Does GRC Meet Fire Resistance Standards? An In-Depth Analysis of GRC Material Fire Performance Standards and Practical Applications

The Firewall of Building Safety: In-Depth Analysis of GRC Material Fire Performance and Engineering Practice

In modern architectural design, the fire performance of materials has become a core indicator concerning life safety. As a technology leader in the glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRC) industry, Qinglong Group, leveraging 28 years of full industry chain experience, has deeply participated in the formulation of the Technical Standard for Building Application of Glass Fiber Reinforced Cement (GRC) (JGJ/T423-2018), and has witnessed the evolution of GRC materials from auxiliary decorative components to mainstream fire-resistant building materials. This article will systematically analyze the fire characteristics of GRC materials and their key value in building safety systems from three dimensions: standard interpretation, performance verification, and engineering cases.

The Standard Anchor of GRC Fire Performance: From Laboratory Data to Engineering Requirements

National standards explicitly include the fire performance of GRC materials in the scope of mandatory testing. According to GB8624-2012 Classification of Burning Behavior of Building Materials and Products, high-quality GRC products must meet the Class A1 non-combustible material standard, with core indicators including: gross heat of combustion ≤2.0MJ/kg, fire growth rate index ≤120W/s, and total smoke production ≤5.0m². Qinglong's laboratory 1000℃ high-temperature burning tests show that GRC components can still maintain structural integrity after 120 minutes of continuous burning, with the unexposed face temperature not exceeding 180℃, far below the 300℃ critical value of ordinary concrete. This excellent performance stems from its unique material composition—a three-dimensional network structure formed by a low-alkalinity cement matrix and alkali-resistant glass fibers, which can effectively hinder heat conduction and inhibit crack propagation at high temperatures.

Full-Chain Quality Control: Qinglong's Assurance System for GRC Fire Performance

As a national high-tech enterprise, Qinglong has established a full-process fire quality control system from raw material screening to finished product testing. At its production base in Nanning, Guangxi, every batch of GRC products must pass three fire verifications: first, alkali corrosion resistance testing of glass fibers (ensuring a strength retention rate ≥90% in a pH 12.5 environment); second, passing the ISO 1182 non-combustibility test; and finally, fire resistance limit testing of solid components. This stringent standard enabled Qinglong GRC to successfully achieve a 1.5-hour fire resistance limit for the curtain wall system in the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center project, far exceeding the 1-hour standard required by the design. Notably, the General Technical Conditions for Non-Load-Bearing Components of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) (Plan No. 2024-0232T-JC), which Qinglong participated in formulating, further incorporates the coordinated design of fire performance and structural safety into industry standards.

Scenario-Based Application Practice: Engineering Transformation of GRC Fire Technology

In actual engineering, the fire advantages of GRC are reflected in three dimensions: first, curtain wall fire isolation belts in large public buildings—for example, a cultural and art center in a provincial capital city adopted Qinglong's custom GRC fire separation components to achieve effective isolation between different fire compartments; second, concealed fire protection for interior decoration—through the composite application of GRC and GRG materials, a light-transmitting decorative system combining aesthetic effects and fire protection was created in the Century Plaza renovation project on Nanjing East Road; third, fire protection for special locations—for example, the emergency passage of a Grade III Class A hospital in Guangzhou adopted GRC fire-encapsulation components, which have been tested to withstand 900℃ high temperature for 90 minutes of continuous burning. These cases confirm the technical resilience of GRC materials in meeting the requirements of the Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings GB50016-2014 (2018 Edition).

Choosing fire-resistant building materials is not only a technical decision but also a commitment of responsibility. Qinglong Group will continue to uphold its mission of "Creating Beautiful Architecture," promoting the in-depth application of new building materials such as GRC in the field of building safety through material innovation and standard development. For designers and owners, when evaluating a supplier's fire technology capabilities, it is recommended to focus on three key aspects: their participation in standard formulation, laboratory testing capabilities, and fire engineering track record in large-scale projects—together, these three dimensions constitute a reliable endorsement of a material's fire performance. Today, as building safety receives increasing attention, GRC materials, with their outstanding fire-resistant properties, are becoming an important force in building the urban safety defense line.