Large-Span Prefabricated House Structure

The construction of large-span prefabricated houses requires the integration of the industrial advantages of modular buildings and specialized technologies for large-span structures. However, there is currently a lack of mature integrated solutions, and key technologies such as module connection nodes and lightweight components need to be breakthrough.

I. Industrial Advantages of Modular Building Foundation Structures

Modular buildings are prefabricated in factories as independent modules (including ceilings, floors, plumbing and electrical conduits, etc.), enabling rapid on-site assembly. Their core advantages include:

• High construction efficiency: A Shenzhen affordable housing project used 6,028 concrete modules to assemble a nearly 100-meter-high residential building, reducing the construction period from 2.5-3 years to 1 year, a reduction of over 60%.
• Strong quality control: High-precision positioning (with errors measured in millimeters) and automated production lines reduce on-site human errors, ensuring structural stability.
• High standardization: Module designs are reusable and suitable for small to medium-span scenarios (such as residential buildings and affordable housing), but current applications are mostly concentrated in buildings with spans under 20 meters.

II. Technical Paths and Prefabrication Potential of Large-Span Structures

Large-span structures need to address the load-bearing issues of roofs and floors, with technical paths including:

• Roof systems: For spans over 40 meters, a simple roof truss + purlin system is used; for spans over 50-60 meters, a complex roof truss + main purlin + purlin system is employed, enhancing load-bearing capacity through high-strength prestressed components (such as steel trusses).
• Floor systems: For spans of 20-50 meters, options include reinforced concrete open-web trusses,空腹 trusses, or planar steel trusses, with structural selection based on span ranges (e.g., 20-25 meters, 25-30 meters).
• Prefabrication direction: If large-span structures are decomposed into transportable prefabricated units (such as truss segments, grid modules) and assembled on-site using mechanical connection technologies, the integration of "modularization + large-span" can be achieved. However, issues such as the mechanical performance of connection nodes between modules (e.g., shear and bending resistance) and overall stability need to be resolved, with no mature cases or technical standards currently available.

III. Industry Trends and Key Challenges

• Market size growth: The modular building market is expected to exceed $142.8 billion by 2030, but applications are still mainly in small to medium spans. Large-span scenarios require breakthroughs in industrial foundations (such as technical systems and production clusters).
• Technical bottlenecks: Key technologies such as modular large-span connection nodes (e.g., high-strength bolts, welded joints) and lightweight prefabricated components (e.g., carbon fiber composites) need to be developed to balance industrial production with personalized design needs.
• Conflict between standardization and personalization: Large-span buildings often require customized designs, while modular buildings rely on standardized modules. The integration of the two requires innovative design methods (such as parametric design, variable module systems).

In summary, the construction of large-span prefabricated houses requires interdisciplinary technological integration to extend modular buildings to large-span scenarios. However, core issues such as connection nodes and material lightweighting need to be resolved, and it is currently still in the research and development stage.