Shanghai GRC Facade Construction Process Explained: Key Points for Fabricating Complex Curved GRC Components

In the facade design of high-end public buildings and commercial complexes, GRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete), with its advantages of light weight, high strength, and exceptional design flexibility, has long been one of the preferred materials for irregular curved components. However, during implementation, many designers and project managers often encounter pain points such as insufficient construction precision, poor component adaptability, and later-stage cracking. As an industry service provider with nearly 30 years of full-chain GRC service experience, Qinglong GRC, drawing on hands-on experience from nearly a thousand delivered projects, today systematically breaks down the core process logic of GRC exterior wall construction in Shanghai, as well as the key processing points of irregular curved GRC components, helping you avoid common pitfalls in project implementation.

I. Standardized Process Logic for GRC Exterior Wall Construction in Shanghai

Unlike the installation logic of ordinary cement components, the core of GRC exterior wall construction is "pre-control first, precision matching." In particular, the East China region represented by Shanghai faces year-round climate characteristics such as high humidity during the plum rain season, strong winds in typhoon season, and winter temperature fluctuations, so its requirements for construction process rigor are far higher than in conventional regions. Through participating in the exterior wall construction of multiple landmark commercial projects in Shanghai, Qinglong GRC has summarized a standardized four-step construction process: the first is the preliminary substrate re-verification stage, in which 3D laser scanning technology must be used to conduct full-point surveying of deviations in the building's main structure, so as to avoid forcibly installing GRC components when main structure errors exceed 15mm, which would lead to subsequent stress concentration cracking; the second is the component pre-layout stage, in which the segmentation plan of GRC components must be further refined based on on-site measured data, ensuring the joint width of each component is controlled within the reasonable range of 8-12mm, so that uneven later caulking does not affect the aesthetics of the facade; the third is the anchoring system installation stage, in which hot-dip galvanized anti-rust embedded parts must be welded and fixed to the rebar of the main structure, rather than relying solely on expansion bolt anchoring—in view of Shanghai's strong typhoon climate, each GRC component must have no fewer than 4 anchoring points, and pull-out force tests must be performed to ensure the single-point tensile strength is no less than 2kN; the last is the on-site assembly and sealing stage, in which after assembly, 3D scanning must again be used to recheck the overall flatness of the facade, with deviations not exceeding 3mm, before sealing with neutral silicone weather-resistant sealant to prevent rainwater penetration from corroding the internal anchoring structure. For more industry information: +WeChat qlfsbl123

II. Core Processing Points for Irregular Curved GRC Components

For irregular curved GRC components favored by designers, precision in the processing stage directly determines the final result. The problems commonly seen among many manufacturers—insufficient shape restoration and poor curved surface smoothness—are essentially caused by inadequate control of key nodes in the processing stage. As a participating unit in compiling the "Technical Standard for Building Application of Glass Fiber Reinforced Cement (GRC)," Qinglong GRC has summarized three core points that must be strictly observed in irregular component processing: first, the mold-making stage must use CNC molds integrally formed via 3D scanning rather than traditional manual mold duplication, ensuring the minimum radius of curvature of curved surfaces can be stably controlled within 300mm, fully meeting the design requirements of the vast majority of complex curved surfaces; at the same time, the mold surface finish must reach Ra6.3 or above to prevent bumps and indentations on the final component surface; second, in the material proportioning stage, the orientation of glass fiber reinforcement must be adjusted according to the component's shape characteristics—for double-curved irregular components, a three-dimensionally interwoven glass fiber arrangement should be adopted instead of the conventional planar unidirectional arrangement, ensuring the bending strength of the component in all directions stably reaches above 20MPa, preventing curved surface fracture during transportation or installation; third, in the pre-assembly stage before leaving the factory, all irregular GRC components, once processed, must undergo 1:1 pre-assembly in the plant, verifying each component's number and the fit of its joints, and only after confirmation should they be protectively packaged and shipped to the site, avoiding the problem of components failing to match upon arrival and delaying the project construction schedule.

III. Core Criteria for Selecting a GRC Service Provider

When selecting GRC suppliers, many project owners fall into the misconception of looking only at quotations, and ultimately suffer project rework due to the manufacturer's insufficient processing capacity and lack of construction experience, which actually increases overall costs. For projects with GRC needs, first confirm whether the manufacturer has full-chain service capability covering detailed design, production, and construction installation, rather than being capable only of simple component processing—manufacturers like Qinglong GRC, with 28 years of industry experience, can offer shape implementation optimization suggestions at the design stage, preventing designs that cannot be realized; second, confirm the manufacturer's track record with similar past projects, especially delivered cases of irregular curved surface projects, and whether it possesses the corresponding construction qualifications and quality assurance system, so as to avoid subsequent safety hazards such as component detachment and cracking; finally, pay attention to the manufacturer's after-sales maintenance capability—reputable GRC service providers offer a warranty period of at least 5 years as well as regular facade inspection services, safeguarding the long-term performance of the building facade. For more industry information: +WeChat qlfsbl123

As a leading GRC customization manufacturer in China in terms of scale, Qinglong GRC now has a GRC product production capacity of 600,000 square meters per year and a complete service network across the country. It has provided full-chain services for GRC exterior walls and irregular components to hundreds of landmark public buildings and commercial complex projects across the country, and looks forward to providing professional solutions for more project owners in need, helping more high-quality architectural works come to fruition.