| Title: |
Thermal performance of aluminium-timber composite frames in curtain wall systems |
| Authors: |
Nguyen, VT; Gunalan, S; Woodfield, P; Doh, JH; Baker, M; Stringfellow, J |
| Publisher Information: |
Elsevier |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Collection: |
Griffith University: Griffith Research Online |
| Subject Terms: |
Built environment and design; Engineering |
| Description: |
Space heating and cooling account for a significant portion of building operational energy use, with considerable heat exchange occurring through the building envelope. Aluminium-framed curtain walls are widely adopted for their structural performance, durability, and corrosion resistance, yet their high thermal conductivity contributes to significant building energy loss. This study introduces a novel aluminium-timber composite curtain wall frame where aluminium serves as a structural core encased by glulam timber, combining durability with superior thermal performance. A comprehensive parametric study was conducted using a hybrid assessment approach following ISO 10077-2:2017 standards. Thirty-six configurations were evaluated across three timber species, three thicknesses, various thermal break and structural design options. Results demonstrate that the composite frame achieves substantial U-value reductions compared to conventional aluminium frames. Thermal breaks provide an additional reduction, enabling U-values below 2.0 W/m 2 · K when combined with cedar timber. The structural glazing offered an additional 35–40% improvement over captive glazing. The analytical method showed excellent agreement with numerical simulations, enabling rapid design optimisation. The linear regression analysis also demonstrates a clear linear relationship between the thermal performance of the frame and the window panel. This hybrid evaluation methodology provides designers with a practical tool for early-stage thermal optimisation without requiring expensive physical testing, supporting the development of high-performance, energy-efficient curtain wall systems for sustainable building design. ; Full Text |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
Energy and Buildings; Nguyen, VT; Gunalan, S; Woodfield, P; Doh, JH; Baker, M; Stringfellow, J, Thermal performance of aluminium-timber composite frames in curtain wall systems, Energy and Buildings, 2026, 357, pp. 117169; http://purl.org/au-research/grants/ARC/LP240100388; ARC; https://hdl.handle.net/10072/441061 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.enbuild.2026.117169 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/10072/441061; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2026.117169 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ; open access |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.83D6FF8F |
| Database: |
BASE |