House Cast-in-Place and Prefabricated Panels

There are significant differences between cast-in-place houses and prefabricated panel houses in terms of construction methods, performance, and applicable scenarios:

Construction Methods: For cast-in-place houses, workers first need to set up molds and bind steel bars, then pour concrete. After it solidifies and takes shape, an integral structure is formed, with seamless connections between beams, columns, and floor slabs. Prefabricated panels, on the other hand, are produced in a factory-based mode. Standard-sized cement panels are made in advance and then directly assembled on the construction site, with the construction process relying more on mechanical hoisting.

Performance Differences:

• Earthquake Resistance: Cast-in-place houses have strong structural continuity due to integral pouring, and their earthquake resistance fully meets current building standards. Prefabricated panel houses have weak connections between components. During an earthquake, the floor slabs and walls are prone to separation, and entire panels may directly fall, leading to severe collapses.
• Connection Stability: Cast-in-place houses have no independent component joints and have good integrity. The connection points of prefabricated panel houses are only treated with simple overlapping or filling, lacking the rigid support of ring beams and structural columns. When the foundation settles or the walls crack, it can easily cause misalignment and loosening of the panels.
• Material Reliability: The quality of concrete and steel bars in cast-in-place houses can be monitored on-site, providing relatively high assurance. Due to the decentralized production process of prefabricated panels, there are prone to issues of cutting corners, such as overly thin steel bars, insufficient concrete grades, and non-standard thicknesses, resulting in high brittleness and easy breakage.

Applicable Scenarios: The cast-in-place process is suitable for high-rise residential buildings, large-span spaces (such as shopping malls and stadiums), and areas requiring waterproofing and anti-seepage, such as bathrooms, because it can flexibly adjust the structure and ensure integrity. Prefabricated panels, due to their lower cost and faster construction, are mostly used in temporary buildings or projects with extremely tight budgets. However, strict treatment of joint waterproofing is required to avoid leakage.

Development Status: With the advancement of construction technology, cast-in-place concrete and prefabricated buildings (a combination of prefabricated components and cast-in-place construction) have gradually replaced traditional prefabricated panel houses. Existing prefabricated panel houses generally have problems such as weak earthquake resistance, poor sound insulation and heat insulation, and a service life of about 30-50 years. Since 2022, China has implemented a policy of renovating old buildings, focusing on repairing and renovating prefabricated panel houses and only demolishing those that meet the criteria for dangerous buildings. Some regions have already initiated systematic demolition work.