What Are the Requirements for Lifting Equipment in Installing Large-Size Double-Curved GRC Panels? Lifting Planning and Qinglong Group's 28 Years of Large Component Installation Practice

The selection of lifting equipment and the design of hoisting plans for large-size double-curved GRC panels (typically referring to panels with a single-panel area ≥6 square meters or length ≥4 meters) are core elements in ensuring construction safety, installation precision, and component protection. Based on its experience with super-large double-curved GRC projects such as the Wuhan Han Show Theatre and the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, Qinglong Group has summarized three core requirements for lifting equipment: "capacity matching, stable and controllable operation, and fine operation." The rated lifting capacity of the equipment must be at least 1.5 times the component weight (safety factor) and must offer micro-movement capability (allowing millimeter-level adjustment); the lifting device must be adapted to the complex force-bearing form of double-curved panels to prevent stress concentration from damaging the panels.

For equipment selection, decisions must be made comprehensively based on panel size, weight, installation height, and site conditions. For double-curved panels weighing 1-3 tons and installed at heights within 50 meters, truck cranes (such as 100-200 ton class) are usually chosen; they are mobile and flexible, suitable for projects with variable site conditions. For components that are overweight (>3 tons), super-high (>50 meters), or with complex installation paths, tower cranes or large crawler cranes are better choices, as they offer a large working radius and precise positioning. In the Hainan Convention and Exhibition Center project, we used two large tower cranes working in coordination to install giant double-curved roof panels with a span of up to 30 meters and a weight of about 5 tons. As for lifting devices, customized vacuum suction cup lifters or flexible spreader beam multi-point lifting systems must be used. Vacuum suction cups distribute suction force evenly and are especially suitable for double-curved panels with flat surfaces; each suction cup should provide a suction force of no less than 200kg, and a redundant design is required (e.g., an 8-suction-cup system that can still operate safely even if one fails). For double-curved panels with particularly complex shapes and hard-to-calculate centers of gravity, dedicated steel frame lifting beams must be designed, using multiple lifting point conversions to ensure the panels maintain their designed orientation during hoisting and avoid twisting or deformation.

Stability control during the hoisting process is crucial. The impact of wind loads on lifting must be calculated; when wind speed exceeds 50% of the equipment's rated working wind speed (usually about 10m/s), hoisting operations should be stopped. Lifting paths should be planned in advance to avoid obstacles, and a "lifting permit" system should be implemented with dedicated personnel directing the operations. In the double-curved curtain wall installation at the Nanning New Media Center, we used BIM technology to simulate the lifting path and aerial orientation of each large panel, identifying and resolving multiple potential collision issues in advance. For positioning, millimeter-level alignment is achieved with total stations and laser line projectors, combined with specially designed three-dimensionally adjustable hangers, enabling precise and smooth installation. Qinglong Group's standardized large-component hoisting procedures have ensured the safe and efficient completion of countless complex projects.