Dynamic, fire-resistance-rated thermally insulating and sealing system having a f-rating of 120 min for use with curtain wall structures

Abstract

An approved dynamic construction is used for effectively thermally insulating and sealing of a safing slot between a floor of a building and an exterior wall construction. The exterior wall construction comprises a curtain wall configuration defined by an interior wall glass surface including one or more aluminum framing members, wherein the vision glass extends to the finished floor level below. The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system includes a first element for receiving the insulating elements and positioned in the zero spandrel area of a glass curtain wall construction including only vision glass to maintain thermally insulating and sealing of the safing slot during exposure to fire and heat as well as movement in order to maintain a complete seal extending across the safing slot.

1 . A dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system for effectively thermally insulating and sealing of a safing slot within a building construction having a curtain wall construction defined by an interior wall surface including at least one vertical and at least one horizontal framing member and at least one floor spatially disposed from the interior wall surface of the curtain wall construction defining the safing slot extending between the interior wall surface of the curtain wall construction and an outer edge of the floor, comprising:
 i) a first element comprised of a non-combustible material for receiving a thermally resistant material for insulating, wherein the first element has a cavity-shaped profile, comprising:
 a) a web section having opposing edges and an inner and an outer surface; 
 b) a pair of outwardly extending side sections connected to the web section, wherein each side section has an outer and an inner surface, a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of each side section is connected to one of the opposing edges of the web section, and wherein the side sections are substantially parallel and confront each other; and 
 c) at least one supplemental element for attaching of the first element with respect to a bottom side of the horizontal framing member of the curtain wall construction, 
   ii a second element comprised of a thermally resistant material for insulating positioned in the first element, wherein the second element includes:
 a) an outer primary end surface positionable in abutment with respect to the inner surface of the web section of the first element; 
 b) an inner primary end surface positionable spatially disposed from the outer edge of the floor for sealing thereadjacent; and 
 c) a lower primary and an upper primary surface extending between the proximal and distal ends of the pair of the outwardly extending sidewalls of the first element and in abutment with respect to the inner surface of each of the outwardly extending side sections, 
   iii) a third element comprised of a thermally resistant material for insulating positioned in the safing slot, wherein the third element includes:
 a) an inner primary end surface positionable in abutment with respect to the outer edge of the floor for sealing thereadjacent; 
 b) an outer primary end surface positionable in abutment with respect to the inner primary end surface of the second element and spatially disposed from the inner surface of the web section of the first element; and 
 c) a lower primary and an upper primary surface extending between the distal end of each of the outwardly extending sidewalls of the first element and the outer edge of the floor, and 
   iv) a fourth element for supporting and attaching the first element with respect to an inner facing side of the vertical framing member of the curtain wall construction, wherein   the first and fourth element form a 5-sided box pan.   
     
     
         2 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the 5-sided box pan is placed between the vertical framing members for the entire length of the perimeter fire barrier, with an open side toward the at least one floor and flush with an interior face of the horizontal framing member. 
     
     
         3 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the cavity-shaped profile is a substantially U-shaped profile. 
     
     
         4 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the curtain wall construction is comprised of a vision glass infill and at least one vertical and at least one horizontal metal framing member. 
     
     
         5 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first element is comprised of a metal material, preferably steel. 
     
     
         6 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 5 , wherein the metal material is an 18 gauge galvanized steel material. 
     
     
         7 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first element consists of a first L-shaped member and a second L-shaped member connected to each other to form the cavity-shaped profile of the first element. 
     
     
         8 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second element and the third element each comprise a thermally resistant flexible mineral wool material to facilitate placement thereof into the safing slot and the cavity-shaped profile of the first element adjacent one another. 
     
     
         9 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the elements for attaching are selected from the group consisting of pins, expansion anchors, screws, screw anchors, bolts and adhesion anchors. 
     
     
         10 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one supplemental element for attaching extends through the upper outwardly extending side section of the first element and is attached to the bottom side of the horizontal framing member of the curtain wall construction. 
     
     
         11 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an outer fire retardant coating positioned across the third element and the adjacent portions of the at least one vertical and at least one horizontal framing member of the curtain wall construction and the floor located thereadjacent.   
     
     
         12 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 11 , wherein the outer fire retardant coating has a wet film thickness of at least ⅛ inch. 
     
     
         13 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 8 , wherein the thermally resistant flexible mineral wool of the second element is a mineral wool bat insulation having a 3 inch thickness, 8-pcf density, installed with no compression, and/or
 the thermally resistant flexible mineral wool of the third element is a mineral wool bat insulation having 4 inch thickness, 4-pcf density, installed with 25% compression.   
     
     
         14 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the web section of the first element is positioned spatially disposed from the interior wall surface of the curtain wall construction, preferably spatially disposed from the inner surface of the vision glass infill. 
     
     
         15 . A building construction having
 a curtain wall construction defined by an interior wall surface including one or more framing members and   at least one floor spatially disposed from the interior wall surface of the curtain wall construction defining the safing slot extending between the interior wall surface of the curtain wall construction and an outer edge of the floor, comprising a dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system for effectively thermally insulating and sealing of the safing slot, wherein the dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system comprises:   i) a first element comprised of a non-combustible material for receiving a thermally resistant material for insulating, wherein the first element has a cavity-shaped profile, comprising:
 a) a web section having opposing edges and an inner and an outer surface; 
 b) a pair of outwardly extending side sections connected to the web section, wherein each side section has an outer and an inner surface, a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of each side section is connected to one of the opposing edges of the web section, and wherein the side sections are substantially parallel and confront each other; and 
 c) at least one supplemental element for attaching of the first element with respect to a bottom side of the horizontal framing member of the curtain wall construction, 
   ii) a second element comprised of a thermally resistant material for insulating positioned in the first element, wherein the second element includes:
 a) an outer primary end surface positionable in abutment with respect to the inner surface of the web section of the first element; 
 b) an inner primary end surface positionable spatially disposed from the outer edge of the floor for sealing thereadjacent; and 
 c) a lower primary and an upper primary surface extending between the proximal and distal ends of the pair of the outwardly extending sidewalls of the first element and in abutment with respect to the inner surface of each of the outwardly extending side sections, 
   iii) a third element comprised of a thermally resistant material for insulating positioned in the safing slot, wherein the third element includes:
 a) an inner primary end surface positionable in abutment with respect to the outer edge of the floor for sealing thereadjacent; 
 b) an outer primary end surface positionable in abutment with respect to the inner primary end surface of the second element and spatially disposed from the inner surface of the web section of the first element; and 
 c) a lower primary and an upper primary surface extending between the distal end of each of the outwardly extending sidewalls of the first element and the outer edge of the floor, 
   iv) a fourth element for supporting and attaching the first element with respect to an inner facing side of the vertical framing member of the curtain wall construction, wherein the fourth element has a substantially L-shaped profile and includes elements for attachment,   
       wherein the first and fourth element form a 5-sided box pan; and
 v) an outer fire retardant coating positioned across the first element and the adjacent portions of the interior framing member of the curtain wall construction and the floor located thereadjacent. 
 
     
     
         16 . The dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second element are used as a pre-fabricated device for use within a unitized panel construction. 
     
     
         17 . A process for assembling a unitized panel for use within an exterior dynamic curtain wall, comprising the following steps:
 assembling the frame for the unitized panel by fastening the left and right vertical framing members and upper and lower horizontal framing members together;   installing the anchor brackets to the upper locations of the vertical framing members ready for mounting the finished unitized panel to the building structure;   installing the appropriate water gasket seals to the framing members to seal the unitized panel and building structure from water intrusion;   installing the dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first and fourth element form a 5-sided box pan that is placed and fastened between the vertical framing members for the entire length of the perimeter fire barrier, with an open side toward the at least one floor and flush with an interior face of the horizontal framing member;   installing additional gaskets, hardware, and components necessary to prepare the unitized panel for glass installation;   completion of the unitized panel by installing glass and appropriate sealing layers to the unitized panel; and   optionally installing a thermally resistant material into the 5-sided box pan.   
     
     
         18 . A process for assembling a fireproof system within a stick build exterior dynamic curtain wall façade, comprises the following steps:
 assembling a framing structure by attaching anchoring brackets to horizontal and vertical framing members and to the concrete and steel members of the façade to the building structure; 
 installing the appropriate water gasket seals to the framing members to seal the framing structure and building structure from water intrusion; 
 installing the dynamic, thermally insulating and sealing system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first and fourth element form a 5-sided box pan that is placed and fastened between the vertical framing members for the entire length of the perimeter fire barrier, with an open side toward the at least one floor and flush with an interior face of the horizontal framing member; 
 installing additional gaskets, hardware, and components necessary to prepare the framing structure for glass installation; 
 completion of the curtain wall façade by installing glass and appropriate sealing layers to the structure; 
 installing a thermally resistant material into the 5-sided box pan and the safing slot; and 
 optionally applying an outer fire retardant coating positioned across the thermally resistant material installed in the safing slot and the adjacent portions of the vertical and horizontal framing members and the floor located thereadjacent.