Prefabricated Slabs for House Construction

Prefabricated slabs for house construction were commonly used floor slabs in early 20th-century architecture, belonging to engineered modules or panels that are processed and formed in prefabrication yards before being transported to the site for installation. The following provides an explanation from four aspects: manufacturing process, specifications, application scenarios, and limitations.

Manufacturing Process
The production of prefabricated slabs begins with the construction of a wooden hollow mold. Inside the mold, steel reinforcement bars are arranged as the framework, followed by filling the hollow area with cement. After the cement has fully dried and hardened, the external wooden boards are removed, resulting in a cement slab reinforced with steel bars. Depending on structural differences, prefabricated slabs are categorized into solid and hollow types: hollow slabs achieve lightweighting by reducing the amount of concrete in non-load-bearing sections while maintaining load-bearing capacity, making them suitable for scenarios with lower load requirements.

Specifications
In rural self-built houses, the length of prefabricated slabs typically ranges from 3 meters to 4.2 meters, increasing in increments of 30 centimeters, with lengths exceeding 4.2 meters being restricted due to transportation difficulties. Two standard widths are available: 50 centimeters and 60 centimeters. The thickness varies according to the application scenario: 12 centimeters is sufficient for ordinary rooms, while rooms on the second floor or those requiring heavy load-bearing capacity need at least 15 centimeters to enhance structural stability.

Application Scenarios
Prefabricated slabs are widely used in various construction scenarios due to their easy installation and low cost: in addition to serving as floor slabs in houses, they are also commonly used as cover plates for roadside ditches and roof insulation layers in non-load-bearing or lightly loaded structures. Their modular nature makes construction significantly more efficient than cast-in-place concrete, especially under conditions of limited early construction resources, making them a preferred option for rapid construction.

Limitations
Prefabricated slab houses have significant drawbacks: weak seismic performance, with insufficient integrity leading to structural damage during earthquakes; poor sound and thermal insulation, with hollow structures or single-layer cement slabs unable to effectively block sound and heat transfer; short service life, typically lasting 30-50 years, far less durable than cast-in-place concrete structures. With advancements in construction technology, cast-in-place concrete and prefabricated buildings, due to their higher safety and adaptability, are gradually replacing traditional prefabricated slab houses. Since 2022, China has implemented renovation policies focusing on repairing and reinforcing prefabricated slab houses, with demolition only for buildings that meet hazardous standards, reflecting their gradual exit from the mainstream construction market.