Prefabricated Assembly Housing
Prefabricated assembly housing is a construction method that involves the industrial production of building components and their on-site assembly. It offers advantages such as shortened construction periods and reduced pollution, representing a modern industrial production approach.
Main Types and Technologies: Prefabricated assembly housing is primarily categorized into panel-based, box-based, and frame-based types. The technologies encompass prefabricated concrete structures and steel structures, with components including prefabricated beams, slabs, walls, and columns. Panel-based construction focuses on prefabricated wall panels and floor slabs, allowing for expanded usable area but with limited design flexibility. Box-based construction combines prefabricated functional units, increasing construction speed by 50%-70%, but requiring higher standards for transportation and lifting equipment. Modular construction represents an even more integrated model.
Development History: China's prefabricated concrete technology originated in the 1950s, initially applied in factory and residential construction. In the 1970s, the 'Three Modernizations' policy in construction led to the formation of technical systems such as large-panel structures and box structures. By the mid-1980s, the technology stagnated due to cost and quality issues but experienced a resurgence in the 21st century, driven by production efficiency and environmental advantages. Companies like Vanke Group have developed prefabricated shear wall residential structural systems and applied prefabricated frame technologies in projects, such as the Nanjing Jindi Yufang project, which utilized a prestressed prefabricated concrete integrated frame structural system.
Policies and Market: Prefabricated construction adopts standardized design, factory-based production, assembly-based construction, information-based management, and intelligent applications. By 2025, prefabricated buildings are expected to account for 80% of newly started construction projects in Hainan Province. Starting in 2026, all residential land parcels sold in Guangzhou will require prefabricated construction, with commercial and industrial land parcels adopting the technology where technically feasible. Chinese-made prefabricated houses are in high demand overseas, with Guangzhou Customs reporting exports of movable houses worth 1.4 billion yuan in the first four months of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 38.1%.
