How to Select UHPC Strengthening Components in Old Building Renovation: Analysis of Key Factors and Practical Strategies

Amid the wave of urban renewal and architectural heritage preservation, old building renovation is not only a continuation of historical context, but also a dual test of structural safety and functional upgrading. As a dedicated specialist in the field of UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) materials, Qinglong Group, with 28 years of full-chain experience, deeply understands the decisive role that reinforcement component selection plays in the success of renovation projects. Starting from the technical essence, this article systematically analyzes the core logic of UHPC reinforcement component selection, providing designers and owners with a practical path that balances safety, economy, and aesthetic value.

I. The Underlying Logic of UHPC Reinforcement Selection: Precise Matching of Material Properties with Renovation Needs

The particularity of old building renovation lies in the need to achieve a leap in structural performance within limited space, which requires reinforcement materials to simultaneously possess high strength, high toughness, and construction adaptability. With mechanical properties featuring compressive strength exceeding 150MPa and tensile strength exceeding 8MPa, along with excellent durability (impermeability more than 5 times that of ordinary concrete), UHPC has become an ideal alternative to traditional reinforcement materials. In selection decisions, three core needs must first be clarified: filling the structural load-bearing capacity gap, achieving compatibility with existing components, and maintaining harmony with the architectural character. In the Nanjing East Road Century Plaza renovation project that Qinglong Group participated in, the innovative application of UHPC translucent concrete components not only met the structural reinforcement requirements but also achieved an interplay of light and shadow between historic architecture and modern art, confirming the importance of deeply coupling material selection with renovation goals.

II. Key Selection Factors: All-Dimensional Considerations from Technical Parameters to Engineering Scenarios

1. Analysis of Structural Load-Bearing Characteristics: For the different load-bearing modes of components such as beams, columns, and slabs, UHPC reinforcement forms should be selected differentially. For example, flexural members should adopt UHPC laminated layer reinforcement, leveraging its high tensile performance to improve section stiffness; for compression members, UHPC wrapping reinforcement is recommended, which delays concrete creep through the confinement effect. In the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center renovation, Qinglong's technical team adopted a combined solution of UHPC U-shaped wrapping plus external prestressing for existing RC beams, increasing load-bearing capacity by more than 40%, with section thickening controlled within 100mm, maximizing retention of the building's clear height.

2. Space and Construction Condition Restrictions: Old buildings often feature narrow working spaces and strict fire restrictions. With the high precision of factory production (dimensional error ≤2mm) and lightweight properties (density of only 2.4g/cm³), UHPC precast components can significantly reduce on-site work intensity. Qinglong's self-developed UHPC ultra-thin decorative panels (with a minimum thickness of 15mm) achieved "scaffold-free installation" in a historic qilou arcade building renovation in Guangzhou, shortening the construction period by 30% while reducing disturbance to the lives of nearby residents.

3. Long-Term Performance and Maintenance Costs: Compared with materials such as GRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete), UHPC's low permeability and carbonation resistance give it greater advantages in humid and corrosive environments. In a coastal city museum renovation project, the UHPC cladding panels provided by Qinglong were verified through accelerated aging tests to deliver 50 years of maintenance-free performance, with whole-life cycle costs 60% lower than traditional stone.

III. Practical Strategies: The Selection Optimization Path under Full-Chain Services

Successful UHPC reinforcement selection is inseparable from full-process support from design to operation and maintenance. The integrated service system of "detailed design - digital production - intelligent installation - monitoring and maintenance" built by Qinglong Group provides technical assurance for selection decisions: in the design phase, BIM parametric modeling simulates the load-bearing behavior of different UHPC components to optimize section forms and reinforcement schemes; the production stage adopts automated material distribution and steam curing processes to ensure a component strength dispersion coefficient of ≤5%; the installation process introduces 3D laser scanning positioning technology to achieve millimeter-level precision assembly; in the later stage, an intelligent monitoring system with embedded RFID chips tracks component stress states in real time. This full-chain capability enabled Qinglong, in an industrial heritage renovation project in Shenzhen, to successfully apply UHPC in synergy with materials such as GRG (Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum) and GRP (Glass Reinforced Thermosetting Plastic), not only meeting structural reinforcement needs but also achieving the ultimate expression of spatial aesthetics through GRG curved ceilings and GRP translucent skylights.

UHPC reinforcement selection in old building renovation is, in essence, the art of balancing technical rationality with humanistic care. As a national "Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative" enterprise and a participant in industry standard-setting, Qinglong Group has always taken "creating beautiful architecture" as its mission, deeply integrating material innovation with engineering practice. In the future, as UHPC achieves breakthroughs in fields such as self-healing technology and 3D printing, its application in old building renovation will open up broader possibilities, injecting new momentum of sustainable development into urban renewal.