Facade system for a building structure and spandrel wall panel therefor

Abstract

A facade system for a building structure, the system comprising: at least one spandrel wall panel securable in a vertical orientation to an outer edge of a corresponding horizontal floor slab of the building structure, the at least one spandrel panel including an outer shell and an internal frame disposed within the outer shell; and a plurality of vision wall panels, each vision wall panel being translucent to allow visible light to pass therethrough, the vision wall panels being distinct from the at least one spandrel wall panel and being mountable vertically and side-by-side on an upper spandrel panel end of the at least one spandrel wall panel, the internal frame of the at least one spandrel panel being sufficiently rigid to allow the vision wall panels to be supported solely by the spandrel wall panel.

1 . A facade system for a building structure, the building structure including a plurality of horizontal floor slabs spaced vertically from each other, each horizontal floor slab having an outer edge facing towards an exterior of the building structure, the system comprising:
 at least one spandrel wall panel securable in a vertical orientation to the outer edge of a corresponding horizontal floor slab, the at least one spandrel wall panel having an upper spandrel panel end and a lower spandrel panel end located opposite the upper spandrel panel end, the at least one spandrel panel including an outer shell and an internal frame disposed within the outer shell; and   a plurality of vision wall panels, each vision wall panel being translucent to allow visible light to pass therethrough, the vision wall panels being distinct from the at least one spandrel wall panel and being mountable vertically and side-by-side on the upper spandrel panel end of the at least one spandrel wall panel, the internal frame of the at least one spandrel panel being sufficiently rigid to allow the vision wall panels to be supported solely by the spandrel wall panel.   
     
     
         2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each vision wall panel has first and second vision panel side ends and a vision panel width defined between the first and second vision panel side ends and further wherein each spandrel wall panel has left and right spandrel panel side ends and a spandrel panel width defined between the left and right spandrel panel side ends, the spandrel panel width being greater than the vision panel width to allow the at least one spandrel wall panel to receive and support at least two adjacent ones of the vision wall panels. 
     
     
         3 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one spandrel wall panel includes a first plurality of spandrel wall panels disposed adjacent each other along each other along the outer edge of a first horizontal floor slab to define a lower spandrel panel row. 
     
     
         4 . The system as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising a second plurality of spandrel wall panels disposed adjacent each other along each other along the outer edge of a second horizontal floor slab located above the first horizontal floor slab to define an upper spandrel panel row. 
     
     
         5 . The system as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the vision wall panels extend vertically between the upper and lower spandrel panel rows. 
     
     
         6 . The system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each vision wall panel includes an upper vision panel end securable to the upper spandrel panel row and a lower vision panel end securable to the lower spandrel panel row. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the internal frame includes an upper horizontal frame member, a lower horizontal frame member parallel to the upper horizontal frame member and left and right side vertical frame members extending between the upper and lower horizontal frame members. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the internal frame further includes a plurality of intermediate frame members disposed between the left and right side vertical members and extending between the upper and lower horizontal frame members. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the upper and lower horizontal frame members, the left and right side vertical frame members and the plurality of intermediate frame members have a substantially rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . The system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the intermediate frame members extend perpendicular to the upper and lower horizontal frame members. 
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of intermediate frame members includes a left intermediate frame member located towards the left side vertical member and a right intermediate frame member located towards the right side vertical member. 
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of vertical vision panel connecting members, each vertical vision panel connecting member extending between two adjacent ones of the vertical vision panels to connect together the two adjacent vertical vision panels, the vertical vision panel connecting members being distinct from the left and right side vertical members and from the intermediate frame members of the spandrel wall panel. 
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each spandrel wall panel includes a spandrel anchoring assembly for anchoring the spandrel wall panel to the corresponding horizontal floor slab. 
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the spandrel anchoring assembly includes an upper anchor plate configured to be secured against a top face of the corresponding horizontal floor slab and an upper hook member secured to the spandrel wall panel, the upper hook member being engageable with the upper anchor plate to secure the spandrel wall panel to the corresponding horizontal floor slab. 
     
     
         15 . The system as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the spandrel anchoring assembly further includes a lower anchor plate configured to be secured against a bottom face of the corresponding horizontal floor slab and a lower hook member secured to the spandrel wall panel below the upper hook member, the lower hook member being engageable with the lower anchor plate to further secure the spandrel wall panel to the corresponding horizontal floor slab. 
     
     
         16 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the shell includes an inner shell wall disposed towards the outer edge of the corresponding horizontal floor slab when the spandrel wall panel is secured to the corresponding horizontal floor slab and an outer shell wall spaced away from the inner shell wall to define an inner spandrel panel cavity therebetween, the internal frame being received in the inner spandrel panel cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the internal frame abuts the inner shell wall and is secured thereto. 
     
     
         18 . The system as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the spandrel wall panel further includes a layer of insulating material secured to the inner shell wall and extending towards the outer shell wall. 
     
     
         19 . The system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the layer of insulating material is spaced from the outer shell wall to define an insulating air gap therebetween. 
     
     
         20 . A method for assembling a facade system to a building structure, the building structure including a plurality of horizontal floor slabs spaced vertically from each other, each horizontal floor slab having an outer edge facing towards an exterior of the building structure, the method comprising:
 securing at least one spandrel wall panel to the outer edge of a corresponding horizontal floor slab such that the at least one spandrel panel extends vertically against the outer edge, the at least one spandrel wall panel having an upper spandrel panel end and a lower spandrel panel end located opposite the upper spandrel panel end, the at least one spandrel panel including an outer shell and an internal frame disposed within the outer shell;   providing a plurality of vision wall panels, each vision wall panel being translucent to allow visible light to pass therethrough;   placing the plurality of vision wall panels side-by-side on the upper spandrel panel end of the at least one spandrel wall panel such that the vision wall panels are solely supported by the at least one spandrel panel.   
     
     
         21 . A spandrel wall panel for supporting a plurality of vision wall panels of a facade system, each vision wall panel being translucent to allow visible light to pass therethrough, the spandrel wall panel comprising:
 an upper spandrel panel end for receiving the plurality of vision wall panels thereon;   an outer shell; and   an internal frame disposed within the outer shell, the internal frame being sufficiently rigid to allow the spandrel wall panel to support the at least two adjacent ones of the vision wall panels.   
     
     
         22 . The spandrel wall panel as claimed in  claim 21 , further comprising left and right spandrel panel side ends and a spandrel panel width defined between the left and right spandrel panel side ends, the spandrel panel width being greater than a width of the vision panels to allow the spandrel wall panel to receive and support at least two adjacent ones of the vision wall panels.