Taiyuan Prefabricated Panel Houses
Most of the prefabricated panel houses in Taiyuan are over 40 years old, presenting numerous safety hazards. Currently, there are progress in renovation and policy support, along with cases of original-site reconstruction. However, inclusion in this scope requires meeting certain conditions.
Current Situation and Problems of Houses
As an old industrial city, Taiyuan constructed a large number of prefabricated panel houses in the 1970s and 1980s. Most of these houses are over 40 years old, with some approaching 50 years. Due to the construction standards at that time, these houses have low seismic resistance and poor structural stability. After long-term use, problems such as wall cracking, roof leakage, corrosion of water supply and drainage pipes, and circuit aging have emerged in a concentrated manner. The narrow fire exits pose significant safety hazards, seriously threatening the lives and property of residents. For example, the prefabricated panel building in the recycling company community on Qinxian Road, which is over 40 years old, has a酥 (loose) outer wall brick layer on the balcony, and debris falls off even in the wind. The prefabricated panel buildings in the Wujia San and Wujia Jie communities of Baijiazhuang Mine are also in disrepair, with issues such as building cracking, balcony collapse, sewer blockage, and balcony leakage.
Renovation Progress and Policies
From 2020 to the present, Taiyuan has renovated over 3,497 old residential communities, benefiting 6.44 million households. In 2026, more than 200 communities will be included in the renovation plan. From 2025 to 2027, the central government has explicitly included the renovation of prefabricated panel buildings as a core task of urban renewal, prioritizing the renovation of Grade D dilapidated houses and prefabricated panel houses built before 2000, with a goal of completing all renovations by 2030. Shanxi Province has issued the "Regulations on Urban Renewal in Shanxi Province," which will come into effect in May 2026, explicitly supporting the demolition and reconstruction of dangerous housing. The "Regulations on Urban Renewal in Taiyuan City (Draft for Solicitation of Opinions)" released at the beginning of this year clearly states in Article 20 the steady promotion of the renovation of dangerous housing, supporting the self-renovation and original-site reconstruction of old housing, and simplifying the approval process.
Cases and Conditions of Original-Site Reconstruction
Currently, there are cases of original-site reconstruction of prefabricated panel houses in Taiyuan. For example, Buildings 1 and 2 of the Shanfang Dormitory in Xiayuan Street, Wanbailin District, were identified as Grade D dilapidated houses. The original-site reconstruction started in April 2026 and is expected to be completed and handed over in June 2027. Old residential communities in Taiyuan that can be included in the scope of "original-site reconstruction" must meet conditions such as safety compliance (identified as Grade C or D dilapidated houses by professional institutions), age compliance (built before 2000, with priority given to prefabricated panel houses over 25 years old), unchanged planning, resident consent (at least 90% consent rate among residents of the building, meeting both the number and area requirements), and available funding.
