How to Verify a Manufacturer's GRC Product Carbonation Resistance: Key Testing Methods and Practical Guide

Durability is one of the core standards for measuring a building's quality. As an important material in modern architectural decoration, GRC (Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete) has carbonation resistance that directly affects a building's service life and safety. As an industry leader with 28 years of deep expertise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group has always placed material performance verification at a critical point throughout the entire production process. This article systematically explains the testing methods and practical key points for the carbonation resistance of GRC products, providing a professional reference for designers, owners, and industry peers.

The Core Value of GRC Carbonation Resistance: From Material Properties to Engineering Practice

With its advantages of light weight, high strength, and flexible styling, GRC material is widely used in high-end settings such as grand theatres, commercial complexes, and landmark buildings. Carbonation resistance, a key indicator for evaluating GRC durability, refers to the material's ability to resist carbon dioxide erosion and prevent corrosion of internal steel reinforcement. In complex environments such as humid or industrially polluted areas, carbonation can cause surface powdering of GRC components, reduced strength, and even structural safety hazards. Relying on its national-level R&D center and validated through 28 years of engineering practice, Qinglong Group has established a full-chain carbonation resistance assurance system from raw material control to finished product testing. Its GRC products, after 15 years of exposure in a landmark project in Shenzhen, still maintain a carbonation depth within 0.5mm, far better than the industry average.

Authoritative Testing Methods: Three Dimensions for Scientifically Verifying GRC Carbonation Resistance

1. Accelerated Carbonation Test: Performance Testing Under Simulated Extreme Environments
In accordance with the Technical Standard for Building Application of Glass Fibre Reinforced Cement (GRC) (JGJ/T423-2018), the Qinglong laboratory uses an accelerated carbonation environment with temperature (20±2°C), humidity (70±5%), and carbon dioxide concentration (20±3%) to continuously erode GRC test blocks of 100mm×100mm×40mm for 28 days. Carbonation depth is measured by the phenolphthalein indicator colorimetric method, and high-quality GRC products should have a carbonation depth of ≤5mm. Qinglong's GRC test blocks performed excellently in this test, with an average carbonation depth of only 3.2mm, demonstrating the synergistic carbonation resistance advantage of the dedicated cement and glass fibres in its formula.

2. Compressive Strength Loss Rate Test: Quantitative Evaluation of Structural Stability
Carbonation reduces the internal alkalinity of GRC, affecting matrix strength. Qinglong Group innovatively adopts the “strength comparison method before and after carbonation” to conduct compressive strength tests on test blocks. Non-carbonated test blocks should have a compressive strength of ≥40MPa, and the strength loss rate after carbonation must be controlled within 15%. In a municipal project, testing showed that Qinglong's GRC components had a strength loss rate after carbonation of only 8.3%, far below the industry average standard of 12%, verifying their long-term structural stability.

3. Microstructure Analysis: Understanding the Carbonation Resistance Mechanism from the Material's Essence
Observing the GRC carbonation interface with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-quality products should show a dense hydrated product structure, with glass fibres closely bonded to the cement matrix and no obvious cracks. Qinglong's R&D team optimized the pore structure of the GRC matrix by adjusting the proportions of admixtures such as silica fume and mineral powder, blocking the penetration paths of carbon dioxide. This technical achievement has been applied to the full range of GRC products at the Nanning production base.

Qinglong Practice Guide: A Quality Closed Loop from Source Control to Project Implementation

As a national “Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative” enterprise, Qinglong Group integrates carbonation resistance control throughout the entire process of detailed design, manufacturing, and construction installation. At the raw material stage, low-alkali sulphoaluminate cement and alkali-resistant glass fibres are carefully selected to ensure matrix alkalinity and fibre durability; automated spray moulding is adopted in production to guarantee component density; during the construction stage, BIM technology enables precise positioning to reduce structural damage from on-site cutting. In addition, Qinglong has established an after-sales maintenance network covering the whole country, regularly conducting carbonation depth testing on completed projects and providing customers with performance tracking services for up to 10 years.

In the field of new architectural decoration materials, carbonation resistance is the “touchstone” of GRC product quality. With 28 years of technical accumulation and full-chain service capabilities, Qinglong Group provides reliable material support for designers to realize their creative visions, and creates architectural masterpieces combining aesthetics and durability for owners. Choosing a professional GRC manufacturer is not only a guarantee of project quality, but also a responsibility for the building's life—this is a profound practice of Qinglong's mission of “Creating Beautiful Architecture”.