Quality of Prefabricated Panel Houses
The quality of prefabricated panel houses is generally poor, with multiple hidden dangers, and they are not recommended as a long-term living option.
Poor Earthquake Resistance: Prefabricated panel houses have poor overall integrity. The connections between the prefabricated panels and the walls, as well as between the panels themselves, are mostly simple overlaps, lacking firm steel bar connections and rigid frameworks (such as ring beams and structural columns). During an earthquake, horizontal forces can easily cause the floor slabs to separate instantly from the walls, leading to the direct collapse of entire panels without any crack warnings or deformation buffers, leaving very little chance for escape. In historical earthquake disasters, the severe damage to prefabricated panel structures has been one of the main reasons for the exacerbation of the disaster situation.
Weak Connection Points: The connection methods between the prefabricated panels and the walls, as well as between the panels, are simple. Foundation settlement or wall cracking can cause the panels to become misaligned and loose. Over time, exposed to wind, sun, heat expansion, and cold contraction, the connection points weather and the steel bars rust, gradually reducing their strength. After two or three decades of use in some old houses, the floor slabs are already on the verge of collapse, and slight external forces (such as stacking heavy objects or knocking down walls) may trigger a chain collapse.
Material Issues: In the early days, to reduce costs, there was often a reduction in material quality for prefabricated panels. For regular products, the steel bars are thin, and some small workshops even use thin steel wires instead. The concrete grades do not meet the standards, and the thickness is insufficient, resulting in low strength and easy cracking. Prefabricated panels have the characteristic of brittle failure. When overloaded, they break directly without any warning, while cast-in-place floor slabs can provide temporary support due to their toughness. Daily activities such as stacking heavy objects, renovations, or aging over time can all potentially cause sudden collapses.
Poor Overall Performance, Prone to Cracking and Leakage: Prefabricated panels are not an integral structure, and there are gaps between the panels. If the construction is not handled properly, uneven settlement of the house can easily lead to cracking and leakage of the floor slabs, especially in areas with high waterproofing requirements such as bathrooms and kitchens, where the hidden dangers are even greater.
Short Service Life and High Maintenance Costs: Manufacturers claim that the service life of prefabricated panels can reach 50 years, but in reality, due to material aging, rusting, and other issues, the service life is usually only about 10 years. After expiration, problems such as aging, cracks, and leakage are prone to occur, requiring frequent repairs and reinforcements, which increase long-term costs.
Insufficient Design Life and Lack of Humanization: The design life of prefabricated panel houses is only 30 - 40 years, far lower than the 70-year standard for commercial housing. Most of the houses built in the 1970s and 1980s have already exceeded their design life and pose safety hazards. In addition, the house type design lacks humanization, such as kitchens and bathrooms without windows, narrow living rooms, and dim lighting.
Problems with Thermal Insulation, Sound Insulation, and Water Seepage: The splicing of cement components results in poor thermal insulation and sound insulation performance, and they are also prone to water seepage, affecting living comfort.
Policy Restrictions: The state has clearly prohibited the use of prefabricated panels in the construction of commercial housing (such as in the 2002 'Detailed Rules for the Promotion and Application of New Technologies by the Ministry of Construction'). Various regions have responded accordingly and further restricted their application scope.
