Prefabricated Houses in the 1970s

Prefabricated houses built in the 1970s were prefabricated concrete panel houses constructed to alleviate the housing shortage in cities. They had the advantages of fast construction and low cost, but also suffered from issues such as poor strength and short lifespan. There are still a large number of them in existence today, with some needing to be demolished and others capable of being renovated and upgraded, so they cannot all be demolished and rebuilt.

Construction Background and Method

In the 1970s, to address the severe housing shortage in cities, prefabricated houses emerged. They adopted the "industrial housing" model, where the main structural components such as wall panels, floor slabs, beams, and columns were produced in factories in advance and then transported to the construction site for assembly using cranes.

Construction Advantages

• Fast Speed: The construction period was significantly shortened. While it took two to three years to build an old-style brick-and-concrete house, a prefabricated house could be completed in just a few months, making it particularly suitable for projects with tight deadlines and urgent construction needs.
• Low Cost: The construction cost was moderate, effectively solving the housing problems for some workers and residents at that time.

Existing Defects

• Poor Overall Strength: They had weak earthquake resistance. The prefabricated panels without rigid steel connections were prone to cracks and water leakage over time, and also suffered from poor sound insulation and insufficient durability.
• Short Design Lifespan: The overall design lifespan was about 40 years. Nowadays, many have exceeded their "service life," and potential safety hazards are gradually emerging.
• Poor Living Experience: There were issues such as poor thermal insulation, sound insulation, and water seepage. The house design lacked humanization, with problems like kitchens and bathrooms having no windows, narrow living rooms, and dim lighting.

Current Situation and Policies

• Quantity: A large number of prefabricated panel houses were built in the 1970s and 1980s. There are still about 120 million of them in existence, with about 80 million in urban areas, accounting for about 20% of the total urban housing stock.
• Official Policies: The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has clearly stated that some prefabricated houses "must be demolished" and no new prefabricated houses will be built. Those that are "over-served" or "have hidden dangers" will be resolutely demolished; those without obvious safety hazards will be "renovated and upgraded in an orderly manner." Priority will be given to demolishing houses identified as dangerous (Class D is "severely dangerous") and those that must give way to urban planning.

Reasons for Not Demolishing and Rebuilding All of Them

• Diverse Opinions among Residents: Young people hope for demolition and reconstruction, while the elderly have emotional attachments to the old houses and oppose demolition.
• Uneven Quality: Some are well-maintained and can be renovated and upgraded, while others have become dangerous houses due to shoddy workmanship and long-term disrepair, so they cannot be treated the same.
• Large Quantity: It is unrealistic to demolish and rebuild all of them in a short period, and it would also affect the urban environment, so a gradual approach is needed.
• Funding Issues for Reconstruction: It is difficult for residents to share the costs, and there are often disagreements when applying for government special renovation funds or when developers invest in compensation plans.