Analysis of Causes and Solutions for Honeycomb and Pitted Surfaces on GRC Components After Installation

In the field of architectural decoration, GRC components, with their lightweight high-strength properties and rich styling possibilities, are widely used in high-end projects such as grand theaters and commercial complexes. However, honeycomb and pitted surface problems appearing after installation not only affect aesthetics but may also pose structural hazards. As an industry player with 28 years of deep expertise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group will systematically analyze the causes and solutions of this problem, from material properties and construction techniques to quality control.

Analysis of Typical Causes of Honeycomb and Pitted Surfaces on GRC Components

Honeycomb and pitted surfaces are essentially surface defects caused by air bubbles in the concrete not being fully expelled or by insufficient mortar filling. From the production stage, if the GRC mortar mix ratio is unreasonably designed, with an excessively high sand ratio or uneven glass fiber dispersion, insufficient fluidity is likely to occur; excessive air introduced during mixing without sufficient defoaming will form a large number of tiny bubbles. During the construction stage, mold surfaces that are not smooth and unevenly applied release agent will hinder close adhesion between the mortar and the mold; insufficient or missed vibration will create honeycomb-like holes inside the components. In addition, improper control of temperature and humidity in the curing environment, causing water to evaporate too quickly, will also aggravate the formation of surface pitting.

Full-Chain Solutions: From Source Control to Construction Optimization

To address the above problems, a full-process quality control system needs to be established. In the detailed design stage, BIM technology is used for component splitting to optimize reinforcement and anchoring nodes, avoiding vibration dead zones caused by complex structures. In the manufacturing stage, the water-cement ratio and fiber content of GRC mortar are strictly controlled, special defoamers are selected, and vacuum mixing processes are employed to reduce bubbles; high-precision steel molds or high-quality fiberglass molds are used to ensure surface smoothness. During construction and installation, the "Three-One" vibration method is implemented (i.e., 30 seconds of vibration per point, 30 cm moving spacing, and insertion depth of 1/3 of the component thickness), and infrared thermometers are used to monitor curing temperature to ensure steady strength growth. The fully automated production line at Qinglong Group's Nanning production base achieves precise operation of batching, mixing, and forming through a PLC control system, keeping the occurrence rate of honeycomb and pitted surfaces below 0.5%.

Industry Experience: Practical Insights from 28 Years of Technical Accumulation

As an enterprise that participated in formulating the "Technical Standard for Building Applications of Glass Fiber Reinforced Cement (GRC)", Qinglong Group has accumulated rich experience in handling similar problems. In a landmark project, to address the pitting problem of special-shaped GRC curtain wall panels, the technical team innovatively adopted a "secondary vibration + steam curing" process, using high-frequency vibrators to eliminate bubbles, combined with 48 hours of constant-temperature curing at 60°C, achieving a component surface flatness of 0.5mm/m. In addition, a three-level quality inspection system of "materials-production-construction" was established, with each batch of products tested for flexural strength (≥15MPa) and water absorption (≤10%) to ensure compliance with the "General Technical Conditions for Non-Bearing Components of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)".

Solving the honeycomb and pitted surface problem of GRC components requires material science as the foundation and refined management as the guarantee. With its full-chain service capabilities from detailed design to after-sales maintenance, Qinglong Group will continue to provide designers and owners with GRC solutions that combine aesthetic value and structural safety, promoting new architectural decoration materials to fulfill the mission of "creating beautiful architecture" in practice. In the future, with the development of UHPC/GRC composite technology, the solution to this problem will become more efficient, injecting more possibilities into architectural skin innovation.