01 May 2023

Technal, a brand of Norsk Hydro – the Norwegian group whose business focuses on aluminium extrusions – says its newly launched aluminium system for designing building envelopes offers multiple creative options, accommodates large glazing units and has the lowest environmental impact.

The new Tental curtain-wall is described as being the perfect solution for the current needs in the building industry in terms of design and sustainability.

“It has four new patents that enable optimising materials, simplify manufacture, and facilitate installation, which is carried out dry, with no glue or sealants used on-site, no packaging and no waste,” says Sami Zgheib, the Technical Director at Hydro Building Systems Middle East.

The Tental curtain-wall was created with a view to offering architects and consultants an extensive range of solutions that give them as much creative freedom as possible when designing a façade.

“It is a unique platform, with 50-mm and 60-mm-wide aluminium profiles, that allows for designing modular curtain-walls with large-sized glazing units, in line with the latest trends that seek maximum transparency along with the minimum view of profiles,” he explains.

Each module of the Tental 60 can integrate panels weighing up to 850 kg, with a surface area of more than 12 sq m, depending on the type of glass used. It offers a wide range of aesthetic solutions to suit the requirements of any project: from the capped design to the semi-capped design, which emphasises either the horizontal lines of the transoms or the vertical lines of the mullions, to the flat cap, creating a smooth look of the profiles and glazing. A wide range of caps designs is available for these configurations, according to Technal.

Tental also includes the structural glazing option to create completely flat curtain-wall systems without profiles visible from the outside, while with bead glazing, the glass is attached by means of aluminium beads that form a visible grid. The solution can also be used for sloped glazed roofs.

“The Tental modules are capable of integrating double- or triple-glazing up to a maximum thickness of 62 mm, resulting in excellent thermal, acoustic and waterproofing performance (up to 1,500 Pa), which, in turn, means high levels of interior comfort,” Zgheib points out. “Users can also enjoy and access an extensive range of windows, doors and sliding doors that are compatible with this curtain-wall system. Safety is guaranteed with a burglary resistance that meets the highest standards, in accordance with international regulations.”

All profiles can be customised in different colours and textures, right from Technal’s exclusive metallic tones to a wide range of lacquers, anodised satin finishes or even wood-effect lacquers. There is also the possibility of using wooden structural profiles on the inside of the curtain-wall.

Solar shading systems can be integrated into the curtain-wall, which, along with reduced thermal transmittance, makes the architect’s job easier when it comes to designing energy-efficient buildings.

“Nevertheless, it is not just the energy in the operation phase of the building that is reduced,” he emphasises. “The embodied energy in the aluminium curtain-wall is significantly lower, due to having profiles made using Hydro Circal 75R, the first certified post-consumer recycled aluminium. The energy required to smelt post-consumer aluminium is 95 per cent less than the primary aluminium obtained from bauxite mining.”

Hydro Circal 75R is prime quality aluminium made with a minimum of 75 per cent recycled end-of-life aluminium (post-consumer scrap), which allows tons of scrap that would otherwise become solid waste to be reintroduced into the system. Mullion remnants are used as transom profiles, reducing the required number of profiles up to 25 per cent, according to Technal.

Furthermore, Tental’s thermal-break elements are made from recycled xPET, a material that gives a second life to everyday water and beverage bottles, thereby preventing them from ending up in landfill or in the sea.

“Finally, the circular economy not only applies to the materials used to manufacture the curtain-wall, but also its design: all components can be easily assembled and disassembled mechanically, simplifying the separation and recycling thereof once they come to the end of their life cycle. This ability to reuse materials, as well as other factors such as the healthiness of the components and the efficient use of water and renewable energy in the production phase, helped Tental to achieved Cradle to Cradle certification with a Silver Label,” Zgheib remarks.

 

Less carbon footprint

The greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the Tental manufacturing process are claimed to be among the lowest that the building industry can offer for an aluminium curtain-wall. This effectively contributes to constructing sustainable buildings that are eligible to be awarded the most prestigious environmental certifications such as Leed, Breeam, Well, Verde, and Level(s), he adds.

“Once again, the use of Hydro Circal 75R is decisive, as it only emits 2.3 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kg of aluminium, compared to a global average of 18 kg of CO2 per kg of aluminium. This data is certified by independent bodies and is available to professionals on request through EPDs (Environment Product Declarations),” Zgheib says.

Tental curtain-wall fully backs Technal’s commitment to the circular economy, allowing architects not only to imagine the world we all want, but also to build it, he concludes.  

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