Construction of Prefabricated Concrete Houses
The construction of prefabricated concrete houses typically involves steps such as prefabricated component production, on-site preparation, component transportation, and assembly. It offers advantages such as shortened construction periods, reduced pollution, and broad application prospects.
I. Prefabricated Component Production
The main structure of the house is pre-cast in a factory into standardized concrete components, including beams, slabs, walls, and columns. During production, workers use custom molds to fix the steel reinforcement framework. After pouring the concrete, vibrators are used to eliminate internal air bubbles, ensuring the density of the components. After pouring, the components need to be cured for at least 28 days in a constant temperature and humidity environment to achieve a concrete strength of over 80% of the design value. Some high-precision components also undergo steam curing to accelerate the hardening process. Factory production enables quality traceability, with each component marked with the production date, strength grade, and quality inspection number.
II. On-Site Preparation
Before construction, foundation treatment must be completed: first, excavate to the design elevation and lay a 200mm thick gravel cushion as a moisture barrier; then, pour a 100mm thick C15 plain concrete base and embed guide steel plates for positioning the prefabricated piles. For soft soil foundations, static pressure piles or bored piles are used for reinforcement to ensure a foundation bearing capacity characteristic value of ≥150kPa. The site also needs to plan component stacking areas, set up dedicated lifting platforms, and reserve channels for embedding water and electricity pipelines.
III. Component Transportation and Assembly
During transportation, specialized flatbed trucks are used, with wooden blocks placed between components to prevent collisions. The weight per trip must not exceed road load limits. During on-site assembly, first, lift the prefabricated columns into position and secure them with bolts or sleeve grouting; then, install the prefabricated beams, using either dry connections (high-strength bolts) or wet connections (post-poured concrete) to form the framework system. For modular buildings, integrated modules such as entire bathrooms and kitchens are directly lifted and connected via flange plates for rapid water and electricity connection. During assembly, laser levels are used to monitor verticality in real-time, with errors controlled within 3mm.
IV. Technical Advantages
Compared to traditional cast-in-place processes, the construction period for prefabricated concrete houses is shortened by over 60%, and on-site labor is reduced by 50%. Modular buildings can have over 90% of the workload completed in the factory, with only assembly required on-site, significantly reducing noise and dust pollution. According to statistics, every 10,000 square meters of prefabricated construction can reduce construction waste by 80 tons and save 30% of water. In terms of quality, factory production ensures component dimensional deviations are controlled within ±2mm, and structural durability is increased by over 30%.
V. Application and Development
Prefabricated concrete technology in China began in the 1950s and was initially used for industrial plant construction. After the 21st century, with the improvement of the prefabricated building standard system, prefabricated technology has been widely applied in areas such as affordable housing, schools, and hospitals. In 2022, newly built prefabricated buildings accounted for 25% of the total, with prefabricated concrete structures accounting for over 60%. Chinese-developed modular houses have been exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other regions, demonstrating rapid deployment advantages in scenarios such as emergency hospitals and temporary housing.
