Research on Key Technologies and Design Strategies for Ensuring the Structural Strength of Hollowed-Out Sections in UHPC Perforated Components

Carving the beauty of lightness with technology, forging the soul of openwork with craftsmanship — the path to breakthrough structural strength of UHPC openwork components

Driven by the dual pursuit of architectural aesthetics and structural performance, UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) openwork components, with their outstanding mechanical properties and artistic expressiveness, are becoming the new favorite of high-end venues such as grand theaters, commercial complexes, and landmark buildings. However, how to balance design freedom with structural safety in openwork design has always been a core concern of the industry. As a national high-tech enterprise with 28 years of detailed design and engineering experience in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group has built a systematic solution covering material optimization, structural design, and process control through full-chain technological innovation, providing solid technical support for the safe application of openwork components.

I. Material Genes: UHPC's Innate Advantages and Performance Enhancement Strategies

The structural strength of UHPC openwork components is rooted first in the outstanding performance of the material itself. Compared with traditional concrete, UHPC achieves mechanical breakthroughs of compressive strength over 150MPa and flexural strength over 20MPa by incorporating steel fibers, ultra-fine silica fume, and other components, providing a fundamental guarantee for openwork design. In material formula development, targeting the stress concentration characteristics of openwork areas, Qinglong Group innovatively adopts “gradient fiber distribution technology” — raising the steel fiber content to 2-3% in weak areas of components and modifying the interfacial transition zone with nano calcium carbonate, improving material toughness by more than 40%. Meanwhile, combined with its self-developed “low-shrinkage mix system”, the early shrinkage rate of components is controlled within 0.03%, effectively preventing microcracks in openwork areas caused by shrinkage stress.

II. Structural Optimization: The Art of Mechanical Balance from Topological Analysis to Bionic Design

The structural design of openwork components requires precise control of the triangular relationship among “openwork ratio, self-weight, and strength”. Qinglong's technical team used parametric design software (Rhino+Grasshopper) to build finite element models and perform topological optimization of openwork patterns: by simulating stress cloud maps under different opening ratios (15%-45%), bionic forms such as hexagonal honeycomb structures and leaf-vein supports are preferentially adopted, improving stress distribution uniformity by 30%. For node treatment, an innovative “gradient wall thickness + stiffening rib” design is adopted — for example, a 50-80mm gradient transition zone is set at openwork edges with a built-in U-shaped steel skeleton, giving the anchoring areas a tensile bearing capacity of over 18kN. In the Nanjing East Road Century Plaza renovation project, the Qinglong team used this technology to achieve the unsupported installation of 3.6-meter span light-transmitting UHPC openwork panels, winning the AALBORG WHITE Cup UHPC Construction Engineering Innovation Award.

III. Process Control: Intelligent Manufacturing Ensures Openwork Precision and Strength Stability

The production process is key to realizing design intent. Qinglong Group's production base in Nanning, Guangxi is equipped with fully automated production lines, adopting a “3D printed mold + vacuum casting” process: industrial-grade 3D scanning generates mold data with a precision of 0.1mm, and vacuum-assisted forming technology (vacuum degree ≤ -0.09MPa) raises concrete density to 99.5%. To address the problem of air bubbles and honeycombing that easily occur in openwork areas, Qinglong developed “integrated centrifugal vibration” equipment, which effectively expels air during casting through the combined action of 30Hz high-frequency vibration and 50rpm centrifugal force. Each batch of components undergoes 28 days of standard curing plus 14 days of steam curing, ensuring a 100% strength compliance rate for openwork areas.

IV. Full Life-Cycle Service: A Safety Closed Loop from Design to Maintenance

As a supplier offering full-chain services covering detailed design, manufacturing, construction and installation, and after-sales maintenance, Qinglong Group has established a “BIM + IoT” quality traceability system. During the construction phase, 3D laser scanning positioning technology keeps installation errors within ±2mm; embedded RFID chips enable real-time monitoring of component stress states and environmental parameters. In the after-sales phase, 5 years of free maintenance service is provided, with regular ultrasonic flaw detection to ensure the long-term safe use of openwork components. This model has been successfully applied to domestic and international projects such as the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center and the podium of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with over 600,000 square meters of UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP components safely delivered to date.

From material innovation to structural optimization, from intelligent manufacturing to full life-cycle management, Qinglong Group interprets the safety code of UHPC openwork components with 28 years of industry experience. In the future, with the deep integration of BIM technology and digital construction, UHPC materials will achieve a higher-dimensional balance between architectural artistic expression and structural safety, sketching more light yet resilient aesthetic symbols for city skylines. As Vice Chairman Unit of the China GRC Association and a member of the International GRC Association, Qinglong Group will continue to drive the upgrading of industry standards and, with the mission of “creating beautiful architecture”, help more landmark projects realize the design vision of “symbiosis of art and technology”.