Work

Fire performance of green wall–glass curtain wall systems: A computational fluid dynamics study for sustainable building safety

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The integration of green wall and glass curtain wall in modern architecture offers ecological and aesthetic benefits but raises unresolved fire safety concerns. This study uses computational fluid dynamics simulations to evaluate fire dynamics and thermal behavior in integrated systems, focusing on their fire resistance and the safety of living spaces. Various scenarios were simulated to evaluate how green wall coverage, density, and spacing from glass curtain wall affect fire spread, temperature rise, and smoke diffusion. The results show that compared with the exposed glass curtain wall, full green wall coverage can delay the glass breakage time on the first floor from 3 s to 540 s, and prolong the indoor safe temperature duration by up to 11 times. The increase in the GW density extends the glass breakage time on the first floor from 315 s to 757 s, but raises the density of smoke entering the room. In addition, the green wall–glass curtain wall distance was enlarged from 0.4 m to 1.6 m due to the intensified stack effect, and the primary hazard was shifted from lower to upper floors. However, introducing connecting platforms between floors limits the vertical hazard transfer, extending the indoor safe time to 3–9 times compared with no platform. The findings emphasize the importance of combining plant arrangement, glass thermal response, and spatial design to enhance the fire reliability and resilience of buildings employing the green wall–glass curtain wall systems. • Evaluated GW coverage, density, and spacing on fire spread and smoke in buildings. • Investigated GW-GCW fire safety with FDS, bridging gaps in green building research. • Quantified glass breakage impacts on indoor tenability during green wall fires. • Proposed fire-resistant design strategies for GW-GCW façade systems.

Source: Journal of Building Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.114914

Authors: Zhen Ni, Danyang Zhao, Denvid Lau, Cheuk Lun Chow

Institution: City University of Hong Kong

Language: English

Topic: Fire dynamics and safety research

Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,940