Rapid Construction of Prefabricated Houses
The rapid construction of prefabricated houses is primarily achieved through modular construction methods, with the core being the disassembly of buildings into independent modules that are prefabricated in factories and then transported to the site for assembly.
I. Factory Prefabrication Stage: Standardization and Intelligence in Parallel
The construction of prefabricated houses begins with standardized production in factories. Components such as ceilings, floors, walls, and water and electricity pipelines are processed on assembly lines. Some projects employ automated three-dimensional warehouses and intelligent production lines to achieve parallel operations across multiple processes. For example, the CSCEC Hailong Intelligent Construction Industrial Park in Shenzhen, Guangdong, can deliver 20,000 to 30,000 modules annually, with each module's steel bar positioning accuracy controlled to the millimeter, ensuring high precision and consistency of components. Factory prefabrication not only reduces uncertainties in on-site construction but also lowers costs through large-scale production while avoiding delays caused by weather and labor factors in traditional construction.
II. On-site Assembly Stage: Efficient Assembly and Structural Innovation
After being transported to the site, prefabricated modules are quickly assembled using equipment such as tower cranes. For instance, a real estate project in Shanghai used 6,028 concrete modules, reducing the completion and delivery time from the traditional 2.5-3 years to just 1 year. In a rural case in South Korea, 5-ton foundation piles are fixed with base plates, beams are connected using mortise-and-tenon joints, stairs are hoisted and then covered with 5-centimeter-thick floor slabs, and finally, gaps between components are grouted, further enhancing assembly efficiency. Additionally, foldable prefabricated houses can be packed into containers for transportation and can be ready for occupancy simply by connecting to water and electricity after being unfolded on-site, as demonstrated by a 73-square-meter, fully furnished two-bedroom prefabricated house purchased online by an American couple, showcasing the flexibility and convenience of modular construction.
III. Technological Advantages: Comprehensive Improvements in Efficiency, Environmental Protection, and Safety
The modular construction method significantly shortens the construction period by more than 60% compared to traditional construction while reducing on-site labor by approximately 50%. Furthermore, factory prefabrication reduces on-site operations, lowering noise, dust, and construction waste generation, aligning with green building principles. In terms of material and structural innovation, Broad Group has developed stainless steel core panels that are 10 times lighter than concrete and can deform without collapsing during strong earthquakes. Based on this, their "Living Building" technology further enhances the safety of modular buildings. These advantages make prefabricated houses widely applicable in areas such as emergency housing and rapid urbanization construction.
Prefabricated houses achieve a balance between rapid construction, quality control, and environmental protection needs through standardized factory production and efficient on-site assembly, representing an important direction for modern building industrialization.
