Does GRC Meet Fire Performance Standards? Class A Fire Certification and Building Safety Assurance

Fire safety in buildings is a top priority in construction, and the fire performance of decorative materials has a direct bearing on the safety of lives and property. As a decorative material widely used in public buildings and residential projects, whether GRC meets fire performance standards and satisfies the fire protection requirements of architectural design is a primary consideration for owners and designers. Drawing on Qinglong's 28 years of GRC production and application experience and multiple authoritative certifications, this article provides a comprehensive analysis of GRC's fire performance from three dimensions: the nature of the material, standard requirements, and project practice.

The Material Nature and Industry Standards of GRC Fire Performance

GRC's fire performance stems from the inherent properties of its inorganic composite material. GRC is mainly composed of inorganic materials such as cement, quartz sand and alkali-resistant glass fibre, and contains no combustible components. It does not burn when exposed to fire, releases no toxic gases and produces no molten drips, giving it an excellent fire-resistant foundation by nature. According to the Classification for Burning Behaviour of Building Materials and Products (GB8624-2012), GRC materials can reach Class A (non-combustible material) in burning performance—the highest fire rating for decorative building materials. Tested by the National Fire Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, Qinglong GRC products far exceed Class A standard requirements in all fire performance indicators: a fire resistance limit of over 2 hours, no smoke produced during combustion and a low heat release rate, fully meeting the stringent requirements for fire protection materials in public buildings, high-rise buildings and more. By comparison, some organic decorative materials such as plastics and wood mostly have a burning performance of Class B or below, posing obvious fire hazards.

Qinglong's Reinforcement and Quality Control of GRC Fire Performance

Beyond the fire resistance inherent in the material itself, Qinglong further enhances the fire reliability of GRC through technical optimization and strict control. In raw material selection, any organic additives are firmly excluded to ensure the product is 100% inorganic, safeguarding fire performance at the source. In production, material density is increased and internal pores reduced to slow the spread of flames while preventing structural damage caused by thermal expansion of pores at high temperatures. In quality inspection, every batch of GRC products undergoes sampling tests for fire performance, covering burning performance, fire resistance limit, smoke toxicity and more—only products that pass all tests may leave the factory. In addition, the Technical Standard for Building Application of Glass Fibre Reinforced Cement (GRC) (JGJ/T423-2018), which Qinglong helped formulate, sets clear requirements for GRC fire design and installation techniques, providing full-process guidance for engineering fire safety.

GRC Fire Protection Application Cases in Different Building Scenarios

The Class A fire performance of GRC has enabled its wide application in various building scenarios, making it especially suitable for public buildings with extremely high fire protection requirements. The Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center, a public-welfare public building, adopts Qinglong GRC curtain walls and GRG interior finishes, whose fire performance ensures the safety of densely occupied venues. The Wuhan Han Show Theatre, a top-tier performing arts theatre with an investment of 2.5 billion yuan, uses 15mm-thick GRC carved panels that not only achieved complex shapes but also passed fire acceptance with excellent fire performance. The Nanning Wuxiang China Resources MixC One, a commercial complex with heavy foot traffic and high fire risk, benefits from the Class A fire performance of Qinglong GRC interior decorative components, providing vital protection for the mall's fire safety. These projects cover cultural buildings, commercial buildings, public facilities and other fields, fully demonstrating the practicality and reliability of GRC's fire performance.

GRC's fire performance fully meets the requirements of the national Class A standard, making it a safe and reliable choice in the field of architectural decoration. As a national-level high-tech enterprise, Qinglong continues to provide customers with GRC products of outstanding fire performance through strict quality control, advanced production techniques and extensive engineering experience. Choosing GRC materials not only fulfils the aesthetic needs of architectural decoration but also strengthens the line of defence for fire safety, providing full life-cycle safety assurance for building projects.