Exploration and Practical Research on Low-Cost Process Solutions for Achieving Complex UHPC Shapes

Reshaping the boundaries of architectural aesthetics through technological breakthroughs, Qinglong leverages 28 years of full-chain experience to unlock the cost code of complex UHPC shapes.

In the field of contemporary architectural design, Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) has become the “star material” for shaping landmark buildings, thanks to its outstanding mechanical properties and design freedom. However, realizing complex shapes often comes with high costs—how can a balance be struck between artistic expression and economic feasibility? As an industry leader with 28 years of deep expertise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group has built a full-chain solution for realizing complex UHPC shapes at low cost through design development optimization, intelligent manufacturing upgrades, and construction process innovation, resolving the industry pain point of “difficulty in bringing creative ideas to fruition” for designers and owners.

I. Cost Bottlenecks and Technical Breakthroughs in Complex UHPC Shapes

Traditional production of complex UHPC shapes often faces three major cost pain points: mold costs accounting for as much as 30%-50% of the total, material loss rates exceeding 15%, and difficult-to-control installation precision of special-shaped components leading to rework. Relying on the technical accumulation of its national-level R&D center and provincial-level engineering technology center, Qinglong pioneered the “parametric mold sharing system,” raising mold reuse rates above 80% through modular design—mold costs for a cultural center's double-curved curtain wall project dropped by 42% year-on-year. Meanwhile, its independently developed UHPC-specific mix design increased material flowability by 20%, enabling one-time pouring and forming of complex openwork shapes with the loss rate controlled within 5%, breaking the industry dilemma that “the more complex the shape, the higher the cost.”

II. Full-Chain Synergy: A Cost Optimization Path from Design Development to Construction Implementation

As a national-level high-tech enterprise integrating design development, manufacturing, and construction installation, Qinglong has established a “design-production-construction” trinity cost control system. At the design stage, BIM technology and Rhino parametric modeling were used to simulate component loads and installation nodes in advance; a special-shaped overhanging eave project for a commercial complex reduced material usage by 12% after design optimization. In the production stage, industrial robots and automated assembly lines increased the production efficiency of special-shaped components threefold and cut labor costs by 60%. At the construction stage, the innovative “3D laser scanning + modular hoisting” process achieved an installation precision of ±2mm for the Nanjing East Road Century Plaza translucent concrete project, shortening the construction period by 40% and reducing overall costs by 25% compared with traditional methods.

III. Qinglong's 28 Years of Practice: Technical Confidence from Landmark Projects to Industry Standards

From the innovative GRC application at the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center to the UHPC translucent concrete project at Nanjing East Road Century Plaza, Qinglong has validated the feasibility of low-cost complex shapes with 58 patented technologies and its participation in formulating multiple industry standards. As a vice-chairman unit of the China GRC Association and a member of the International GRC Association, Qinglong integrates the values of “honesty, perseverance, trust, and collaboration” into technological innovation. Its UHPC non-load-bearing components have not only passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, but are also sold to overseas markets such as Malaysia and Australia, becoming a representative of “Chinese intelligent manufacturing” in the field of new building materials.

Driven by the mission of “creating aesthetically beautiful buildings,” Qinglong, with the vision of becoming “the world's outstanding leading enterprise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP manufacturing,” continues to explore the convergence of material technology and architectural art. For designers and owners pursuing ultimate aesthetics and cost control, choosing a capable manufacturer with full-chain service capabilities is not only a guarantee for bringing creative ideas to fruition, but also a strategic choice for maximizing project value. In the future, as intelligent manufacturing and green building materials develop in depth, the room for cost optimization of complex UHPC shapes will further expand, bringing more possibilities to the construction industry.