Prefabricated Panel Houses During Earthquakes

When prefabricated panel houses encounter earthquakes, their earthquake resistance, risk avoidance methods, and impacts of different earthquake magnitudes are as follows:

Earthquake Resistance

The earthquake resistance of prefabricated panel houses varies significantly. Old buildings from the 1970s and 1980s were only required to withstand magnitude 6 earthquakes according to the seismic standards at that time. Today, due to issues such as material aging and construction quality, some old prefabricated panel buildings may only be able to withstand magnitude 4 - 5 earthquakes. Newly built prefabricated panel houses, if using prestressed technology, can theoretically withstand magnitude 7 - 9 earthquakes. However, their actual earthquake resistance is significantly affected by construction quality. For example, if the steel bar joints are not firmly welded, the earthquake resistance may be directly halved; if the house already has cracks, it will be damaged first during an earthquake.

Risk Avoidance Methods During Earthquakes

When an earthquake occurs, the 'take cover where you are' strategy should be immediately adopted:

1. Quickly hide under a sturdy table or other furniture, crouch down and protect your head and neck with your hands. You can use pillows, soft cushions, and other items to protect your head.
2. Avoid being near windows, mirrors, large furniture, or hanging objects to prevent being injured by glass fragments or collapsing objects.
3. After the earthquake shaking stops, quickly evacuate to an open area through the stairs while protecting your head. Do not use elevators.
   Note: The 'triangle of life' theory (i.e., hiding in the triangular space formed by collapsing objects) is not entirely scientific. Since the direction of object collapse during an earthquake is difficult to predict, it is safer to choose a sturdy shelter first.

Impacts of Different Earthquake Magnitudes

• Magnitude 3.6 shallow-focus earthquake: It is a weakly felt earthquake with no destructive power. It has almost no impact on normal houses, but prefabricated panel old buildings that are more than 20 years old and have no standardized seismic design may experience minor cracks in the wall latex paint, slight peeling of the wall surface, and loosening of the ceiling, which do not affect the safety of the main structure.
• Magnitude 7 - 8 earthquake: The earthquake resistance of prefabricated panel houses significantly decreases. The connection methods between prefabricated panels are easily damaged under external forces, leading to panel detachment or overall structural imbalance. The actual earthquake resistance may be lower than the theoretical value. In such earthquakes, the risk of collapse of old prefabricated panel houses is high, while the survival probability of newly built houses is still relatively high if the construction quality meets the standards.