Exploration and Application Analysis of Process Solutions for Achieving Complex UHPC Shapes at Low Cost

Breaking cost constraints through technological innovation, turning complex UHPC forms from drawing concepts into architectural reality.

Driven by both contemporary architectural aesthetics and engineering technology, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has become the preferred material for high-end projects such as landmark buildings and cultural venues, thanks to its outstanding mechanical properties and design freedom. However, achieving complex forms often comes with high costs; how to control costs while ensuring design effects has become a common challenge for the industry. As an industry leader with 28 years of deep expertise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group has developed a systematic solution for achieving complex UHPC forms at low cost through full-chain technology integration and process optimization.

### I. Cost Pain Points of Complex UHPC Forms and Directions for Technical Breakthroughs

The costs of traditional complex UHPC forms are mainly concentrated in three areas: mold development, material loss, and construction precision. Irregular structures require custom steel molds or fiberglass molds (GRP molds), with mold-making costs accounting for 30%-40% of project costs; manual casting results in material utilization rates below 80%, and complex structures such as double-curved surfaces and hollow-out designs are prone to quality issues like air bubbles and cracking. Based on 28 years of production experience, Qinglong Group has proposed a trinity cost-reduction strategy of "mold reuse + material optimization + intelligent construction": adopting reusable modular GRP molds to reduce single mold-making costs by more than 50%; optimizing mix proportions (such as adding mineral admixtures) to reduce material usage by 15%; and introducing BIM parametric design and robotic casting technology to improve construction efficiency by 40%.

### II. Full-Chain Process Innovation: Cost Control Practices from Design to Installation

During the detailed design phase, the Qinglong team used Rhino and Grasshopper parametric platforms to break down architectural forms into standardized unit modules, achieving mold standardization. For example, in a double-curved facade project for a cultural center, by classifying 1,200 irregular panels into 8 basic modules, the number of molds was reduced by 60% and the construction period shortened by 25 days. In the manufacturing stage, a "prefabrication + on-site assembly" model is adopted: high-precision UHPC components are prefabricated in the factory and connected on-site through mortise-and-tenon structures and high-strength grouting, avoiding the material waste of traditional wet construction. In the translucent concrete project at Century Plaza on Nanjing East Road, this process kept on-site installation errors within ±2mm and reduced overall costs by 22%.

### III. Qinglong UHPC Technical Advantages: Full-Cycle Assurance from Laboratory to Construction Site

As a national high-tech enterprise, Qinglong Group owns a provincial-level engineering technology center and 58 patented technologies, and has participated in formulating industry standards such as the "General Technical Conditions for Non-Load-Bearing Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Components". Its self-developed UHPC material achieves a compressive strength of over 150MPa and a flexural strength exceeding 25MPa; while ensuring mechanical performance, it reduces steel fiber content by 10% through fiber dispersion optimization technology. The production base in Nanning, Guangxi has an annual capacity of 600,000 square meters, equipped with fully automated production lines and 3D scanning quality inspection systems, ensuring component precision at the 0.1mm level. From the GRC curtain wall of the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center to landmark projects in Saudi Arabia overseas, Qinglong provides full-chain services covering "design-production-installation-maintenance", achieving the dual goals of controllable costs and quality assurance for complex-form projects.

### IV. Industry Applications and Future Trends: Bringing UHPC Aesthetics to More Architectural Scenarios

Breakthroughs in low-cost processes mean that complex UHPC forms are no longer limited to high-end landmark projects. Currently, Qinglong UHPC products have been widely applied in scenarios such as curved curtain walls of commercial complexes, irregular garden landscape benches, and artistic reliefs in subway stations, with strategic partnerships formed with renowned real estate groups such as Poly and Vanke. As technologies such as 3D-printed molds and recycled aggregate utilization mature, UHPC will achieve broader aesthetic expression in cultural buildings, municipal engineering, and other fields in the future. With the mission of "creating beautiful architecture", Qinglong Group continues to promote UHPC technological innovation, enabling more designers' creative concepts to be realized in an economical and efficient way, injecting more aesthetic possibilities into the construction industry.