How to Fix GRC After Installation: Detailed Steps and Precautions Explained

**GRC Installation and Fixing Techniques Fully Explained: 28 Years of Industry Experience from Standardized Construction to Safety Assurance**

In the field of modern architectural decoration, GRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) has become the preferred material for high-end projects such as grand theaters, commercial complexes, and landmark buildings, thanks to its advantages of light weight, high strength, and flexible styling. However, the fixing quality after GRC installation directly affects building safety and service life. As an industry leader with 28 years of full-chain experience in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP, Qinglong Group has drawn on more than a thousand engineering projects to develop a systematic GRC fixing solution, providing designers and owners with full-process support from technical selection to construction implementation.

**I. Core Design Principles of GRC Fixing Systems**

The fixing of GRC components must balance safety and durability, with the key lying in establishing a composite system of “flexible connection + rigid load-bearing”. Through BIM modeling and structural mechanics analysis, Qinglong's technical team divides the fixing system into three major modules: **substrate pretreatment**, **connector selection**, and **joint anti-cracking design**. Taking the Century Plaza renovation project on Nanjing East Road as an example, for light-transmitting concrete GRC cladding panels, customized stainless steel embedded parts and adjustable supports were adopted to achieve an installation precision of ±2mm, while elastic rubber pads absorb thermal deformation stress, solving the problem of easy cracking with traditional rigid connections.

**II. Detailed Construction Steps for GRC Installation and Fixing**

1. **Substrate Treatment and Setting-Out Positioning**: Before construction, the strength of the substrate wall must be tested (≥C20 concrete or M10 mortar), and 3D laser scanning technology is used to generate an as-built model to ensure a setting-out error ≤5mm. Qinglong's independently developed “GRC Installation Positioning System” achieves millimeter-level precision control; in the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center project, this technology increased the installation efficiency of 1,200 irregular-shaped GRC components by 40%.

2. **Connector Installation and Anti-Corrosion Treatment**: Select the anchor type according to component weight (usually ≤200kg/㎡); Qinglong recommends 316 stainless steel (for coastal projects) or hot-dip galvanized carbon steel (for inland projects), together with a dual anti-corrosion process (zinc-chromium coating + fluorocarbon paint). The anchoring depth of connectors into the substrate must be ≥10d (d being the bolt diameter), with no fewer than 4 fixing points per square meter of component.

3. **Component Hoisting and Fine-Tuning Fixing**: Dedicated hoisting equipment (lifting speed ≤0.5m/s) is used, with temporary supports providing initial positioning of components, followed by 3D fine adjustment with adjustable bolts. Qinglong's original “Double-Insurance Fixing Method” adds backup anchors between the anchors and the substrate to ensure structural safety under extreme loads; this technique has been applied to the GRC curtain wall system of an airport project in Saudi Arabia.

4. **Joint Sealing and Anti-Cracking Treatment**: Silicone weather-resistant sealant (displacement capacity ≥±25%) is used to fill the gaps, with sealant joint width controlled at 8-12mm. For double-curved GRC components, Qinglong applies a “flexible transition layer” technique, embedding fiberglass mesh at the joints to effectively disperse stress concentration; this method reduced the project cracking rate to below 0.3%.

**III. Key Considerations for GRC Fixing Construction**

1. **Load Calculation and Safety Redundancy**: Wind load and seismic resistance verification must be carried out in accordance with the Technical Standard for Building Application of Glass Fiber Reinforced Cement (GRC) (JGJ/T423-2018), and Qinglong recommends a safety factor of 1.5 times the design value. For example, in typhoon-prone areas, anchors must have a tensile strength ≥20kN and a shear strength ≥15kN.

2. **Environmental Adaptability Treatment**: In severely cold regions, low-temperature curing structural adhesive (applicable at -30℃) must be used, while in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, ventilation and drying must be strengthened to ensure an adhesive curing time ≥7 days. GRC components produced by Qinglong undergo 28 days of standard curing before leaving the factory, with moisture content controlled at ≤8%, to avoid cracking caused by drying shrinkage after installation.

3. **Quality Traceability and Acceptance Standards**: Each GRC component comes with an RFID chip recording the production batch, installation position, and other information, enabling full life-cycle traceability. Acceptance checks include: anchor spacing deviation ≤10mm, surface flatness ≤5mm/2m, and joint height difference ≤2mm, in compliance with Qinglong's enterprise standard Q/QL 003-2023.

**IV. Industry Advantages of Qinglong's GRC Fixing Technology**

As a national high-tech enterprise and a drafting unit of GRC industry standards, Qinglong Group integrates full-chain resources covering detailed design, production, and construction installation to provide a “one-stop” fixing solution. With an annual capacity of 600,000 square meters at its production base in Nanning, Guangxi, it can respond quickly to customized needs; its professional construction team of more than 200 certified workers completes over 500,000 ㎡ of GRC installation work annually. From domestic real estate projects for Poly, Vanke, and others to overseas projects in Southeast Asia, Qinglong, guided by the philosophy of “meticulousness and the relentless pursuit of excellence”, ensures the safety and reliability of every GRC fixing joint, safeguarding both the artistic expression of building facades and structural safety.