centerlines

dead loads
(glass & aluminum)

MATERIAL

GOALS

aluminum
(elasticity)

10

glass blocks
6

steel
reinforcement
7

11

wind

12

maintenance

aluminum (shear)

concrete
(cubic strength)

anchor type
8

blast

seismic

MULLION
14

15

16

17

GLASS

Strand7

18

ESP mullion
database

19

Blast.exe

21

ASTM 1300

Standard curtainwall units (see Figures 3 & 4):

anchor checks

22

sections

CALCULATIONS
25

loads/materials

31

anchor calcs

COSTING /
OPTIMIZATION
35

vertical joint size

material quantity

38
24

glass make-up

26

moments

32

glass make-up

36

horizontal
joint size

# of dies

39
27

maximum stress

33

glass beads

37

29

INSIGHT 03

# of connections,
parts

COMPUTER PROGRAM

deflection

INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

code checks

section properties

30

Calculation package for pre-sale purposes

to include in the bid proposal package.
Elements span up to five building stories
with varying floor-to-floor heights.
Standard anchor types
(top of slab and face of slab).
Wind loads and dead loads.
Minimum of three vertical mullions.
Minimum of two horizontal mullions.
Panel material transfers wind loads based
on tributary area.
Self-weight of the panels is concentrated
at the setting block locations on the
horizontal mullions.

diagrams
40

28

Reduce the time to size members

and produce the report for structural
calculations of standard curtainwall
units by a factor of 10. This reduction
in turnaround time enables Enclos to
bid an increased volume of work on an
annual basis with the current structural
engineering staff.
Standardize the structural calculation
output report for standard curtainwall
units in Studio proposals.
Optimize material use (glass and
aluminum) to enhance the Studios'
competitiveness in the marketplace (cost
proposition).

SCOPE

Windgard

mullion
optimization

GEOMETRY

DATABASE MULLIONS
DATABASE ANCHORS

The goals of the automation effort are:

Computer executable programs generally

consist of inputs, a computing engine or process
and outputs (see Figure 1).

STRAND7

CALCULATION ENGINE
INPUT

algorithms

OUTPUT

exports data
through API
lookup functions

COMPUTING ENGINE
Enclos uses the Strand7 calculation engine
through the Application Programming Interface
(API). Strand7 is used to analyze internal forces
(i.e., bending moments and shear forces) and
deflections of the structure of the curtainwall
due to the imposed loads (see Figure 2).

STRAND7
Through the API it is possible to build and
analyze a Strand7 model that is parametric
without actually opening Strand7 by using a
dummy Strand7 model with the following
elements:

FIGURE 1
Automated workflow production for
a standard engineered calculation
package for curtainwall units.
FIGURE 2
Diagram showing Strand7 API process in
the program.

Nodes
Beams
Beam releases
Plates
Load patches with normal distributed
wind load
Concentrated loads
Supports
Material properties
Section properties library
Rigid links

OPTIMIZATION 69

UNIT 2B

UNIT 1A
14
14

16

19

17

15
13

16

18

04

15

18

21
20

23
22

08

17

91

53
76

PANEL 19

57

92
PANEL 20

83

61
90

L10

12

79

52

56

86

60

The elements in the dummy model dont

have the correct values since the model
can be populated with the correct values by
copy-pasting the correct values into the model
through the Strand7 API. After the correct
values are thus imported the model is built and
analyzed.

In the future more types will be developed, but

the first stage of the automation process consists
of these three types.

GEOMETRY INPUT

Enclos chose to produce an executable file

scripted in C# with several user input screens.
Results include:

RESULTS
CURRENT STATUS

L1

75
03

PANEL 01

PANEL 02

08

02

07

05

02
01

04

06

01
b

07

06

05
b b

12
11

10

78

74

11

10
09

PANEL 18

82

89

L9

13

51
03

PANEL 17

50
a

73

77

80

PANEL 15

42
58

09

55

81

57

85
84

65

PANEL 13

88
87

46 PANEL 16

61

41

54

59

58

49

L8

72

45

68

PANEL 14

64

SINGLE-SPAN UNITS

48

71

L7

UNIT 2A
40
17

16

24

22

20
19

21

23

PANEL 03

05

02

PANEL 01

01

05

08

01

08

07

06
b b

27

PANEL 04

56

28

39

20

15

L2

KEY
mullions

14

PANEL 02

10

09

06

25

21

60
55

40

14

27

19
06

24
05

PANEL 05

04

PANEL 03

03

PANEL 01

14

03

07

02
01

06

01
b

22

21
12

11
13

08

04

INSIGHT 03

28

09

05

02

29

26

12

12

L1

43

00

67
66

70
69

34 PANEL 12
47

47

a
L6

38
54

16
15

12

39

PANEL 09

37

41

28

42

38
a

27

11

PANEL 06

10

08

07
b b

23

18

L3

L2

FIGURE 4
A multi-span unit.

03

37

53

L5

23

48
PANEL 08

20

a
L4

10

26

35

L3

34
33

PANEL 04

24

20
14
13

03
a

06

02
02

01

05

01
b

09
08

08

07

L2

14

17

L1

06
b b

13

13
12

16
15

12
11

Creating a Strand7 model with the correct

geometry for Type 2B walls that is both
quick and effective.
A database/library of previously designed
mullion sections that can be referenced
and continually added to.
Pre-processing of wind loads in
accordance with ASCE7-2010.
Post-processing of mullion sections as
part of standard report output.
Saving the Strand7 model and results file
in a location accessible to the user. Any
data in the Strand7 model and results file
is therefore retrievable and auditable.
Standard report with graphics are
available within a much accelerated
timeframe.

FUTURE WORK
Eventual iterations to include:

15

14

PANEL 02

10

A toggle function in the program enables the

choice between single-span Types 1A, 2A and 3A,
or the multi-span Types 1B, 2B and 3B.
MULTI-SPAN UNITS

18

09

For single-span units, the three types displayed

in Figure 3 are considered. The input consists of
the length (L), the width (B) of the panels and
the location of the setting blocks. In the future,
more types can be developed, but for the first
stage of the automation process the three types
depicted above are developed. This is represented by Input Option 2. Input of the node
coordinates by the user is deemed to be cumbersome and error prone. The node coordinates,
beams, etc. are generated in the calculation
engine before the Strand7 model is built by the
aforementioned process.

25

31
30

11

PANEL 01

35
26

32

PANEL 06

21

26

52
51

36

28

27

36

49

L1
15

31

22

07

04

32

23

PANEL 03

05

16
21

19

19

04
17

16

18

22

17

15

23

PANEL 05

24

20
16

44

25

17

FIGURE 3
Three variations of a single-span unit.

45

29

22

24
33

50

PANEL 10

46

PANEL 07

19

21

32

33

anchors
glass

13

31
30

PANEL 04

09
10

44

nodes

17

13

PANEL 02
11

62

43

29

UNIT 3A
25

63

PANEL 11

30

18

20

59

18

09

03

02

26

11
07

03

18
10

04

04

19

The geometry of standard curtainwall units falls

into two categories.

For the multi-span unit (Type 2B) in Figure 4, the

input consist of the lengths (L1 through L10),
the width (B) of the panels, the location of the
stack joint (a), and the location of the setting
blocks (b). Type 1B and 3B have similar input.
The difference between the types is the number
of panels. Type 1B has inputs for L1 through L5
and type 3B has inputs for L1 through L15.

The creation of additional wall types.

The creation of double span wall types.
Incorporating anchor calculations into the
program, including seismic loads.
Incorporating glass make-up calculations
into the program.

OPTIMIZATION 71