Actual Prefabricated Housing

Actual prefabricated housing, also known as prefabricated modular construction, refers to a building form where building components are industrially produced and assembled on-site.

Main Types: These include panel-type, box-type, and frame-type prefabrication, with modular construction being a more integrated model. Panel-type prefabrication uses prefabricated wall panels and floor slabs as core components, allowing for expanded usable area but limited design flexibility. Box-type prefabrication combines prefabricated functional units, increasing construction speed by 50%-70%, but requiring higher transportation and lifting equipment. Frame-type prefabrication focuses on structural components like beams and columns, suitable for high-rise buildings.

Technology and Components: This encompasses prefabricated concrete structures and steel structures, with components including prefabricated beams, slabs, walls, and columns. Each component has a detailed 'ID card' recording project name, product model, production date, and other information. Steel bar positioning accuracy is measured in millimeters, ensuring quality control.

Construction Process: Buildings are disassembled into independent modules, manufactured in factories, and then transported to the site for assembly. For example, ceilings, walls, and bathroom waterproof layers are prefabricated in factories, with loose parts produced separately and then assembled, ultimately completing the assembly like building blocks. A social housing project in Shenzhen, Guangdong, used 6,028 concrete modules, reducing the completion and delivery time from 2.5-3 years to 1 year.

Advantages:

• Short Construction Period: Modular construction reduces the construction period by more than 60% compared to traditional buildings.
• Strong Environmental Protection: Construction waste is reduced by more than 70%, significantly alleviating issues such as on-site noise, dust, and traffic congestion.
• Low Cost: In the European and American markets, for example, a prefabricated house costing 200,000 RMB offers significant cost-effectiveness.
• High Quality: Industrial production ensures precise error control, with quality stability superior to on-site construction.

Limitations:

• Limited Design Flexibility: Panel-type prefabrication is constrained by component forms, making it difficult to achieve complex shapes.
• High Transportation and Lifting Requirements: Box-type prefabrication requires large-scale equipment support, increasing logistics costs.
• Strong Dependence on Industrial Foundation: Modular construction requires the coordinated development of technical systems, production systems, and industrial clusters.

Market Situation: China's exports of prefabricated housing have grown significantly, with the Guangzhou Customs district exporting 1.4 billion RMB worth of mobile homes in the first four months of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 38.1%. The global modular construction market is expected to exceed 142.8 billion USD by 2030.