Current Status of Houses with Collapsed Prefabricated Slabs

The current status of houses with collapsed prefabricated slabs (old prefabricated slab buildings) mainly involves three issues: concerning safety, outdated residential functions, and advancing policy governance.

Concerning Safety Conditions

In terms of structural safety, issues such as persistent cracks in floor slabs, damage to load-bearing components, structural damage caused by wall water seepage, and risks of building tilt or settlement frequently occur. Regarding seismic performance, the simply-supported connection between prefabricated slabs and walls results in overall integrity and seismic resistance far below current regulatory requirements. Fire resistance is inadequate, as fire safety considerations during construction were limited, with some exterior walls and roofs using flammable materials. In older residential areas, there are also cases where the installation of elevators encroaches on fire separation distances and compresses fire evacuation routes. Structural aging is severe, as many of these buildings were constructed in the 1980s and 1990s, with many approaching or exceeding their service lives. Aging building materials, low original design standards, insufficient structural safety reserves, and human-caused damage such as unauthorized removal of load-bearing walls and illegal additional floors are prevalent.

Outdated Residential Functions

Common issues include unreasonable floor plans, aging pipelines, lack of elevators, and small bathrooms. For example, in Hongyuan Community, Yueqing City, Wenzhou, severe water leakage from the upper floors and cracks large enough to let light through are problems, with the bathroom located beneath the stairs, making it inconvenient for adults to enter and exit. Blocked and corroded water supply and drainage pipelines, inadequate winter heating due to the lack of exterior wall insulation, and weathered and cracked balconies are also common. For instance, residents of Building 28 in Sanlihe Area 1, Xicheng District, Beijing, have endured these issues for nearly 50 years.

Policy Governance Situation

In May 2026, the State Council issued the '15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal,' explicitly supporting the self-initiated renewal and original-site reconstruction of old housing, exploring sustainable operational models. The plan aims to renovate over 500,000 dilapidated urban housing units (rooms) during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, establishing files and dynamic updates for urban Class C and D dangerous housing and non-complete housing, accelerating the demolition and renovation of Class D dangerous housing, supporting the self-initiated renewal and original-site reconstruction of old housing, and steadily advancing the governance and renovation of prefabricated slab housing. Qingdao has introduced policies to include 'prefabricated slab housing with seismic performance not meeting current requirements' in the pilot scope for original-site reconstruction. The policies emphasize classified disposal rather than a one-size-fits-all approach of complete demolition. Class D dilapidated housing with prominent safety hazards and no reinforcement value will be demolished more quickly, while for Class C housing, reinforcement, renovation, or reconstruction can be carried out based on actual conditions.