Quick answer: Structural silicone glazing (SSG) is a curtain wall or storefront technique where glass is bonded directly to the aluminum framing with high-performance structural silicone — eliminating the exterior aluminum cap and producing a flush, all-glass exterior appearance. SSG is used on Class-A office, luxury hotel, and architecturally-driven commercial projects. It costs 20-40% more than traditional pressure-equalized glazing and requires factory-bonded units for HVHZ jurisdictions.
In traditional curtain wall, glass is held to the framing by an exterior aluminum pressure plate or cap. The cap creates a visible aluminum grid on the building exterior. Structural silicone replaces the cap with high-strength silicone adhesive — the glass is bonded directly to the aluminum mullion. The result: a flush all-glass exterior with no visible aluminum cap, only the visible grid of where mullions are behind the glass.
Two-sided SSG keeps aluminum caps on the horizontal joints and uses silicone on the vertical joints (or vice versa). Four-sided SSG uses silicone on all four edges of the glass lite. Four-sided is the higher-performance, more dramatic appearance — and the more expensive.
Miami-Dade and HVHZ jurisdictions require structural silicone joints to be factory-bonded — the glass and aluminum sub-frame are bonded in a controlled fabrication environment, not on-site. The bonded assembly then ships to site and installs as a single panel. This is more expensive than stick-built SSG but ensures consistent silicone cure quality.
Structural silicone glazing typically costs 20-40% more than traditional pressure-equalized curtain wall on the same project. The premium covers: higher-grade silicone material (Dow 995 or equivalent), engineering certification of the bond, factory bonding labor for HVHZ work, and longer shop drawing timelines.
Class-A office where the architect specified a flush all-glass exterior. Luxury hotel where finish matters. Award-targeting architectural projects (AIA awards, USGBC LEED Platinum). High-end mixed-use where ground-floor commercial wants a continuous glass look. Skip SSG on basic commercial, retail TI, restaurant TI, and budget-driven projects.
Structural silicone glazing (SSG) is a curtain wall technique where glass is bonded to aluminum framing with high-performance silicone adhesive instead of an exterior aluminum pressure cap. It produces a flush, all-glass exterior appearance.
Yes, with one major caveat: HVHZ jurisdictions (Miami-Dade, Broward, parts of Palm Beach) require structural silicone joints to be factory-bonded, not field-bonded. The bonded panels then install on-site as pre-assembled units.
Structural silicone glazing typically costs 20-40% more than traditional pressure-equalized curtain wall on the same project. The premium covers higher-grade silicone, engineering certification, and factory bonding labor.
Yes, when properly designed and installed with documented silicone products (Dow 995 or equivalent) and qualified installation. The technique has been used on commercial buildings since the 1970s with documented long-term performance.
Skip SSG on basic retail TI, restaurant TI, budget commercial, and projects where the architect did not specifically request the flush all-glass appearance. The cost premium is hard to justify on standard commercial work.
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