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The importance of castings and forgings to service life in building construction

Submitted by anonymous » Fri 18-Jul-2025, 16:41 Subject Area: General Keywords: castings, forgings, Building construction	0 member ratings

In modern building design and construction, the selection of materials and processing technology directly affect the safety performance and service life of buildings. As a key component of building structures, the quality and performance of custom castings and forgings play a decisive role in the overall durability of buildings. This article will explore the importance of castings and forgings in building construction and analyze their multi-faceted impact on the service life of buildings.

1. Basic concepts and classifications of castings and forgings
Castings and forgings refer to metal components manufactured by casting or forging processes. Casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold and cooling it into shape, while forging is a processing method that uses external force to plastically deform metal billets to obtain the desired shape and performance.

Commonly used castings and forgings in construction include:

Steel structure connectors (nodes, supports, etc.)

Large forgings for bridges

Construction machinery parts

Pipeline system connectors

Special components for seismic structures

These components often bear key mechanical functions in building structures, and their failure may lead to the destruction of the entire structural system.

2. The mechanism of the impact of casting and forging quality on the life of buildings

1. Guarantee of mechanical properties
High-quality castings and forgings have excellent strength, toughness and fatigue performance, and can withstand various static and dynamic loads encountered by buildings during use. Especially for high-rise buildings and large-span structures, the mechanical properties of castings and forgings directly determine the performance of the structure in extreme weather (such as typhoons, blizzards) or accidental events (such as earthquakes).

2. Corrosion resistance
Construction castings and forgings usually need to have good corrosion resistance to resist chemical erosion in the atmosphere, rainwater and certain special environments. Through reasonable material selection (such as stainless steel, weathering steel) and surface treatment processes (such as hot-dip galvanizing, spraying), the service life of castings and forgings can be significantly extended, thereby extending the overall life of the building.

3. Anti-fatigue properties
Building structures are subjected to cyclic loads during long-term use, and the anti-fatigue properties of castings and forgings are particularly important. The forging process can eliminate internal defects in the metal, refine the grains, and greatly increase the fatigue limit of the material. This is crucial for high-rise buildings that frequently withstand wind vibration and bridge structures that are subject to vehicle loads.

3. Improvement of the performance of building components by casting and forging technology

1. Advantages of casting technology
Modern precision casting technology can produce large components with complex shapes and precise dimensions, reducing the amount of subsequent processing. By optimizing the casting process through computer simulation, the generation of defects such as shrinkage holes and pores can be effectively controlled, and the intrinsic quality of castings can be improved.

2. Characteristics of forging technology
Forging can significantly improve the microstructure of metals and improve the strength and toughness of materials. For key load-bearing components in buildings, such as high-strength bolts and prestressed anchors, forging technology is a necessary means to ensure their performance. In particular, large free forgings play an irreplaceable role in major engineering buildings such as nuclear power and hydropower.

3. Application of composite technology
Some special building components are manufactured by casting and forging composite technology, which combines the shape adaptability of casting and the performance superiority of forging. This process shows unique advantages in the manufacture of super-large and special-shaped structural parts, and provides technical support for the innovative design of modern buildings.

4. Typical case analysis

1. Steel structure nodes of high-rise buildings
In super-high-rise buildings such as the Shanghai Tower, high-performance cast steel parts are used in steel structure nodes. These castings are strictly controlled to ensure the ability to withstand complex stresses throughout the life cycle of the building, and their design life matches the main structure of the building.

2. Large-span bridge forgings
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge uses a large number of custom large forgings , such as anchor rods and cable saddles. These forgings have excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance after special heat treatment processes, and the design service life is up to 120 years.

3. Historical building restoration cases
In the restoration of historical buildings such as Notre Dame de Paris, metal components made by traditional forging technology have shown excellent durability. Some original parts have remained intact after hundreds of years, proving the long-term performance stability of high-quality castings and forgings.

V. Quality Control and Standard System
In order to ensure the long-term performance of building castings and forgings, a series of strict standard systems have been established internationally and domestically:

Material standards: such as the chemical composition and mechanical properties requirements of building castings and forgings in ASTM, EN, and GB

Process standards: specify key process parameters such as heat treatment and non-destructive testing

Acceptance standards: clarify the allowable limits of dimensional tolerances, surface quality, and internal defects

Implementing full-process quality control and strict testing from raw materials to finished products is a necessary measure to ensure that castings and forgings meet the longevity requirements of buildings.

VI. Future development trends
Application of new materials: Application of high-strength and high-toughness alloys and composite materials in building castings and forgings

Intelligent manufacturing: Digital and intelligent casting and forging technologies improve product consistency and reliability

Life prediction technology: Component remaining life assessment method based on big data and the Internet of Things

Green manufacturing: Promotion of low-carbon and environmentally friendly processes in casting and forging production

These technological advances will further enhance the performance of castings and forgings in buildings and provide new possibilities for extending the service life of buildings.

Conclusion
As the "critical few" in construction, the quality of castings and forgings directly affects the overall performance and life of the building structure. Through scientific material selection, advanced technology and strict quality control, high-quality castings and forgings can ensure the safety and reliability of buildings for decades or even hundreds of years. With the advancement of technology and the improvement of standards, castings and forgings will play a more important role in extending the service life of buildings and promoting the sustainable development of the construction industry. Architects, engineers and construction parties should pay full attention to the selection and application of castings and forgings, and regard them as strategic elements to ensure the long-term performance of buildings.

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