Exterior Fire Stop Hybrid Wall Panel

Abstract

A hybrid framed curtain wall panel is used to prevent inter-floor fire propagation from both the interior and exterior, featuring the combined use of three different infill materials for three different functions. The first infill is a continuous exterior fire-resistant thin pane for providing an aesthetic element and for preventing exterior inter-floor fire propagation. The second infill is a small band of fire-resistant material, such as mineral wool panel infill, located at the slab edge for preventing interior inter-floor fire propagation. The third infill is a structural infill, such as composite foam panel infill, to provide a light-weight material with excellent thermal insulation value.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention is related to the building envelope system design applicable to an exterior wall panel design for preventing inter-floor fire propagation from both the interior and exterior.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]An exterior wall is formed by multiple wall units joined and sealed between two adjacent wall units in both horizontal and vertical directions. The major functions of an exterior wall include the aesthetic design provided by the project architect and the interior environmental protection design provided by the exterior wall system designer or supplier. It is well recognized in the industry that a product known as composite foam panel (CFP) has a superior strength to weight ratio as well as thermal insulation value. A CFP comprises two thin structural skins with structural foam sandwiched in between the two skins. The most popular skin material is thin gauge steel or aluminum coil cold-rolled into the panel side joint profile. The CFP is ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a new type of wall panel that can stop fire from spreading between floors. The panel has three different types of infills - an exterior aesthetic and fire-resistant infill, a first interior fire-resistant infill, and a second interior structural infill. The hybrid framed wall panel helps to prevent fire spread without many of the problems of traditional fireproofing methods.

Problems solved by technology

Due to the good insulation value provided by the foam core, significant solar gain on the exterior skin may result in a significant temperature differential between the two skins, resulting in two potential aesthetic problems known as thermal blistering caused by interface air pockets within the foam core and thermal rippling due to thermal stress.

However, MWP is inferior to CFP in many aspects, including: (1) MWP is heavier; (2) MWP is weaker in structural strength; (3) MWP has a lower thermal insulation value; (4) the mineral wool core in MWP is water-absorbent, requiring a more elaborate sealing method along the panel side joint and the panel butt joint; (5) the exterior aesthetic features of MWP are more limited and often not compatible with a desirable CFP, therefore, it is rare to use both CFP and MWP on the same elevation.

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