Casting Houses and Prefabricated Panels

There are significant differences between casting houses (cast-in-place houses) and prefabricated panel houses in terms of construction methods, structural characteristics, seismic performance, and construction periods, as detailed below:

Construction Methods
Casting houses employ an on-site integral pouring process: workers first erect formwork and bind steel reinforcement, then pour concrete, which solidifies to form load-bearing components such as walls, beams, columns, and floor slabs, all completed on the construction site. Prefabricated panel houses, on the other hand, combine factory prefabrication with on-site assembly: floor slabs (such as hollow slabs and channel slabs) are produced in advance at the factory, transported to the site, installed using lifting equipment, and secured through wet joints or steel reinforcement connections, resembling a 'LEGO-like' assembly mode.

Structural Characteristics
Casting houses exhibit stronger integrity. The cast-in-place reinforced concrete structure forms a continuous integral framework through the synergistic action of steel reinforcement and concrete, with seamless connections between beams, columns, walls, and floor slabs, ensuring high structural stability. Additionally, their design flexibility is outstanding, allowing adjustments to component sizes and shapes according to needs to accommodate complex architectural forms. Prefabricated panel houses have floor slabs connected to walls via steel reinforcement, but their spatial spans are limited. Wall materials vary (such as brick masonry, cast-in-place concrete, or frame structures), resulting in weaker overall integrity compared to cast-in-place structures.

Seismic Performance
Due to their integral pouring, casting houses offer excellent seismic performance, meeting modern building seismic standards, and are particularly suitable for earthquake-prone regions. Prefabricated panel houses generally have moderate seismic resistance. The prefabricated floor slabs in brick-concrete structures are prone to damage in high-intensity earthquake zones, necessitating reinforcement measures to enhance safety.

Construction Period and Cost
Casting houses have a longer construction period, requiring sequential completion of formwork erection, steel reinforcement binding, concrete pouring, and other processes, and are significantly affected by weather conditions; costs are higher, primarily due to labor, formwork rental, and concrete curing expenses. Prefabricated panel houses boast faster construction speeds, with factory production shortening on-site work time and significantly improving efficiency; costs are relatively lower, but attention must be paid to joint waterproofing to avoid increased later maintenance costs.

Applicable Scenarios and Identification Methods
Cast-in-place structures are preferred for high-rise residential buildings, large-span spaces, and areas requiring waterproofing and seepage prevention, such as bathrooms; prefabricated panels are suitable for temporary buildings or projects with tight budgets, but joints must be strictly treated. To distinguish between the two, the following methods can be used:

1. Age Determination: Houses built more than 15 years ago are mostly prefabricated, while those built within the last 15 years are mostly cast-in-place;
2. Pipe Laying Areas: The presence of columns or reserved holes may indicate prefabricated panels;
3. Internal Structure: Walls without beams and without columns at intersections suggest prefabricated panels, while the opposite indicates cast-in-place;
4. Drilling Test: Use an impact drill to make three holes 5 centimeters apart on the floor slab. If holes are encountered, it indicates prefabricated panels (prefabricated panels have holes with a diameter of 8 centimeters every 3 centimeters).