Old-style Prefabricated Panel Structure

The old-style prefabricated panel structure is a type of building constructed primarily using prefabricated panels, which are factory-made cement components with specific characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and handling policies.

Basic Information on Prefabricated Panel Structures

Prefabricated panels are made by first nailing wooden models, then laying out steel bars and pouring cement to form them. They come in two types: solid and hollow. The hollow structure achieves lightweighting by reducing the concrete in non-load-bearing parts. This building form originated in the early 20th century and was primarily used for floor slabs and roof insulation layers. In China, residential buildings constructed before 1985 often adopted this structure. Prefabricated panels have a wide range of applications in construction, such as cement panels covering ditches beside highways and cement panels used as insulation layers on rooftops.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Prefabricated Panel Houses

• Advantages: Fast construction, relatively controllable costs, and the ability to quickly resolve housing issues for a large population in a short time.
• Disadvantages: The floor slabs are spliced rather than poured as a whole, leading to numerous problems over time, such as aging of panel joints, roof leakage, exterior wall bulging, and disorganized piping. Additionally, there are shortcomings such as poor sound insulation, poor thermal insulation, and poor seismic performance. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the collapse rate of prefabricated panel houses in the disaster area was three times that of brick-concrete structures, fully demonstrating their inadequate seismic performance.

Current Situation and Handling Policies for Existing Prefabricated Panel Houses

Existing prefabricated panel houses generally have a service life of about 30-50 years. Since 2022, China has implemented renovation policies, focusing on repairing and renovating prefabricated panel houses and only demolishing buildings that meet the criteria for dangerous houses. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development adopts a "classified disposal, precise policy implementation" approach, handling them based on factors such as structural safety, functionality, and economic value, rather than simply demolishing them all. This approach takes into account the actual conditions of the houses while also considering the rational utilization of resources and the stable development of society.