Technology related to the process of bonding natural panels embedded into the laminated and solid glass have permitted their easy adaptation and lead to a wide range of solutions never known before. As natural gypsum rock, alabaster needs protection from the polluted atmosphere and weathering, especially from rain, avoiding their degradation. New bonding processes have shown that stone pieces remain natural but protected, and also secured. The process is bases into the regulations for glazing and embedding materials EOTA-ETAG No. 002-2004, and also the German regulations DIN EN 14019 and DIN EN 13049, which imposes the use of some bearing plates at the bottom of the spandrel panel for security reasons.
This process has been followed for the construction of our model in alabaster, as a first attempt for dealing with all previous shortcomes. The lightweight, thin and non-absorbent nature of glass and metal imposes special constraintson the wall design to meet the basic performance criteria. For example,a metal and glass curtain wall must control water penetration by either apositive seal or by drainage, as it has no ability, like masonry or stone, toabsorb and store water for re-evaporation. The modular gridwork layoutof a curtain wall creates the potential for pressure-equalized rainscreenperformance but this potential is only realized through careful detail designand construction.
