Prefabricated House

Prefabricated houses are a type of housing that uses prefabricated components as the main structural elements, which are manufactured in factories and then transported to the site for assembly. Their core characteristics, technical paths, and market applications are as follows:

1. Structural Types and Material Selection

The mainstream structures of prefabricated houses include steel structures, concrete structures, and wooden structures. Steel structures offer advantages such as light weight, suitability for ocean transportation, and compatibility with high-rise buildings, making them a core competitive area for Chinese enterprises. Concrete structures provide a more traditional living experience and have higher acceptance in the domestic market. Wooden structures, although less commonly used, are still a form of prefabricated housing. Prefabricated panels, as key components, come in two types: solid and hollow. Hollow panels achieve lightweighting by reducing non-load-bearing concrete. Their production involves nailing wooden models, arranging steel bars, and pouring cement. However, modern construction is gradually adopting cast-in-place structures to replace hollow prefabricated panels for improved integrity and earthquake resistance.

2. Modular Construction and Core Advantages

Prefabricated houses adopt a "building block" modular construction approach: the house is divided into independent modules such as ceilings, floors, and plumbing and electrical systems, which are prefabricated in factories through parallel operations, automated production lines, and intelligent management, and then transported to the site for assembly. The construction period is reduced by more than 60% compared to traditional methods. For example, a public housing project in Shenzhen, assembled from 6,028 concrete modules, had its construction period reduced from 2.5-3 years to 1 year. Their core advantages include:

1. Short construction period: A case in South Korea completed the main structure in 14 days;
2. Quality control: Component tolerances are measured in millimeters, and each component comes with an "ID card" (project name, model, production date, etc.);
3. Energy efficiency and environmental protection: Reduces on-site noise, dust, and construction waste, meeting green building standards;
4. High adaptability: Can quickly respond to different scenarios such as public housing and temporary buildings.

3. Technical Challenges and Improvement Directions

Existing prefabricated houses face three major technical bottlenecks: weak earthquake resistance (some regions have initiated demolition work), poor sound and thermal insulation (requiring material upgrades and design optimization), and inadequate connection technology. Modern modular buildings enhance integrity through methods such as secondary grouting and steel bar mesh pouring. For example, in a South Korean case, the foundation and floor slab are fixed with anchor bolts, and the connection is sealed with expanding foam before secondary grouting.

4. Market Applications and Global Trends

The domestic market primarily focuses on renovation and reconstruction, with the renovation policy since 2022 only demolishing prefabricated panel houses that meet the criteria for dangerous buildings. In terms of exports, in the first four months of 2026, enterprises in the Guangzhou Customs district exported movable houses worth 1.4 billion yuan (a year-on-year increase of 38.1%), and the Shenzhen port exported 1.68 billion yuan (a year-on-year increase of 19.6%). In overseas markets, Chinese "prefabricated houses" are favored for their cost-effectiveness and green environmental protection, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released videos promoting them. Market research institutions predict that the global modular construction market will exceed $142.8 billion by 2030.