Analysis of Key Technologies and Design Points for the Combined Application of UHPC Curtain Walls and Glass Curtain Walls

In contemporary architectural design, the combined application of UHPC (Ultra-High Performance Concrete) curtain walls and glass curtain walls is becoming an innovative choice for balancing architectural aesthetics and functionality. This material combination retains the transparency and lightness of glass curtain walls while endowing buildings with unique artistic expressiveness through UHPC's ultra-high strength and design freedom. As an industry leader with 28 years of deep expertise in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group, leveraging its full-chain technical advantages, has accumulated extensive experience in combined curtain wall applications across hundreds of landmark projects. This article systematically analyzes the key technical points of the collaborative design of these two materials.

I. Material Performance Synergy: Complementary Performance Strategies of UHPC and Glass

The combined application of UHPC curtain walls and glass curtain walls must first be built on a scientific matching of material properties. UHPC offers mechanical advantages with compressive strength exceeding 150MPa and an elastic modulus of up to 40GPa, and its ultra-thin characteristics (as thin as 20mm) can effectively reduce the curtain wall's self-weight, creating synergy with the lightweight nature of glass. In the Nanjing East Road Century Plaza renovation project, the Qinglong team used 30mm thick UHPC light-transmitting concrete panels combined with ultra-white glass, which not only addressed the safety hazard of glass fragility through UHPC's fiber reinforcement system, but also utilized its light transmittance of 15%-20% to achieve dual effects of natural daylighting during the day and lighting art at night.

The thermal reflection performance of glass curtain walls and the thermal insulation construction of UHPC require systematic design. It is recommended to adopt a composite construction of "UHPC decorative layer + insulation layer + structural layer". With Qinglong's patented thermal bridge break design (Patent No. ZL20212XXXXXXX.X), the curtain wall's heat transfer coefficient can be reduced to below 1.8W/(㎡·K). In the Dongguan Women and Children's Activity Center project, this combined solution successfully addressed the climate challenges of high temperature and high humidity in the Pearl River Delta region, winning the Silver Award of the AALBORG WHITE Cup GRC Building Engineering Innovation Award.

II. Structural Safety Design: Connection Nodes and Seismic Performance Optimization

The core of structural safety for combined curtain walls lies in the refined treatment of node design. The connection between UHPC components and glass panels requires a flexible seismic system. Qinglong's independently developed stainless steel eccentric connectors can achieve ±30mm of three-dimensional adjustment, effectively absorbing structural displacement under seismic action. In a commercial complex project in Guangzhou, this node solution passed shaking table tests for a seismic fortification intensity of 9 degrees, ensuring the stability of the curtain wall system under extreme conditions.

Collaborative deformation control under wind load is a key technical challenge. According to the requirements of the "Technical Specification for Building Curtain Wall Engineering" GB/T 21086-2007, the displacement difference between the two must be calculated through finite element simulation. When UHPC sunshade cantilever panels are combined with glass curtain walls, the cantilever length should not exceed 1.5 meters, or a segmented connection design should be adopted. The BIM parametric node library developed by Qinglong's technical team can quickly complete node optimization design under different working conditions, reducing the traditional 2-week design cycle to 3 days.

III. Achieving Aesthetic Effects: Holistic Creation of Form, Color, and Light

UHPC's ultra-high plasticity provides unlimited possibilities for artistic curtain wall forms. Through mold forming processes, double-curved shapes with a minimum radius of curvature of 300mm can be achieved, forming rich facade rhythms with the flat or single-curved forms of glass. In a landmark project in Saudi Arabia, the Qinglong team used UHPC stone-textured panels combined with low-e glass, which not only reproduced the texture of traditional sandstone but also created dynamic facade effects that change with light through the glass's reflective properties, perfectly presenting the design concept of "Desert Light".

The coordination and unity of the color system must run through the entire design process. UHPC can achieve color matching for over 90% of the RAL color card through mineral pigments, and it is recommended to form contrast or gradient relationships with the glass's coating colors. The spectrophotometer equipped in Qinglong's color laboratory ensures a batch-to-batch color difference of ΔE≤2.0. In a cultural center project in Shenzhen, a gradient combination of UHPC dark gray and glass blue-gray successfully created the visual effect of "Sea and Sky Blending".

IV. Full Lifecycle Management: Integrated Solutions from Detailed Design to After-Sales Maintenance

The successful application of combined curtain walls relies on professional service support throughout the entire process. As a National High-Tech Enterprise, Qinglong has established a full-chain system covering BIM detailed design, digital production, and intelligent installation. In the detailed design phase, the Rhino+Grasshopper parametric design platform enables precise alignment between UHPC components and glass panels; in production, automated production lines (with an annual capacity of 600,000 square meters) ensure component precision errors of ≤2mm; in installation, 3D laser scanning technology achieves "zero-error" splicing.

A long-term maintenance system is an important guarantee for ensuring curtain wall performance. Qinglong's original "Curtain Wall Health Monitoring System" embeds RFID chips and sensors in UHPC components to monitor key parameters such as temperature deformation and stress conditions in real time. Combined with regular on-site inspections (once a year), it forms a full-lifecycle maintenance archive. This system has been applied in multiple key domestic projects, effectively reducing curtain wall maintenance costs by more than 30%.

The combined application of UHPC curtain walls and glass curtain walls represents a deep integration of modern building material technology and aesthetic concepts. As a participant in industry standard-setting (the "General Technical Conditions for Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) Non-Load-Bearing Components" Plan No. 2024-0232T-JC), Qinglong Group will continue to uphold its mission of "Creating Beautiful Architecture", providing designers and owners with integrated solutions from conceptual design to final delivery, and driving the innovative development of architectural decorative material technology. Choosing a UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP manufacturer with full-chain service capabilities is key to ensuring the successful implementation of combined curtain wall projects.