Can UHPC Curtain Wall Panels Achieve a Class A Fire Rating? Analysis and Discussion

Fire safety of building curtain walls is an insurmountable red line in modern architectural design. As an industry specialist with 28 years of full-chain experience in the UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials field, Qinglong Group has always taken "creating beautiful architecture" as its mission and deeply understands the importance of fire performance to building safety. This article analyzes the fire rating of UHPC curtain wall panels from three dimensions—material properties, testing standards, and practical applications—to provide designers and owners with a scientific reference for material selection.

Fire-Resistant DNA of UHPC Curtain Wall Panels: The Feasibility of Class A Rating from the Material Itself

As a representative of new decorative building materials, UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) owes its fire performance to its unique material composition. UHPC, with cement, quartz sand, and steel fibers as its core ingredients, is inherently non-combustible, which lays the foundation for meeting the Class A fire standard. Laboratory data from Qinglong Group shows that in the GB/T 8624-2012 "Classification of Burning Behavior of Building Materials and Products" test, UHPC curtain wall panels can consistently achieve Class A1 burning performance, i.e., the "non-combustible material" standard—a result closely related to their organic-free composition and highly dense physical structure. Compared with the heaviness of traditional stone curtain walls and the risk of high-temperature shattering of glass curtain walls, UHPC demonstrates clear advantages in fire safety.

Standard Analysis: Core Technical Indicators of Class A Fire Performance and Industry Practice

The fire rating assessment of building curtain walls must meet multiple stringent indicators, including burning performance, heat release rate, and smoke toxicity. In the T/CBMF171-2022 standard "Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Exterior Wall Panels," which Qinglong Group participated in drafting, fire performance is explicitly set as a core technical requirement. Taking the Century Plaza renovation project on Nanjing East Road as an example, the project adopted Qinglong's translucent UHPC curtain wall panels. Through optimized special mix ratios, it achieved Class A1 fire performance while maintaining a light transmittance of 15%-20%, successfully meeting the high fire rating requirements of commercial complexes. This case confirms the ability of UHPC curtain wall panels to balance aesthetic design and safety performance.

Full-Chain Assurance: Fire Control from Detailed Design to Construction and Installation

As a national high-tech enterprise integrating detailed design, manufacturing, and construction installation, Qinglong Group knows well that fire safety must run through the entire project life cycle. In the detailed design stage, BIM technology is used to simulate temperature field distribution under fire conditions and optimize joint construction; in production, an automated material distribution system ensures material homogeneity, avoiding fluctuations in fire performance caused by uneven density; during installation, the "Technical Specification for Building Curtain Wall Engineering" is strictly implemented, with fire-resistant rock wool filling and metal bracket fixing to form a complete fire isolation belt. This three-dimensional control model of "materials + processes + management" enabled Qinglong UHPC curtain wall panels to pass a 90-minute fire resistance limit test in a landmark project in Guangzhou, far exceeding regulatory requirements.

From material essence to engineering practice, UHPC curtain wall panels, with their non-combustible properties and scientific craftsmanship, can fully meet the Class A fire standard. As a participant in setting UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP industry standards, Qinglong Group will continue to uphold the values of "honesty, striving, trust, and collaboration" to provide designers with material solutions that combine aesthetics and safety. While pursuing the artistic beauty of architecture, safeguarding the fire safety bottom line of every building is the best interpretation of the Qinglong people's commitment to "meticulousness and the pursuit of excellence."