UHPC tile guides for specifiers

Plain-English guides for architects, designers and specifiers evaluating ultra-high performance concrete. Figures are typical ranges — always confirm with the manufacturer's data for the specific product.

• What is UHPC?

  UHPC explained: what ultra-high performance concrete is made of, how it differs from normal concrete, and why it suits thin, lightweight tiles and panels.

• Weight per m²

  Typical weight per square metre of UHPC tiles and panels, with worked examples and comparisons against natural stone, porcelain, GRC, fibre cement and precast concrete.

• Strength & thickness

  How UHPC's compressive and flexural strength allow thin tiles and panels, what determines the thickness you need, and what to ask manufacturers.

• Fire performance

  How UHPC concrete tiles and panels behave in fire, what reaction-to-fire classifications mean, and what evidence to request when specifying for facades.

• Frost & weather durability

  Why UHPC tiles and panels resist freeze–thaw, moisture, UV and pollution, and what affects long-term appearance outdoors.

• Installation & fixing

  How UHPC tiles and panels are installed: adhesive bonding for interiors and floors, visible and concealed mechanical fixings for rainscreen facades, and pedestals for terraces.

• Cleaning & maintenance

  How to clean, seal and maintain UHPC concrete tiles and panels indoors and outdoors, including stain prevention and what to avoid.

• Sustainability & carbon

  An honest look at UHPC's environmental profile: higher cement content per m³, less material per m², long service life, and how to compare products using EPDs.

• Cost factors

  What drives the cost of UHPC concrete tiles and panels — size, thickness, finish, customisation, volume, fixings and logistics — and how to get an accurate quote.

• Finishes, colours & textures

  The range of finishes, colours and 3D textures available in UHPC concrete tiles and panels, and how to specify and approve them.

• How to specify UHPC

  A practical checklist for specifying UHPC concrete tiles and cladding panels: performance requirements, documentation, samples, mock-ups and procurement.