Silicone Facade Systems

Structural silicone facade systems give the envelope a continuous glass surface. From the outside there is no aluminium pressure plate or cover cap, only glass. High-performance EPDM gaskets and neutral silicone joints in the gaps between the panels keep that continuity.

Carrier Frame and Glass Installation (Structural Bonding)

Wind, suction and seismic loads are transferred to the main structure as follows. Insulating glass units are not bonded on site. In a dust-controlled factory, under humidity and temperature control, they are bonded to special aluminium cassette profiles with a high-modulus two-component structural glazing sealant. After the cure tests, the cassette units are sent to site and fixed mechanically to the aluminium vertical mullions and horizontal transoms with stainless safety toggles and cassette locks. The main frame typically uses extruded aluminium mullions with a 50 mm or 60 mm sightline and a depth of 80 mm to 200 mm, sized by structural calculation. Concealed outward-opening vents, bottom-hung or parallel, can be built into the cassette without breaking the glass plane.

How Does a Silicone Facade Differ from a Capped Facade?

On a capped facade, 50 mm aluminium cover lines divide the elevation into a grid. On a silicone facade only 15–20 mm silicone joints are visible, so the glass reads as one plane. Dust can collect on horizontal caps and leave streak marks. A silicone facade is a smooth vertical surface, so rain washes it more effectively. If a glass unit breaks, the facade is not cut on site. The cassette is released from its mechanical locks and replaced with a spare cassette prepared in the workshop. Cassette bonding, cure control and the second mechanical safety detail are done in a controlled environment, so a silicone facade needs tighter engineering and workshop control than a capped system.