Is It Good to Use Prefabricated Panels for Single-Story Houses?

Whether it is appropriate to use prefabricated panels for single-story houses depends on the specific scenario and cannot be generalized.

Rural Self-Built House Scenario: Damp-Proofing and Floor Slabs Need to be Treated Separately

If used for foundation damp-proofing, a prefabricated panel suspended floor is one of the mainstream solutions. Its principle is to isolate underground moisture through a 30-50 cm cavity. During construction, the height of the backfill soil needs to be controlled and compacted after the ground beam is poured. The damp-proofing effect is stable, and its durability is superior to that of damp-proof membranes (the latter are easily punctured by sharp objects). However, if used as a floor slab, prefabricated panels have obvious defects: the gaps between the panels are prone to cracking and leaking, and the overall integrity of the connection between the two ends and the wall is poor, resulting in weaker seismic performance compared to cast-in-place floor slabs. In addition, although the unit price of prefabricated panel floor slabs is lower (about 100 yuan per square meter cheaper than cast-in-place floor slabs), the long-term maintenance costs may be higher, such as crack repair and waterproofing treatment.

Urban Prefabricated Panel Building Governance Scenario: Based on Safety Appraisal Results

According to the "15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal", urban prefabricated panel buildings need to be classified and disposed of after professional safety appraisals:

• Grade A/B buildings: Improve living conditions through the renovation of old residential areas (such as the installation of elevators and pipeline updates), without the need for demolition;
• Grade C dilapidated buildings: Require repair and reinforcement to eliminate structural safety hazards;
• Grade D overall dilapidated buildings: May only be included in expropriation and demolition. This indicates that the handling of urban prefabricated panel buildings should be based on safety appraisal results as the core basis, rather than simply demolishing or retaining them.

Cost and Durability Comparison: Need for Comprehensive Consideration

In rural self-built houses, the choice of damp-proofing solutions needs to consider cost and effectiveness: damp-proof membranes are low in cost (about one to two thousand yuan for a house), but their durability is limited; prefabricated panel suspended floors have higher costs, but their damp-proofing effect is more stable. If used as floor slabs, although the initial cost of the cast-in-place process is higher, its overall integrity, seismic performance, and durability are all superior to those of prefabricated panels, and the long-term maintenance costs are lower.

Recommendation: For rural damp-proofing, prefabricated panel suspended floors can be preferred (ensuring construction quality). For urban prefabricated panel buildings, safety appraisal results should be used as the basis for disposal. For floor slab structures, it is recommended to prioritize the use of the cast-in-place process to enhance overall integrity.