Fracture of Prefabricated Slab in a House in Zhongxian
The fracture accident of the prefabricated slab in a house in Zhongxian resulted in 2 deaths and 3 injuries. The cause of the accident was that the temporary accumulated load on the second-floor slab exceeded its bearing capacity, leading to brittle fracture and collapse.
Basic Information about the Accident
At around 12:00 on April 11, 2024, a prefabricated slab fracture accident occurred in a three-story prefabricated house in Fengshou Community, Guanba Town, Zhongxian County, Chongqing City. The ground floor of the house was used as a mahjong parlor, and the second floor was used as a goods warehouse. At the time of the accident, the second-floor slab fractured and collapsed due to the temporary accumulated load exceeding the designed bearing capacity of the prefabricated slab, resulting in serious consequences.
Consequences and Rescue Efforts
The accident caused 2 deaths and 3 injuries. After the incident, local residents spontaneously participated in the rescue efforts. The county emergency management bureau, housing and urban-rural development bureau, and other departments rushed to the scene to carry out disposal work. The county government set up a special team to handle the aftermath, including the treatment of the injured, comforting the families of the deceased, and investigating the accident. Currently, one injured person has been discharged from the hospital, and two injured persons are continuing to receive treatment and are out of life-threatening danger.
Analysis of the Accident Causes
Direct Cause: The weight of the goods temporarily accumulated on the second-floor slab exceeded its bearing capacity, leading to brittle fracture of the slab. As a commonly used floor form in early buildings, prefabricated slabs have limited bearing capacity. If they are overloaded for a long time or subjected to concentrated load impacts, they are prone to fracture. Indirect Cause: The change in the use function of the house may not have undergone a structural safety assessment. The ground floor of the house was used as a mahjong parlor, and the second floor was used as a warehouse. The change in function may have involved changes in load distribution, but no professional structural reinforcement or bearing capacity review was carried out, leaving hidden safety hazards.
Follow-up Measures and Suggestions
At present, the specific cause of the accident is still under investigation. Relevant departments need to further investigate the structural safety of the house and clarify the responsible parties. It is recommended to strengthen the safety supervision of old buildings, regularly carry out structural inspections, and avoid overloading due to changes in function. At the same time, the public should raise their safety awareness and avoid stacking heavy objects or carrying out large-scale renovations in houses with prefabricated slab structures.
