How UHPC Hollow-Out Components Ensure the Structural Strength of Hollow Sections — Research on Key Technologies and Optimization Strategies

When artistic aesthetics and structural engineering contend within fractions of a millimeter, UHPC openwork components are reshaping the boundaries of architectural decoration through a materials revolution.

In contemporary architectural facade design, openwork components have become the finishing touch of high-end projects for their artistic interplay of light and shadow. As a new-type decorative building materials enterprise integrating full-chain services spanning in-depth design, manufacturing, construction and installation, and after-sales maintenance, Qinglong Group has focused for 28 years on technological breakthroughs in UHPC, GRC, GRG, and GRP materials, and has formed unique technical advantages especially in the field of UHPC openwork components. This article systematically analyzes the key technical pathways for ensuring the structural strength of openwork sections and whole-process optimization strategies, providing designers and owners with professional solutions from concept to realization.

Material Properties and Structural Challenges of UHPC Openwork Components

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), with its 200MPa-class compressive strength and excellent toughness, provides the material foundation for openwork design. However, openwork structures lead to abrupt cross-section changes and stress concentration, and traditional concrete is prone to cracking. Through material formula optimization, Qinglong incorporates nano-scale silica fume and steel fibers into baseline UHPC, raising the flexural strength of components to above 35MPa—40% higher than ordinary UHPC—providing structural assurance for openwork forms. In the Nanjing East Road Century Plaza renovation project, Qinglong used light-transmitting UHPC openwork components to achieve a 20-meter unsupported curved form; with an openwork ratio of 35%, it still met load-bearing requirements, and the project won the Silver Award of the First UHPC Construction Engineering Innovation Award (AALBORG WHITE Cup).

Structural Optimization Design: From Parametric Modeling to Mechanical Simulation

To address the stress distribution challenges of openwork sections, Qinglong established a 3D design system of "topology optimization – parametric design – BIM collaboration." Using Grasshopper for topology optimization of openwork units and finite element analysis software for mechanical simulation of components with openwork ratios of 15%–50%, it ensures that maximum deflection under self-weight and wind loads is controlled within L/400. In a grand theater project, Qinglong improved the traditional circular openwork into a rhombic gradient openwork structure; by increasing the edge fillet radius to 1/3 of the component thickness, the stress concentration factor was reduced by 62%, successfully achieving the integral hoisting of 8m-high openwork decorative panels.

Production Process Innovation: Precise Forming and Quality Control

In the production stage, Qinglong adopts a "precision steel-mold casting + steam curing" process to ensure the forming precision of openwork details. Its independently developed vacuum pouring technology achieves a concrete compactness of 99.8%, effectively avoiding air bubble defects in openwork areas. For complex openwork nodes, it innovatively applies 3D-printed mold technology to achieve 0.5mm-precision openwork textures that traditional processes find difficult to complete. As a national "specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative" enterprise, Qinglong has established a comprehensive quality traceability system: each component is embedded with an RFID chip recording full life-cycle data such as material mix ratios and curing parameters, ensuring controllable product quality.

Installation and Maintenance: Structural Safety Assurance Across the Full Life Cycle

The installation precision of openwork components directly affects structural load-bearing performance. The 3D laser scanning positioning system developed by Qinglong keeps installation errors within ±2mm; combined with customized metal connectors, it forms rigid connections between openwork components and the main structure. In terms of after-sales maintenance, relying on its nationwide network of offices, Qinglong provides regular structural inspection services and uses stress monitoring sensors to evaluate the load state of openwork sections in real time. In a landmark project in Malaysia it undertook, this system enabled the zero-accident installation of 1,200 UHPC openwork components, earning high recognition from the owner.

As a vice-chairman unit of the China GRC Association and a participant in developing UHPC industry standards, Qinglong Group has always upheld its mission of "creating beautiful architecture," deeply integrating materials science with structural aesthetics. Its full-chain service capability, from in-depth design to after-sales maintenance, has made Qinglong a leading enterprise in the UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP architectural decoration materials segment. In the future, with the deep application of BIM technology and intelligent manufacturing, UHPC openwork components will shine in more landmark buildings, redefining the balance between the artistic expression of architectural facades and structural safety.