Prefabricated Modular House Maintenance
Maintenance of prefabricated modular houses should focus on aspects such as maintenance flexibility, life-cycle costs, and the design and maintenance of joint seams and connections.
Maintenance Flexibility: Most of the construction processes for prefabricated modular houses are completed in the factory, with only module assembly and cast-in-place connections required on-site. This construction method not only reduces issues such as noise, dust, construction waste, and traffic congestion during on-site construction but also facilitates subsequent maintenance. For example, a social housing project in Shenzhen, Guangdong, was assembled from 6,028 concrete modules. If a problem arises with a specific module, it can be individually replaced or repaired without the need for extensive renovation of the entire building, significantly improving maintenance efficiency.
Low Total Life-Cycle Costs: Although the initial construction cost of prefabricated houses may be 10%-30% higher than that of brick-and-mortar structures, their total costs are lower over the entire life cycle. Brick-and-mortar houses are prone to issues such as exterior wall cracking and water leakage during later use, requiring renovation, which often incurs high additional maintenance costs. In contrast, prefabricated modular houses have controlled construction quality, resulting in relatively lower maintenance costs in the later stages and greater economic efficiency over long-term use.
Key Maintenance of Joint Seams: The wall joint seams of prefabricated houses are a critical and challenging aspect of maintenance. Although factory production precision can reach the millimeter level, if on-site hoisting and sealant application processes are not properly executed, exterior wall water leakage issues may arise over time. In particular, some small rural manufacturers use inferior sealants to reduce costs, which can deteriorate and crack after three to five years. Therefore, during maintenance, it is essential to regularly inspect the sealing condition of joint seams and promptly replace aged or damaged sealants.
Design and Maintenance Points for Connections: The key to modular prefabricated structures lies in assembly connections. Proper assembly and reasonable design can ensure building functional requirements. However, connection points are also prone to issues and have slightly inferior seismic performance compared to cast-in-place houses. In non-seismic zones, prefabricated modular houses can meet requirements, but it is still necessary to conduct seismic performance analysis of the overall building structure and further implement seismic design to meet seismic design code parameters. During maintenance, attention should be paid to the structural stability of connection points to ensure compliance with seismic requirements.
