Design Methods and Key Technologies for Connection Nodes Between UHPC Curtain Wall Panels and Steel Framework Keels

In the field of modern architectural decoration, UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) curtain wall panels have become the material of choice for high-end building envelope design thanks to their outstanding mechanical properties and aesthetic expressiveness. As the core hub of the curtain wall system, the design quality of connection nodes directly affects the building's safety, durability, and overall visual effect. As an industry leader with 28 years of experience in in-depth design and engineering of UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group has accumulated extensive node technical solutions across hundreds of landmark projects. This article systematically analyzes the design essentials and key technical breakthroughs of connection nodes between UHPC curtain wall panels and steel frame keels.

**Design Logic and Load Transfer Mechanism of UHPC Curtain Wall Panel Connection Nodes**
Connection nodes between UHPC curtain wall panels and steel frame keels must meet the dual requirements of structural safety and architectural aesthetics. From a mechanical model perspective, node design needs to consider multi-dimensional loads such as wind load, seismic action, and thermal deformation, distributing panel loads to the main structure through reasonable load transfer paths. During the in-depth design stage, Qinglong's technical team typically uses BIM technology to build 3D node models and simulate stress distribution under different working conditions, ensuring that the selection of connection components (such as embedded parts, adapters, and bolts) complies with the "General Technical Conditions for Non-Load-Bearing Components of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)" industry standard. Taking a commercial complex project as an example, its double-curved UHPC curtain wall panels adopted a "floating" node design that releases thermal deformation stress while achieving installation accuracy control within ±2mm.

**Comparison of Four Mainstream Connection Node Technologies and Their Engineering Application Scenarios**
Connection forms widely used in the industry today include undercut anchor, slot-type, welded, and prefabricated nodes. Undercut anchor nodes are suitable for large-size UHPC panels; connecting elastically to the keel through stainless steel undercut anchors, they offer the advantage of easy disassembly. Qinglong applied this technology to achieve rapid installation of light-transmitting UHPC panels in the Century Plaza renovation project on Nanjing East Road. Slot-type nodes work through the fit between aluminum alloy profiles and reserved slots in UHPC panels and are suitable for curved shapes, with a fault tolerance rate 40% higher than traditional welded nodes. For super high-rise projects, Qinglong's self-developed prefabricated nodes use factory-prefabricated adapters to shorten on-site installation time by 60%; this technology has been successfully applied in a landmark building in Malaysia.

**Key Technical Breakthroughs: From Material Matching to Construction Process Innovation**
The core challenge in node design lies in solving the stiffness matching between the high elastic modulus of UHPC material and metal keels. Through its self-developed "gradient buffering" technology, Qinglong installs elastic gaskets at nodes, effectively reducing stress concentration caused by deformation differences between dissimilar materials. For anti-corrosion treatment, a dual protection system of hot-dip galvanizing plus fluorocarbon coating is adopted, giving nodes a durability of over 50 years. Notably, the "UHPC Exterior Wall Panels" standard, in whose formulation Qinglong participated, clearly specifies the node pull-out force testing method; its specially developed testing device can simulate node performance under 150% of the design load, ensuring controllable project quality.

**Node Optimization and Quality Control from a Whole Life Cycle Perspective**
As a comprehensive service provider integrating design, production, construction, and maintenance, Qinglong has established a whole life cycle management system for nodes. In the in-depth design stage, parametric design software enables collaborative optimization between nodes and architectural forms; in production, robots precisely embed parts with positional errors controlled within ±1mm; in the construction stage, 3D laser scanning technology is used for real-time positioning monitoring; and in the after-sales maintenance stage, the node health monitoring system enables remote collection of data such as displacement and stress. This full-chain service capability has enabled Qinglong to keep the node construction defect rate below 0.3% in projects such as the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center, far below the industry average.

The design of connection nodes between UHPC curtain wall panels and steel frame keels represents integrated innovation in materials science, structural mechanics, and construction technology. With 28 years of industry experience and the technical support of a national-level R&D center, Qinglong Group continuously drives the iteration of connection node technology—from "safe and reliable" to "precise and efficient" and further to "intelligent operation and maintenance"—providing designers with broader creative space and creating building envelope systems for owners that combine aesthetic value with structural safety. In the future, as UHPC materials are applied in greater depth in the construction field, connection node technology will develop toward modularity, intelligence, and sustainability, and Qinglong will continue to uphold its mission of "Creating Beautiful Architecture" to lead the industry's technological progress.