Prefabricated Floor Slabs for Building Floors
Prefabricated floor slabs for building floors were a commonly used floor form in early 20th-century architecture. They are engineering modules or panels, concrete prefabricated components produced and processed in prefabrication yards and directly transported to construction sites for installation.
Production Process
During production, a hollow mold is first made using wooden planks. After reinforcing bars are placed in the hollow part of the mold, cement is poured to fill the hollow section. After it dries, the wooden planks are knocked off to obtain the prefabricated slab. Prefabricated slabs come in two types: solid and hollow. The hollow structure achieves lightweighting by reducing the non-load-bearing concrete, which lowers material usage and overall weight while ensuring structural strength.
Application Scenarios
Prefabricated slabs are widely used in the construction field. In addition to serving as the main components of building floors, they can also be used as ditch cover plates beside highways and roof insulation layers. Prefabricated slab houses are buildings constructed primarily with prefabricated slabs. Most residential buildings constructed in China before 1985 adopted this type of structure.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages: Fast construction speed and labor-saving. A small team can complete the assembly in a short time, which also shortens the construction period and reduces costs.
Disadvantages: With the development of construction technology, cast-in-place concrete and prefabricated buildings are gradually replacing traditional prefabricated slab houses. Existing prefabricated slab houses generally have problems such as weak earthquake resistance and poor sound and heat insulation. Their service life is about 30 - 50 years, making it difficult to meet the safety and comfort requirements of modern buildings.
Policies and Current Situation
Since 2022, China has implemented a policy of urban renewal, focusing on the repair and renovation of prefabricated slab houses and only demolishing buildings that meet the criteria for dangerous structures. This policy aims to balance the protection of historical buildings with the safety needs of residents. By reinforcing and updating facilities, it extends the service life of prefabricated slab houses while avoiding the resource waste and social impacts caused by large-scale demolition.
