Sustainable facade technology from recycled post-consumer aluminum

The facade is often a building's calling card. Architects and building owners attach great importance to the aesthetic impact, but must also take into account many technical requirements in terms of comfort and energy efficiency, safety and stability. With the WICTEC 50 evo curtain wall system, WICONA, a brand of the international aluminum company Hydro, offers them the greatest freedom for the realization of large glass facades.

In addition, during development attention was paid to design and quick, easy installation, and the system is made of "recycled post-consumer" aluminum.

WICONA continues to invest in the development of innovative solutions based on Hydro-CIRCAL
aluminum, which consists of a minimum of 75 % recycled post-consumer material. Witness this is WICTEC 50 evo, a new curtain wall system with slim profiles of only 50 mm, suitable for glass loads of up to 550 kg.

Even higher weights can be accommodated on a project basis. This facade solution guarantees excellent airtightness (class AE) and can withstand wind gusts of 2000/-3000 Pa. It offers an acoustic insulation Rw (C;Ctr) of 49 (-1;-4) dB on the curtain wall. In addition to WICTEC 50, WICONA also offers the WICTEC 50 EL, which makes it possible to accommodate building settlements of up to 38 mm without special profiles.

"We offer architects and planning offices a solution that allows them to design and realize the most diverse facades with the greatest freedom," states project manager Raimond Stassen. "They can opt for traditional rectangular profiles, but will find six different profile shapes and various color shades in the WICTEC 50 evo collection. Integrated LED strips provide a spectacular indirect lighting effect and semi-transparent covers add another dimension to the design."

This new facade system from WICONA is constructed of recycled post-consumer aluminum, which carries the Hydro-CIRCAL label. (Image: Halvor Molland)

Saving time and costs in installation

WICONA also thinks about the installer. Thanks to an innovative glazing system with partial clamp holders, linear glazing with short pieces is possible, which saves the manufacturer the usual processing steps involved in installing the traditional continuous clamp frame and results in significant time savings.

The straight cut is an economical solution for quick and reliable installation of small to medium sized façade projects. "One can choose a version in style-style or style-rule connection with a straight cut and without flashing. The notch is replaced with a custom casting. New connectors and self-sealing screws simplify installation while ensuring excellent air tightness and water drainage," the project manager continues. "We also developed a new drainage principle, where the transverse seal is installed as a continuous strip. For example, cover plates can be seamlessly attached to the structural. And a new type of horizontal and vertical sealing with extruded films allows for continuous overlapping. Thanks to drainage along the studs, the facades can now also be assembled without problems in rainy weather."

The WICTEC 50 evo collection can be ordered in six different profile shapes and various color shades. Furthermore, integratable LED strips and semi-transparent covers are also possible.

Manufactured from Hydro-CIRCAL aluminum

According to Hydro, further urbanization is impossible without the sustainable reuse of materials. Today, buildings around the world have two hundred million tons of aluminum "stored" that can be recycled to produce new solutions. After all, aluminum can be recycled endlessly without loss of quality.

"Only aluminum with the Hydro-CIRCAL label is used for the production process of WICTEC 50 evo, which means that it consists of at least 75 % of recycled post-consumer material - certified by the DNV GL Business Assurance Norway AS," Stassen explains.

"This new solution, like other WICONA systems, received the Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) silver certificate, immediately complementary and an alternative to the well-known building certificates (DGNB, LEED, BREEAM, etc.), where the criteria are product-related."