Renovation of Brick-Concrete Prefabricated Panel Houses

The renovation of brick-concrete prefabricated panel houses must strictly adhere to structural safety standards, focusing on four key aspects: plumbing and electrical renovation, wall modification, concealed works, and spatial transformation.

1. Plumbing and Electrical Renovation: Prohibit Horizontal Damage to Prefabricated Panels

Horizontal grooving on prefabricated floor panels is strictly prohibited, as horizontal cutting can lead to the risk of panel fracture. Lighting wiring should follow vertical grooves along the wall base or be routed from the floor. If wiring needs to pass through panels, it must be done at newly created openings, and horizontal cutting of panels is strictly forbidden. Additionally, when burying plumbing and electrical lines, avoid cutting through wall reinforcement bars. Use paraffin tubes to protect the lines and prevent cutting the reinforcement bars, which could compromise structural stability.

2. Wall Modification: Differentiate Between Load-Bearing and Non-Load-Bearing Structures

1. Load-Bearing Structures Must Remain Intact: Prefabricated panel walls bear vertical load transfer functions and must not be removed or have holes cut into them. Brick walls thicker than 24 centimeters are mostly load-bearing walls, with internal reinforcement bars forming an integrated load-bearing system with the floor panels. Removing them can cause cascading structural damage.
2. Non-Load-Bearing Walls Require Caution: Before removing non-load-bearing walls, check their connection methods to the main structure and confirm the absence of concealed piping or reinforcement components before proceeding with construction. For example, the counterweight wall piers on balconies must not be removed, as doing so can reduce the balcony's load-bearing capacity by 30%-50%.

3. Concealed Works: Waterproofing and Load Control Are Key

1. Waterproofing: Thoroughly redo your own waterproofing and coordinate with neighbors to address any leakage points above to prevent future wall bubbling and mold.
2. Water Testing: Load testing must be conducted to ensure it does not exceed design values (e.g., the standard live load for balconies is 2.5 kN/㎡).
3. Line Protection: When burying lines, strictly avoid cutting through wall reinforcement bars. Use paraffin tubes for protection and avoid reinforcement bar locations to ensure structural safety.

4. Spatial Transformation: Focus on 'Subtraction' and Protection

Brick-concrete structures have smaller room dimensions, and room spans should not be excessively large. Major layout changes require calculations and analysis by professional structural engineers. Renovation should prioritize 'subtraction' and protection, with aesthetics achieved through meticulous control of concealed works, such as optimizing line layouts and enhancing waterproofing performance to indirectly improve the living experience.

5. Legal and Construction Standards: Tripartite Confirmation Is Essential

Removing load-bearing structures requires submitting structural safety certificates to the property management. Unauthorized construction can result in fines and responsibility for repair costs. The construction process must be supervised throughout, with a focus on verifying the quality of concealed works such as reinforcement bar tying and concrete pouring to ensure the renovated building meets the requirements of the 'Building Structural Load Code'.