Ventilated Or Pressure Equalised Facade Systems

Weather tightness

High rise buildings can be subject to high wind pressures and large flows of water over their external walls. The Compleo High Rise Wall system has been designed as a rainscreen with pressure equalisation between the weather outside and the cavity behind the Compleo Panels. This type of facade design aims to reduce differential pressures that lead to water being sucked in to the cavity behind the external cladding. The outside pressure generated by wind on the building by passes the Compleo cladding and is applied onto the wall wrap and plasterboard.

To enable pressure equalisation the wall cavities must be separated into compartments and the pressure equalised between the outside and the cavity behind the Compleo panels. The pressure on either side of the Compleo is equalised through slots in the base of the Compleo at least every 3 meters. Cavity baffles create a barrier to air flow and pressure, seprating the air cavity compartments at least at every external corner of the building. Cavity baffles typically consits of a top hat installed from slab to soffit. The inside face of the cavity consists of wall wrap and internal plasterboard linings; it is important that both of these air barriers are sealed. The wall wrap should be taped at the perimeter and at joints. The plasterboard linings should be sealed around the perimeter and at all penetrations. Cavity baffles also reduce undesirable lateral air flow due to different pressures across the face of a building.