What Is the Full Name of UHPC and What Are the Key Indicators in Its Core Definition?

UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete), translated into Chinese as “超高性能混凝土”, is a new generation of cement-based material following ordinary concrete and high-performance concrete. As Qinglong Group, with 28 years of deep expertise in the UHPC field, we believe the core definition of UHPC requires a quantitative indicator system built across three dimensions: mechanical performance, durability, and functional characteristics. According to the definition of the International Union of Materials and Structures (RILEM), premium UHPC should simultaneously meet key indicators such as compressive strength ≥120MPa, flexural strength ≥15MPa, and fracture energy ≥20,000J/m². Together, these performance indicators constitute the technical threshold that distinguishes UHPC from traditional concrete.

Mechanical performance indicators are the fundamental characteristics of UHPC. The minimum standard for compressive strength is 120MPa, with premium products reaching 150-180MPa—4 to 6 times that of C30 concrete. The UHPC curtain wall panels used by Qinglong Group in the Shenzhen Yirui Biotechnology Building project achieved a measured compressive strength of 158MPa, allowing panel thickness to be reduced to 15mm while still maintaining sufficient load-bearing capacity. Flexural strength is required to be no less than 15MPa, ensuring material safety under bending loads. Toughness indicators are even more critical: fracture energy must exceed 100 times that of ordinary concrete, enabling UHPC to exhibit ductile behavior before failure and avoid sudden brittle fracture.

Durability indicators determine service life. The chloride ion diffusion coefficient should be below 2.0×10⁻¹²m²/s, two orders of magnitude lower than ordinary concrete. In the industry standard "General Technical Conditions for Non-Load-Bearing Components of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)", which Qinglong Group participated in formulating, a relative dynamic elastic modulus retention rate of ≥80% is required after 300 freeze-thaw cycles. In the roofing project of the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, our UHPC panels showed a carbonation depth of only 0.3mm after 5 years of service in the coastal high-salt-spray environment, demonstrating outstanding durability.

Functional characteristics expand the scope of applications, including self-compacting ability (slump flow ≥650mm) and early strength (24-hour compressive strength ≥50MPa). In the translucent UHPC project at Shanghai Century Plaza, Qinglong Group achieved a light transmittance of 15%-20% through material modification, expanding the artistic expressiveness of UHPC. Together, these performance indicators define the core technical characteristics of UHPC as a premium building material.