Characteristics of Prefabricated Panel Structure Houses

Prefabricated panel structure houses are built with prefabricated panels as the main components and have unique characteristics. The following is an introduction from several aspects including construction method, connection method, main materials, architectural form, advantages, and disadvantages:

Construction Method: Prefabricated panel structure houses are constructed using prefabricated panels as the main components. Prefabricated panels are cement components made in factories. During production, a wooden model is first nailed, and then steel bars are arranged and cement is poured to form the panels, which come in two types: solid and hollow. The hollow structure achieves lightweighting by reducing the non-load-bearing concrete. Components such as floor slabs and wall panels are prefabricated in the factory and then transported to the site for hoisting, resulting in relatively high construction efficiency.

Connection Method: Components are usually connected by welding, anchoring, or cast-in-place concrete. However, this connection method makes the overall rigidity slightly weaker than that of cast-in-place structures.

Main Materials: Reinforced concrete is mainly used, and some components adopt prestressed technology to enhance the load-bearing capacity and meet the load-bearing requirements of the house.

Architectural Form: They are mostly multi-story residential buildings with 5 - 6 floors, commonly seen in staff dormitories and old urban residential areas from the 1970s to the 1990s. They were an important architectural form to meet housing demands at that time.

Advantages: They have fast construction speed and low cost. During periods of rapid growth in housing demand, they can quickly provide a large number of houses, greatly meeting the living needs of people at that time.

Disadvantages:

• Insufficient Seismic Performance: Although a certain amount of steel bars are added to the prefabricated panels, the overall seismic capacity is still inferior to that of modern buildings. When facing natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods, the safety precautions are clearly inadequate.
• Poor Sound Insulation and Thermal Insulation: The living experience is not good. The indoor environment is hot in summer and cold in winter, and the sounds of neighbors can be clearly heard, affecting the quality of life.
• Difficult to Adjust the Internal Structure: Large-scale modifications are almost not allowed. Every wall may be related to the overall structure, making it difficult for residents to customize their living space according to personal needs.
• Risk of Water Seepage: Over time, cement components may develop cracks, and the gaps between components may increase, raising the risk of water seepage between floors.
• Short Service Life: The designed service life is about 30 to 50 years. Most of them were built in the 1970s to the 1990s, and many are approaching or have exceeded the intended service life, showing signs of aging.