What Are Prefabricated Panel Residential Houses
Prefabricated panel residential houses are houses built primarily with prefabricated panels. The following provides a detailed introduction from the aspects of the characteristics of prefabricated panels, construction methods, development history, advantages and disadvantages, as well as demolition and renovation policies:
Characteristics of prefabricated panels: Prefabricated panels are cement components prefabricated in factories. During production, a wooden mold is first nailed, and then steel bars are arranged and cement is poured to form the panels. They come in two types: solid and hollow. The hollow structure achieves lightweighting by reducing the non-load-bearing concrete, which reduces the weight of the components while ensuring a certain level of strength, facilitating transportation and installation.
Construction methods: After these prefabricated panels are made in advance in the factory, they are transported to the construction site. Workers use cranes to piece them together one by one, similar to assembling Lego blocks. This construction method is much faster than traditional house-building, significantly shortening the construction period and improving construction efficiency.
Development history: Prefabricated panel residential houses are an early application form of prefabricated concrete technology in China. China's prefabricated concrete technology originated in the 1950s. In the early days, influenced by the Soviet Union's prefabricated concrete building model, prefabricated concrete technology was widely used in multi-story residential and office buildings. The main structural forms included assembled large-panel structures, and prefabricated panel residential houses were one of them.
Advantages and disadvantages: Prefabricated panel residential houses have some drawbacks. For example, their earthquake resistance is not very good. In the event of natural disasters such as earthquakes, the safety of the houses is relatively low. They are also prone to cracking after long-term use, affecting the appearance and service life of the houses. However, they also have their own advantages, such as fast construction speed and relatively low cost.
Demolition and renovation policies: Nowadays, many prefabricated panel residential houses have entered their 'senior years' and are experiencing various problems. According to the new regulations in 2025, only three types of prefabricated panel residential houses will be demolished: those classified as severely dangerous at the prefecture level (such as those with foundation subsidence exceeding 5 centimeters, wall cracks large enough to insert coins, or earthquake resistance less than 70% of the current standard), those blocking planned developments (houses exactly on the planned land for subways or schools), and those over 25 years old where renovation is more cost-effective than demolition. The remaining 80% will mainly undergo renovation.
