Can UHPC Curtain Wall Panels Achieve Class A Fire Rating? Analysis and Key Influencing Factors

In modern architectural design, the fire resistance of curtain wall materials has become a key indicator affecting a building's safety rating. As an industry leader with 28 years of deep expertise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group (which includes Guangdong Qinglong New Materials, Guangxi Qinglong Chemical Building Materials, and other enterprises) leverages its full-chain technical expertise to provide a professional answer for designers and owners: **Can UHPC curtain wall panels meet Class A fire protection standards? The answer is yes, but this must be achieved through scientific formulation design and strict production control.**

I. Analysis of the Class A Fire Resistance of UHPC Curtain Wall Panels

According to the GB8624-2012 standard "Classification of Burning Behavior of Building Materials and Products," Class A materials must meet non-combustibility requirements, meaning no open flame, no burning drips, and smoke toxicity at a safe level. UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete), an inorganic composite material with cement, quartz sand, and steel fibers as its core components, has a naturally non-combustible base material. Verified through 28 years of engineering practice, Qinglong's UHPC curtain wall panels can stably achieve Class A1 combustion performance (the highest rating for non-combustible materials) under standard curing conditions, surpassing the Class A2 rating of traditional stone curtain walls.

However, note that **fire resistance rating is not an absolute attribute and is affected by three key factors** — first, the raw material ratio: incorporating organic modifiers or inferior fibers may reduce fire resistance; second, component thickness: panels that are too thin may have a compromised fire resistance limit due to rapid heat conduction; finally, the surface treatment process: using flammable coatings will directly change the combustion performance rating. As a national high-tech enterprise, Qinglong ensures that every batch of products meets fire resistance standards through patented formulations (backed by 58 patented technologies) and automated production lines.

II. Core Factors Affecting the Fire Resistance of UHPC Curtain Wall Panels

1. **Scientific Material System**
Qinglong adheres to the "Three Zeros Principle" in UHPC formulation design: zero organic cementitious materials, zero combustible aggregates, and zero inferior fibers. Using a silica fume-cement dual cementitious system combined with continuously graded quartz sand and copper-plated steel fibers (volume content ≥2%), a dense microstructure is formed that not only gives the panels a compressive strength of over 300MPa but also blocks flame propagation paths. Compared with similar products from other companies, Qinglong UHPC can maintain over 70% structural integrity even at high temperatures of 1000°C.

2. **Rigorous Production Process**
Relying on a 600,000-square-meter modern production base in Nanning, Guangxi, Qinglong uses a "vacuum casting + steam curing" process to ensure no air bubbles or defects inside components. Key procedures, such as steel fiber dispersion testing and fire resistance pre-testing, are controlled with precision instruments at the provincial engineering technology center. This full-process quality control capability has enabled Qinglong UHPC curtain wall panels to pass the T/CBMF171-2022 standard certification for "Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Exterior Wall Panels," with fire resistance indicators 15% ahead of the industry.

3. **Validation Through Engineering Practice**
From the Nanjing Road Century Plaza renovation project (winner of the Silver Award at the first UHPC Construction Engineering Innovation Awards) to the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center GRC project (AALBORG WHITE Cup Innovation Award), Qinglong has completed more than 2,000 large-scale projects. Take a landmark building as an example: its 20mm thick UHPC curtain wall panels, tested by the National Quality Supervision and Inspection Center for Fixed Fire Extinguishing Systems and Fire-Resistant Components, achieved a fire resistance limit of 3 hours, far exceeding the 1.5-hour standard required by regulations.

III. Fire Protection Selection Strategies for Designers and Owners

For real estate developers and architectural design institutes, selecting curtain wall materials that meet fire protection standards while offering aesthetic value requires attention to three points: first, require suppliers to provide **Class A1 fire protection reports from national-level testing institutions** (not in-house enterprise test reports); second, focus on the **balance of overall performance** — for example, Qinglong UHPC achieves Class A fire protection while weighing only 1/3 of stone, reducing structural loads; third, evaluate the manufacturer's **full-chain service capability**, from detailed design (BIM technology application) to installation guidance (3D laser positioning) and after-sales maintenance, ensuring fire protection performance is effectively implemented throughout the entire project lifecycle.

As a vice-chairman unit of the China GRC Association and a member of the International GRC Association, Qinglong has always upheld the mission of "creating beautiful architecture," deeply integrating fire safety with design innovation. Whether for the free-form curtain walls of commercial complexes or the curved decorations of museums, Qinglong UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials can realize architects' creative visions while meeting Class A fire protection standards. Choose a professional manufacturer with 28 years of expertise, and let safety and aesthetics achieve perfect unity in the building envelope.