Institute for Architectural Science and Technology (IAST)

Course Description

Curtain wall brackets are a different discipline from cladding fixings. They are fewer in number, heavier, and more complex – each one must carry significant dead load while allowing three-dimensional positional adjustment to bridge the gap between as-built structure and the precision a curtain wall demands. This course covers cast-in channels, post-fixed angle brackets, and sleeve anchor connections. You’ll learn the fundamental distinction between dead load support points and wind restraint points – a concept central to curtain walling that does not exist in the same way for cladding. The course explains why a typical mullion is supported vertically at one level only, with all other connections acting as lateral restraints, and how this affects bracket configuration, slot orientation, and movement allowance. Tolerance management is a major theme: the adjustment range required, the consequences of misplaced cast-in channels, and what happens when structural tolerances exceed the bracket’s capacity to compensate. Presented by Eugene Korch (façade engineer and IAST Programme Director), the course uses real curtain wall fixing details and structural interface drawings to demonstrate how coordination between the structural engineer and façade subcontractor determines whether a system can be installed accurately and safely. Through detail drawings, fixing schedules, and project coordination examples, this course helps you review curtain wall fixing proposals, understand cast-in versus post-fixed strategies, and manage the structural interface that is often the most coordination-intensive element of façade delivery.