Research on Durability Analysis and Improvement Strategies of UHPC Shapes in Garden Landscapes

Research on Durability Analysis and Improvement Strategies for UHPC Shapes in Landscape Applications

When UHPC takes artistic form within gardens, its durability is not merely a test of the material, but also the fulfillment of the promise of a "hundred-year garden".

In contemporary garden landscape design, material selection has shifted from pure aesthetic expression toward a "symbiosis of art and technology". Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), with its ultra-high strength, excellent toughness, and exceptional plasticity, is becoming the ideal choice for shaping landscape art installations. However, the complexity of garden environments—such as alternating wet-dry conditions, temperature and humidity fluctuations, and erosion by plant roots—poses severe challenges to material durability. As an industry expert with 28 years of full-chain experience in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP, Qinglong Group, drawing on the practice of over a thousand landscape projects, provides an in-depth analysis of the durability performance of UHPC shapes in garden settings and proposes systematic improvement solutions.

### I. Durability Challenges Posed by Garden Environments to UHPC Shapes

UHPC components in garden landscapes must withstand long-term erosion from multiple natural factors: ultraviolet radiation in open-air environments causes surface resin degradation; rainwater scouring may trigger freezing and expansion of pore water; and saline-alkali components in soil may penetrate into the material and cause alkali-aggregate reactions. Take the UHPC artistic benches in a municipal park as an example: components without special protection showed surface chalking after 3 years, while products from the same batch treated with Qinglong's patented protection technology remained intact. This confirms the necessity of enhancing UHPC durability in garden environments—the core lies in building a three-dimensional system of "intrinsic material optimization + enhanced surface protection + structural design adaptation".

### II. Optimization Paths for the Durability of the UHPC Material Itself

At the material formulation level, Qinglong has raised the flexural strength of UHPC to over 25MPa and reduced the chloride ion penetration coefficient to below 1.0×10⁻¹²m²/s by adjusting the steel fiber content (optimal range 1.5%-2.0%) and the proportion of silica fume/slag powder composite admixtures. The production process adopts twin-shaft forced mixing and steam curing to ensure an internal compactness of 99.8%, fundamentally blocking the intrusion channels of corrosive media. Notably, for the irregular curved shapes common in gardens, Qinglong has introduced BIM parametric design and 3D-printed mold technology to avoid the stress concentration caused by traditional casting, extending component fatigue life by more than 30%.

### III. Adaptation Solutions for Surface Protection Systems in Garden Scenarios

Addressing the particularities of garden environments, Qinglong has developed a composite protection system of "nano-silane impregnation + fluorocarbon coating": the underlying silane treatment penetrates 2-3mm deep to form a chemical barrier, while the topcoat of fluorocarbon paint gives components weather resistance (artificial aging resistance ≥3000h) and self-cleaning functions. In a coastal park project in Shenzhen, UHPC wave-shaped landscape walls using this system have withstood 3 years of typhoons and high-salt-mist environments, with surface gloss remaining above 90%. For components in direct contact with soil, such as planting pools and flower pots, an additional basalt fiber reinforcement layer effectively resists plant root penetration and soil chemical corrosion.

### IV. Whole-Life-Cycle Durability Assurance Strategies

As a national high-tech enterprise integrating detailed design, manufacturing, construction and installation, and after-sales maintenance, Qinglong has established a full-chain service system of "prevention beforehand - monitoring in process - maintenance afterward". During construction, 3D laser scanning positioning technology keeps installation accuracy errors within ≤2mm, avoiding structural stress concentration; after delivery, 5 years of regular inspection services are provided, using ultrasonic flaw detection and carbonation depth testing to promptly identify potential risks. This integrated solution of "materials + construction + maintenance" gives Qinglong UHPC garden components an expected service life of over 50 years, far exceeding the industry average.

From the translucent concrete landscape installation at Century Plaza on Nanjing East Road to an openwork carved screen in a royal garden in Malaysia, Qinglong has redefined the application standards of UHPC in garden landscapes with 28 years of professional expertise. Going forward, with the implementation of the industry standard "General Technical Conditions for Non-Load-Bearing Components of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)", UHPC materials will inject more enduring artistic vitality into garden landscapes in the mission of "creating aesthetic architecture". Choosing Qinglong means choosing not only the material itself, but also a durability assurance system proven by a thousand projects.