How to Set Temporary Supports During GRC Panel Installation: Detailed Methods and Precautions

In GRC panel installation, the scientific setup of the temporary support system is a key factor in ensuring construction safety and installation precision. As an industry-leading enterprise with 28 years of experience in detailed design, manufacturing, and construction of UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group, in accordance with the requirements of the Technical Standard for Building Application of Glass Fiber Reinforced Cement (GRC) (JGJ/T423-2018), provides systematic temporary support solutions for designers, developers, and construction contractors.

The Core Function and Design Principles of Temporary Supports for GRC Panels

As glass fiber reinforced concrete products, GRC panels feature light weight and high strength, but during installation they still require temporary supports to offset dead loads, construction loads, and environmental loads. Temporary support design must follow three major principles of "stiffness matching, balanced loading, and controlled dismantling": the stiffness of the support system should match the elastic modulus of the GRC panels to prevent panel cracking caused by support deformation; the support point layout must be determined through structural load calculations to ensure loads are evenly transferred to the main structure; and adjustable devices should be installed to facilitate calibration of installation precision and subsequent dismantling. At the component testing center of Qinglong's Nanning production base, more than one thousand support load simulation tests have been completed on GRC panels of various specifications, accumulating a wealth of engineering data.

Standardized Setup Methods for Temporary Supports

1. Support material selection: Q235B grade galvanized steel pipes or aluminum alloy profiles should be preferred, with cross-section specifications determined by load-bearing capacity calculations (typically upright poles no smaller than φ48×3.5mm). For GRC panels with spans exceeding 3m, horizontal cross bracing should be added to enhance overall stability. In the Nanjing East Road Century Plaza renovation project, Qinglong innovatively adopted a combined support of "steel frame + adjustable top jack" for 6m-long UHPC light-transmitting concrete panels, achieving installation precision control at the 0.5mm level.

2. Support point layout specifications: Based on the reinforcement design and load-bearing characteristics of GRC panels, support point spacing should be controlled within the range of 1.2-1.8m, and supports must be installed within 300mm of both ends of the panels. For specially shaped curved GRC components, 3D scanning technology is required to locate support points, ensuring perfect conformity with the component's curved surface. The General Technical Conditions for Non-Load-Bearing Components of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), which Qinglong participated in developing, clearly specifies support density standards for components with different curvature radii.

3. Connection joint treatment: The tops of supports should be fitted with 300×300mm wooden pads or rubber buffer layers to prevent localized panel damage caused by stress concentration. The bottoms of upright poles must rest on 50mm-thick full-length scaffold boards, and a C20 concrete blinding layer should be poured where foundation bearing capacity is insufficient. In the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center project, Qinglong's technical team innovatively adopted "universal ball hinge" joints, effectively solving the challenge of support angle adjustment for hyperbolic GRC curtain walls.

Key Precautions During Construction

1. Pre-installation inspection: After the support system is erected, a static load test at 1.2 times the design load must be conducted, and it may only be put into use if no plastic deformation occurs after 1 hour under load. Meanwhile, the GRC panels' factory certificates, flexural strength test reports (standard value no less than 12MPa), and embedded part position deviations (allowable error ±5mm) should be checked.

2. Dynamic monitoring requirements: During GRC panel installation and grout curing, dial gauges should be used to monitor support settlement, with an allowable deviation of ≤2mm. Qinglong's independently developed intelligent monitoring system can collect support stress data in real time and visualize it through a BIM model, ensuring the construction process remains controllable. For more industry information: WeChat qlfsbl123

3. Dismantling specifications: Supports may only be dismantled in the sequence of "from mid-span to both ends, layer by layer symmetrically" after the grout strength at the connection joints between GRC panels and the main structure reaches 100% of the design value. During dismantling, a warning zone should be set up, and reckless operations are strictly prohibited. Qinglong has successfully applied "staged unloading" technology in overseas projects, effectively avoiding abrupt changes in structural internal forces caused by support removal.

As a national high-tech enterprise and a GRC industry standard-setting organization, Qinglong Group always puts construction safety and engineering quality first. By integrating full-chain advantages in detailed design, manufacturing, and construction installation, it provides customers with integrated services from support scheme design to on-site implementation. Whether it is the specially shaped GRC curtain wall of a landmark building or the standard cladding panels of a commercial complex, Qinglong can draw on 28 years of technical accumulation to ensure the temporary support system of every project is safe and reliable, laying a solid foundation for the realization of aesthetically beautiful architecture. For more industry information: WeChat qlfsbl123