The market demand for bolt ball grid structures is mainly concentrated in the following areas. The demand characteristics in these areas are highly consistent with the structural characteristics, and they show the characteristics of continuous deepening in traditional areas and rapid expansion in emerging areas:
Sports stadiums and public buildings
Sports stadiums are typical application scenarios of bolt ball grid structures. Their large span and flexible spatial layout requirements are perfectly matched with the advantages of grid structures. For example, the Tianjin Maritime Vocational College Aquatic Teaching and Training Center uses a 60-meter, large-span bolt ball grid to build a multifunctional training space, including a standard swimming pool and a diving pool.
Such projects not only pursue functionality, but also pay attention to beautiful shapes. For example, the comprehensive training hall of the Zhanjiang Olympic Sports Center uses the “seashell” shape as the design core, and achieves an ultra-large projection area of 22,000 square meters through special-shaped bolt ball grids. In addition, small and medium-sized public buildings such as national fitness centers and swimming pools have also become important markets due to the economy and convenience of grid structures. In 2023-2024, sports stadium projects accounted for 37% of public building orders.
Transportation hubs and infrastructure
High-speed railway stations, airport terminals, and other transportation hubs have extremely high requirements for spatial openness and structural stability. Bolt-ball grids have become the first choice due to their characteristics of “lightweight, high strength, and fast assembly”. The station building of Yijun Station of Xi’an-Yanzhou High-speed Railway adopts a 33-meter-span bolt-ball grid.
It was installed in only 13 days through the “ground assembly + high-altitude loose assembly” process, demonstrating efficient construction capabilities. High-speed railway station buildings such as Fengtai South Station of Shanghehang Railway also use this structure. The advantages of “good wind, snow, and shock absorption” meet the safety needs of railway hubs. With the advancement of the construction of the “eight vertical and eight horizontal” high-speed railway network and smart airports, demand in the transportation hub field will continue to increase.
Industrial plants and warehousing and logistics
The demand for large-span, transformable spaces in the industrial construction sector has driven the widespread use of bolted ball grids. For example, the standardized plant in the photovoltaic industrial park uses bolted ball grid roofs, with a single project using 1,500 tons of steel, meeting the requirements of the new energy industry for a clean production environment.
In traditional industrial plants such as automobile manufacturing bases and mechanical processing workshops, the grid structure can carry dynamic loads such as suspended cranes through optimized node design. The research results of Professor Lei Honggang’s team provide a basis for anti-fatigue design for such applications.
In the field of logistics and warehousing, bolted ball grid storage silos achieve scaffolding-free construction through installation technology, significantly reducing costs, and have been promoted in industries such as coal mines and power plants.
New energy and new infrastructure
The explosive growth of the new energy industry has opened up a new market for bolt ball grids. In 2023, the purchase volume of bolt ball node steel frames for photovoltaic brackets surged by 83% year-on-year, mainly used in the adjustable bracket system of distributed photovoltaic power stations.
The battery workshop of the Dongshan 5GW high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon battery project uses a 440m × 140m ultra-large span grid, which was capped 13 days ahead of schedule through the “double machine hoisting and high-altitude scattered assembly” process, reflecting the construction speed of new energy plants. Data center clusters are also in high demand. Their high load and high stability requirements have prompted the use of bolt ball grids in machine-building construction. The annual growth rate of related projects in 2023 reached 68%.
Commercial complexes and exhibition buildings
With the implementation of the prefabricated building policy, the demand for bolt-ball grids with a high degree of prefabrication in commercial complexes has increased significantly. In 2023, the proportion of orders for such projects has reached 28%, and developers are more inclined to choose grid structures that are both economical and aesthetically pleasing. In the field of exhibition halls, the flexible modeling ability of bolt-ball grids has been fully utilized. For example, an international exhibition center has achieved the architectural effect of “flowing curves” through a mixed connection method of bolt balls and welded balls, while meeting the space requirements of large-span exhibition halls.
Other application areas
In the field of education and medical care, buildings such as university gymnasiums and hospital outpatient buildings have begun to adopt bolt ball grid structures due to the demand for complex functions. For example, a university’s weatherproof playground combines teaching and training functions, and uses bolt ball grids to achieve a 36-meter span without columns. In addition, municipal facilities such as large parking buildings and bus hubs are gradually introducing this structure, using its lightweight characteristics to reduce foundation loads.
Demand drivers:
- Policy orientation: The national “14th Five-Year Plan” clearly defines the proportion of prefabricated buildings, and bolt ball grids have become the direction of policy encouragement due to their high prefabrication rate.
- Technology upgrade: The application of high-strength steel (such as Q460 grade) and BIM technology has enabled the grid span to exceed 100 meters, and the node design error is controlled within 3 mm.
- Cost advantage: Compared with traditional steel structures, bolt ball grids can reduce steel consumption by 20%, shorten the construction period by 30%, and reduce the overall cost by 15%-20%.
- Sustainability: The recycling rate of waste grids exceeds 90%, which meets the requirements of green buildings, and is more competitive in green infrastructure, such as new energy and data centers.
Future trends:
- Deepening of traditional fields: Sports stadiums are transformed into multifunctional complexes, and transportation hubs combined with commercial development have given rise to more complex modeling needs.
- Emerging fields are booming: New energy infrastructure (such as hydrogen energy industrial parks) and low-altitude economic supporting facilities (drone take-off and landing sites) will become new growth points.
- Technology integration: The popularization of intelligent monitoring systems (such as fiber grating sensors) has upgraded the bolt ball grid from a “structural carrier” to a “smart carrier”, and the Hangzhou Asian Games venues have verified its early warning capabilities.
In summary, the bolt ball grid structure, with its technical economy and functional adaptability, continues to expand its market boundaries driven by the needs of multiple fields, and will continue to maintain growth vitality in the future, in the wave of green infrastructure and smart construction.
