Building Cladding

BUILDING BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION -
CLADDING IV
What is cladding?
• The word wall, walling, cladding, facings
and wall facings are variously used relative
to the usually vertical envelope of
buildings.
• Cladding constitutes the main facade of a

building and the first line of defense
against the elements and environmental
conditions.
• The word cladding came into general use

as a description of the external envelope
of framed buildings, which clothed or clad
the building in a protective coating that is
hung , supported by or secured to the
skeleton or structural frame as a jacket or
coat.
Why using cladding?
• To provide environmental protection to the exterior walls
• To protect the occupants of a building from the weather. This protection constitutes a skin that is
attached to the main structure.
• It has become thinner with the development of new materials, insulation methods and technologies.
Although the cladding of a building doesn’t contribute to the stability of the structure, it does have to
resist and transfer loads such as winds, snow and its own weight.
Given its climate control and structural functions, as well as the aesthetic importance that it has; the
choice and implementation of systems, materials and elements should be a collaborative effort
between architects, engineers and specialists.
As architectural designers, we should understand the basic concepts and considerations that play a role
in cladding design to propose the best solution for our projects.
Types of Cladding Systems
some of the most common

cladding systems used in
architecture.
New materials and cladding products are developed
constantly as technology advances, giving a plethora of
options to choose from.
Other materials include:
• Composite metal panels
• Stone cladding
• ETFE(Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene)panels
• Glass-reinforced polyester (GRP)
• Glass-fibre reinforced cement (GRC)

Control Function and Barriers of Cladding Systems
The following are KEY TERMS and definitions you should know while designing cladding:
Fixing / Connections -
Cladding - Non-structural Layer - Each one of the
Panel - Piece of some Components that attach the
elements erected over or different surfaces put one
weather-resistant material elements of the cladding
attached to the frame of a after the other, necessary to
that covers the external layer (panels, studs, insulation,
building that constitute its the assembly of any given
of the cladding. etc.) to the structure of the
external face. cladding system.
building.
Rainscreen - Part of the

Opening - Any hole or space
assembly where the cladding
that communicates the
Facade - The face of a stands off from a moisture
Backing Wall - A wall to exterior of the building with
building which forms the resistant layer creating an air
which the cladding is fixed. the interior; providing either
outer appearance. cavity that allows drainage,
access, natural ventilation or
evaporation and air
daylight.
circulation.
Thermal Insulation - Layer

that insulates the outside
cladding of a building to
improve thermal efficiency.
Design Considerations
1). Coordination and detailing
2). Water Drainage
When proposing the weather

protection for a cladding design,
understanding that joints are the most
crucial part of the assembly is
extremely important.
A substantial film of rainwater is

always going to flow down the
surface of a cladding (even laterally
or upwards in the presence of wind).
There are
6 different forces that will act trying to move the water through any available opening
3) Air Tightness
The cladding assembly should resist any air leakage (also known as infiltration)
going either inward or outward.
Benefits of preserving the air tightness of the cladding include:
• Improved comfort.
• Reduced costs on heating due to less heat loss.
• Improved performance of the ventilation systems.
This can be achieved with exterior air barriers systems that limit air leakage through
the backing wall.
Some systems include:
• Sheathing Membrane
• Sealed Sheathing
• Liquid Applied Membranes

Air gaps and joint types/widths
for cladding systems
To combat air currents and pressure differences the most effective approach is to propose a rain screen
system, where the outer skin acts as a pressure-equalized wall followed with an air gap and then an
insulated airtight backing wall.
For the pressure equalization to be maintained the air gap shouldn't be tightly sealed with the outside.
Minimum width for air gaps should be:
50 mm for panels with open joints
38 mm for panels with baffled or labyrinth (rebated) joints.

4) Thermal Insulation
• The design should provide continuous insulation

around all the facade (covering the entire surface of
the backing walls) paying special attention to
penetrations through the external panels and being
properly cut between the support frame, openings and
fixings.
• To avoid the performance to be diminished by

moisture it should be installed a breather membrane in
the outer face of the insulation.
• When choosing insulation materials pay special

attention to the R-Value (not to be confused with U-
Value), which is the metric that indicates the resistance
to heat flow for a given material or assembly. The higher
the R-Value the better the heat performance and
hence, more is saved in energy consumption.
5) Maintenance
The design should provide future access for the purpose of:
• Cleaning
• Inspection
• Maintenance, repair and replacement of any element of the assembly.
This can be achieved with a suspended or elevated working platform in the case of multistory and
high-rise buildings. In case of choosing a temporary suspended working platform, anchoring and
mechanical equipment should be provided on the roof for the future use operation of the platform.
Other methods include a maintenance access window or maintenance door.
When designing the facades of our buildings we must pay attention to any building recess, projection,
cantilever or balcony, so they can enable the temporary erection of scaffolds on the outside.

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BUILDING BUILDING

• Cladding constitutes the main facade of a

• The word cladding came into general use

• To provide environmental protection to the exterior walls

some of the most common

• Composite metal panels

• Glass-reinforced polyester (GRP)

• Glass-fibre reinforced cement (GRC)

Rainscreen - Part of the

Thermal Insulation - Layer

1). Coordination and detailing

2). Water Drainage

When proposing the weather

A substantial film of rainwater is

Benefits of preserving the air tightness of the cladding include:

• Reduced costs on heating due to less heat loss.

• Improved performance of the ventilation systems.

Some systems include:

• Liquid Applied Membranes

Minimum width for air gaps should be:

50 mm for panels with open joints

38 mm for panels with baffled or labyrinth (rebated) joints.

• The design should provide continuous insulation

• To avoid the performance to be diminished by

• When choosing insulation materials pay special

Other methods include a maintenance access window or maintenance door.

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