Wall Displacement in Prefabricated Panel Houses

Wall displacement in prefabricated panel houses is primarily related to the structural characteristics of the prefabricated panels. Their overall integrity is poor, with a lack of effective connections between panels and between panels and walls, making them prone to displacement under external forces such as vibrations.

Poor Overall Integrity Due to Structural Characteristics

Prefabricated panel houses are constructed using prefabricated components assembled on-site. There is often a lack of effective connection measures between panels and between panels and walls. For example, self-built prefabricated panel houses constructed from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s typically had panels simply placed on load-bearing walls, resulting in a very weak connection. When subjected to vibrations, such as those from excavator operations during a neighbor's house renovation, relative movement can easily occur between panels and between panels and walls, leading to wall displacement. A typical case is the displacement of a prefabricated panel by five centimeters in the living room of Mr. Li's house in Handan, Hebei.

Reduced Overall Stiffness Due to Non-Fixed Connections at Junctions

The junctions between beams or walls and prefabricated floor panels are not fixed, resulting in lower overall stiffness in prefabricated panel buildings compared to cast-in-place frame structures. During the construction of cast-in-place frame structures, concrete is poured in one go, forming a unified whole among the components, which provides high overall stiffness and stability. In contrast, prefabricated panel houses have gaps at the junctions, making the components prone to relative deformation under external forces, leading to wall displacement. This displacement not only affects the aesthetics of the house but may also cause issues such as cracking of the plaster layer, reducing the service life and safety of the house.

Vibrations and Other External Forces as Common Triggers

In addition to issues inherent in the structural characteristics, vibrations and other external forces are common triggers for wall displacement in prefabricated panel houses. In daily life, construction activities such as renovations or house rebuilds by neighbors can generate vibrations that may be transmitted to the prefabricated panel house, causing wall displacement. Furthermore, natural disasters such as earthquakes can cause severe damage to prefabricated panel houses, leading to wall displacement or even house collapse.