Which international standards and certifications should specify performance criteria for curtain wall on global projects?

For globally-delivered curtain wall projects, specifying internationally recognised standards and certifications is essential to harmonise performance expectations across jurisdictions. In Europe EN 13830 defines curtain wall system performance for air permeability, watertightness, and resistance to wind load. In North America, ASTM standards are frequently used: ASTM E283 for air infiltration, ASTM E331 for water penetration, and ASTM E330 for structural performance under wind loads. ISO standards such as ISO 140 (acoustic testing) and ISO 9001 (quality management for fabricators) are useful for project assurance. For thermal performance, reference should be made to ISO 10077 or EN ISO 6946 for thermal transmittance calculations, while NFRC certification (US) provides third-party verified U-values and solar heat gain coefficients for glazing assemblies. Where fire performance is critical, apply EN 13501 series in Europe or UL listings and NFPA standards in North America to ensure compliance with compartmentation and fire-resistive glazing requirements. For sustainability and materials: LEED, BREEAM, and local green building standards may require embodied carbon or recycled content documentation. Seismic or hurricane zones necessitate region-specific standards such as ASCE 7 for wind and seismic loads in the US or local building codes for cyclone-prone regions. Project specifications should call for third-party test evidence: independent lab reports for air/water/structural tests, factory production control evidence, and certified test mock-ups. Including clear contractual obligations for which standards govern each performance criterion reduces ambiguity and ensures deliverables meet the client’s international compliance needs.