diff --git a/cpp/src/replace/clamp.cu b/cpp/src/replace/clamp.cu
index fe5a9cfbd71..31ffc76a4a5 100644
--- a/cpp/src/replace/clamp.cu
+++ b/cpp/src/replace/clamp.cu
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include <cudf/replace.hpp>
 #include <cudf/scalar/scalar.hpp>
 #include <cudf/scalar/scalar_device_view.cuh>
-#include <cudf/strings/detail/strings_children.cuh>
+#include <cudf/strings/detail/strings_column_factories.cuh>
 #include <cudf/strings/detail/utilities.cuh>
 #include <cudf/strings/strings_column_view.hpp>
 #include <cudf/types.hpp>
@@ -52,26 +52,22 @@ namespace {
 
 template <typename OptionalScalarIterator, typename ReplaceScalarIterator>
 struct clamp_strings_fn {
+  using string_index_pair = cudf::strings::detail::string_index_pair;
   column_device_view const d_strings;
   OptionalScalarIterator lo_itr;
   ReplaceScalarIterator lo_replace_itr;
   OptionalScalarIterator hi_itr;
   ReplaceScalarIterator hi_replace_itr;
-  size_type* d_offsets{};
-  char* d_chars{};
 
-  __device__ void operator()(size_type idx) const
+  __device__ string_index_pair operator()(size_type idx) const
   {
-    if (d_strings.is_null(idx)) {
-      if (!d_chars) { d_offsets[idx] = 0; }
-      return;
-    }
+    if (d_strings.is_null(idx)) { return string_index_pair{nullptr, 0}; }
+
     auto const element      = d_strings.element<string_view>(idx);
     auto const d_lo         = (*lo_itr).value_or(element);
     auto const d_hi         = (*hi_itr).value_or(element);
     auto const d_lo_replace = *(*lo_replace_itr);
     auto const d_hi_replace = *(*hi_replace_itr);
-    auto d_output           = d_chars ? d_chars + d_offsets[idx] : nullptr;
 
     auto d_str = [d_lo, d_lo_replace, d_hi, d_hi_replace, element] {
       if (element < d_lo) { return d_lo_replace; }
@@ -79,11 +75,9 @@ struct clamp_strings_fn {
       return element;
     }();
 
-    if (d_output) {
-      cudf::strings::detail::copy_string(d_output, d_str);
-    } else {
-      d_offsets[idx] = d_str.size_bytes();
-    }
+    // ensures an empty string is not converted to a null row
+    return !d_str.empty() ? string_index_pair{d_str.data(), d_str.size_bytes()}
+                          : string_index_pair{"", 0};
   }
 };
 
@@ -101,14 +95,14 @@ std::unique_ptr<cudf::column> clamp_string_column(strings_column_view const& inp
 
   auto fn = clamp_strings_fn<OptionalScalarIterator, ReplaceScalarIterator>{
     d_input, lo_itr, lo_replace_itr, hi_itr, hi_replace_itr};
-  auto [offsets_column, chars] =
-    cudf::strings::detail::make_strings_children(fn, input.size(), stream, mr);
-
-  return make_strings_column(input.size(),
-                             std::move(offsets_column),
-                             chars.release(),
-                             input.null_count(),
-                             std::move(cudf::detail::copy_bitmask(input.parent(), stream, mr)));
+  rmm::device_uvector<cudf::strings::detail::string_index_pair> indices(input.size(), stream);
+  thrust::transform(rmm::exec_policy_nosync(stream),
+                    thrust::counting_iterator<size_type>(0),
+                    thrust::counting_iterator<size_type>(input.size()),
+                    indices.begin(),
+                    fn);
+
+  return cudf::strings::detail::make_strings_column(indices.begin(), indices.end(), stream, mr);
 }
 
 template <typename T, typename OptionalScalarIterator, typename ReplaceScalarIterator>