Curtain walls are often considered to be what type of bearing?

Curtain walls are classified as non-load bearing elements of a building's façade. This means they do not support the structural loads of the building, such as the weight of the floors or the roof. Instead, their primary purpose is to provide an exterior enclosure, acting as a barrier against the elements while allowing for aesthetic design and natural light entry.

Being non-load bearing, curtain walls are typically attached to the structure's frame, which carries the actual loads, and they are designed to withstand wind pressure and seismic forces, but not the vertical loads inherent to the building itself. This distinction is crucial in understanding how such walls function within a building system, emphasizing the separateness of aesthetic and functional structural elements.