Analysis of the Proportion of Mold Costs in the Total Cost of Hollowed-Out UHPC Shapes and Discussion of Influencing Factors

The mold is the "soul" of UHPC artistic forms, and its cost control directly determines a project's economic viability and feasibility.

In the field of architectural decoration, UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete), with its high strength, high durability, and outstanding formability, has become the "new favorite" of landmark buildings and high-end projects. However, as designers indulge in the unlimited creativity that UHPC offers, a practical issue cannot be ignored—the mold cost of hollow UHPC forms often accounts for a significant proportion of the total project cost. As an industry veteran with 28 years of experience in detailed design and production of UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group will analyze the core factors influencing mold cost proportion from a professional perspective, providing designers and owners with solutions that combine aesthetics and economy.

### 1. The "Weight Code" of Mold Costs for Hollow UHPC Forms

In typical hollow UHPC component projects, mold costs usually account for 25%-45% of the total cost, far higher than the 10%-15% share of ordinary concrete components. This difference stems from the dual challenges of UHPC material properties and hollow forms: UHPC must be formed by high-pressure casting, which places extremely high demands on mold sealing and rigidity; meanwhile, hollow textures and irregular curved surfaces further increase mold design complexity. Take a hollow UHPC curtain wall project at a cultural center as an example: its custom steel mold cost accounted for 42%, becoming a key factor constraining the project budget.

### 2. Four Core Factors Determine the "Ceiling" of Mold Costs

1. **Shape Complexity: A Cost Leap from "Flat" to "Multi-Dimensional"**
The mold cost difference between linear hollow forms and hyperbolic hollow forms can exceed 3 times. When a design includes parametric textures, nested hollow patterns, or other such elements, the mold requires CNC machining or 3D printing technology, and the cost of a single mold can exceed 100,000 RMB. Through parametric design optimization, Qinglong Group once reduced the hollow texture mold cost of a project by 28%, confirming that "design optimization is the first line of defense in cost control".

2. **Material Selection: The "Value-for-Money Game" Between Steel Molds and FRP Molds**
Steel molds have a high initial cost (approx. 8,000-15,000 RMB/㎡) but can be reused more than 50 times, making them suitable for mass production; FRP molds cost less (approx. 3,000-6,000 RMB/㎡) but can only be used 10-15 times, making them more suitable for small-batch custom projects. Through its "steel mold + FRP composite mold" technology, Qinglong's production base achieved a balance between mold cost and turnover efficiency in a cultural tourism project in Nanning.

3. **Production Scale: "Quantitative Change" Brings a "Qualitative Change in Cost"**
When component production exceeds 50 units, the unit amortized mold cost can be reduced by more than 40%. In a UHPC hollow sunshade project at a commercial complex, the total output reached 3,000 units, and the mold cost proportion dropped from an initial estimate of 45% to 32%. Large-scale production supported by Qinglong's nationwide production network is precisely the key to solving the "small-batch, high-cost" challenge.

4. **Process Innovation: Cost Restructuring Empowered by Technology**
The application of BIM technology can control mold design errors within 0.5mm, reducing rework costs; meanwhile, 3D scanning and reverse engineering can shorten the mold development cycle for irregular components by 50%. The industry standard "General Technical Conditions for Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Non-Load-Bearing Components", which Qinglong helped formulate, includes multiple mold process innovation points, driving cost reduction and efficiency improvement across the industry.

### 3. Balancing Aesthetics and Cost: Qinglong's "Full-Chain Solution"

As a national high-tech enterprise and a participant in UHPC standard formulation, Qinglong Group proposes a "three-dimensional cost optimization model": reducing redundant hollow structures through topological optimization in the design phase, adopting a modular mold sharing system in the production phase, and achieving mold turnover and reuse in the construction phase. For example, in the Century Plaza renovation project on Nanjing East Road, Qinglong reduced the overall project cost by 18% through the circular use of translucent UHPC molds, winning the "UHPC Construction Engineering Innovation Award".

The charm of hollow UHPC forms lies in transforming concrete from "cumbersome" to "agile"; mold cost control, in turn, is the key to making this "material revolution" a reality. Building on 28 years of full-chain experience, Qinglong Group is driving UHPC from "high-end customization" toward "economic viability" through design optimization, technological innovation, and large-scale production, turning more creative buildings from drawings into reality. In the future, as mold materials and processes continue to evolve, we believe hollow UHPC will shine even more brilliantly at the balance point between "aesthetic value" and "cost control".