Prefabricated Slab Construction for Rural Houses

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using prefabricated slabs for rural house construction. Currently, cast-in-place methods are more recommended, but prefabricated slabs still have specific application scenarios.

Advantages

• Low cost and rapid construction: Prefabricated slabs are very inexpensive and can be installed extremely quickly. For rural self-built houses, the installation of prefabricated slabs can be completed in a day or half a day. For example, for a 40 - 50 square meter auxiliary building, the total cost of using prefabricated slabs is only around 800 yuan, and the slab seller is also responsible for the installation. This is highly attractive for rural areas with limited budgets and a desire for fast construction.

Disadvantages

• Poor waterproofing performance: Prefabricated slabs have significant defects in terms of waterproofing. There is a high probability of water leakage during waterproofing work, with 8 out of 10 houses experiencing leakage. Even with waterproofing treatment, it is impossible to guarantee 100% water tightness, which can cause great inconvenience to occupants and affect the normal use of the house.
• Poor earthquake resistance: Prefabricated slabs should not be used in earthquake-prone areas as their earthquake resistance coefficient is too low. Under seismic action, they are prone to collapse, posing a serious threat to the lives of occupants.
• Poor sound insulation, heat insulation, and thermal insulation: The sound insulation effect of prefabricated slabs is almost zero. The smells of cooking, conversations, and TV sounds from neighbors can be clearly heard. In summer, the house is as hot as a sauna, and in winter, it is extremely cold, resulting in high air conditioning electricity bills. Moreover, the slab thickness is generally around 12 centimeters. Although it is hollow, its thermal insulation is poor. The indoor temperature is high in summer and low in winter, and it is usually necessary to cover the slab with secondary roofing materials to make up for this deficiency.
• Lifespan greatly affected by external factors: Under normal circumstances without significant external influences, the normal service life of prefabricated slabs is around 40 - 50 years. However, if they are affected by vibrations, the slabs often crack and become dangerous buildings that cannot be inhabited.

Current Usage Status

Before 20 years ago, prefabricated cement slabs were basically used for roofing in rural self-built houses. Nowadays, pure cast-in-place methods are more commonly used for house construction. Cast-in-place reinforced concrete slabs have good overall performance and stiffness and are suitable for buildings with high earthquake resistance and integrity requirements. Although the construction period is long and the procedures are numerous, from the perspective of overall usability and safety performance, replacing prefabricated slabs with cast-in-place concrete for house construction has more advantages than disadvantages.