Hidden frame glass curtain walls are one of the most common curtain wall structure forms. This year, the damage identification of panel elements based on vibration has had the problem of an inconsistent calculation model. In this paper, an experimental study on the dynamic characteristics of two full-scale panel elements is carried out, and the main factors affecting the dynamic characteristics of panel elements are analyzed by using a fine finite element model, and the corresponding simplified calculation model is proposed. The experimental and numerical results show that the structural sealant and frame are the important factors affecting the dynamic characteristics of panel units of hidden frame, and the natural frequency of panel elements can be overestimated by more than 40% if a simply supported boundary is adopted. The effect of structural sealant on glass panels and the supporting frame is mainly a translational constraint. The effect of structural sealant on the rotational constraint of a glass panel can be neglected and simplified as a translational spring model. Using a shell element, a translational spring element and a beam element, respectively, the calculation error of the glass panel, structural sealant and supporting frame is about 5%, which shows good calculation accuracy.

Curtain wall systems stand out as a pivotal domain within the construction sector’s endeavors towards energy efficiency and carbon mitigation. To refine the evaluation framework for carbon emissions within this industry, this paper explores the calculation and assessment method for building curtain walls. The article first reviews the current research status regarding carbon emissions from materials and the impact of curtain walls on buildings in the operational stage. Based on lifecycle theory, the carbon emissions from building curtain walls are divided into six stages: material acquisition, processing and production, installation and construction, transportation, use and maintenance, and dismantling. On this basis, this paper proposes a method for calculating carbon emissions from building curtain walls. Following that, a case study is conducted using a specific glass curtain wall project for illustrative analysis. The results indicate that the carbon emissions from the material acquisition stage constitute approximately 90% of the total, serving as the primary source of carbon emissions for glass curtain walls. Furthermore, the scientific application of photovoltaics can significantly reduce the carbon emission levels of building curtain walls. Finally, an analysis was conducted on the current issues existing in the evaluation of carbon emissions.

To facilitate the maintenance of hidden frame glass curtain walls, it is necessary to identify the damage location of the structural sealant accurately. However, detecting concealed sealant damage directly is challenging. This paper proposes a two-stage damage localization method to pinpoint the center of damaged structural sealants. In the first stage, an assurance criterion of boundary modal curvature (ACBMC) is developed to identify damaged edges. In the second stage, the exact damage location is determined by comparing the differences in boundary modal curvature between the undamaged and damaged edges. Two-panel units are analyzed by numerical and model experiments. The results show that the proposed method can effectively identify the damage location of the structural sealant when the damage severity is higher than 4%.

Cold-bent glass has been utilized in a number of landmark projects globally, owing to its cost-effectiveness and low carbon footprint. To investigate the impact of cold bending loads on the long-term performance of insulating laminated glass, this paper proposes a durability testing method for cold-bent glass. This method is based on the hypothesis that the failure of the glass sealing system is caused by the cold bending process. It is novel in its use of full-scale glass panel specimens subjected to the maximum design cold-bend curvature to replicate the worst-case sealing boundary conditions present in actual installations. This method comprises three components: cold bending, cyclic immersion in water, and high–low temperature cycling. The durability is evaluated by assessing the laminating condition and sealing performance of the insulating laminated glass before and after testing. In total, 24 insulating glass samples from an actual engineering project were studied by the proposed methodology. The results indicate the following: (1) the proposed method demonstrates strong operational feasibility, suitable for durability testing and the assessment of cold-bent insulating laminated glass across diverse dimensions; (2) no significant quality or sealing issues were observed in the tested samples during the tests, suggesting that durability is minimally affected when the glass’s cold bending warpage is controlled within certain range; and (3) a discernible trend observed in the full-scale test data is that cold bending results in increased misalignment and decreased argon content. These findings provide a valuable reference for the design and construction of cold-bent glass curtain wall projects.

Cold-bent glass has been utilized in a number of landmark projects globally, owing to its cost-effectiveness and low carbon footprint. To investigate the impact of cold-bending loads on the long-term performance of insulating laminated glass, this paper proposes a durability testing method for cold-bent glass. This method comprises three components: cold-bending, cyclic immersion in water, and high-low temperature cycling. The durability is evaluated by assessing the laminating condition and sealing performance of the insulating laminated glass before and after testing. 24 insulating glass samples from an actual engineering project were studied by the proposed methodology. The results indicate: 1) The proposed method demonstrates strong operational feasibility, suitable for durability testing and assessment of cold-bent insulating laminated glass across diverse dimensions; 2) No significant quality or sealing issues were observed in the tested samples during the tests, suggesting that durability is minimally affected when the glass cold-bending warpage is controlled within certain range. These findings provide valuable reference for the design and construction of cold-bent glass curtain wall projects.