When Were Prefabricated Floor Slabs No Longer Used in Houses

Prefabricated floor slabs for houses were gradually banned after 2000, with specific timelines varying across different regions.

At the national level, on September 6, 2002, the state issued the 'Notice of the Ministry of Construction on Printing and Distributing the Detailed Rules for the Promotion and Application of New Technologies of the Ministry of Construction', explicitly prohibiting the use of prefabricated slabs for constructing commercial housing. This policy was introduced based on considerations of various factors such as building quality and safety. During the production, transportation, and installation processes of prefabricated slabs, there may be some quality hazards. For example, the connections between prefabricated slabs may not be firm enough. During long-term use, especially when subjected to external forces such as earthquakes, cracks or even collapses may occur, posing a threat to the lives and property of residents.

At the local level, various regions have responded to the national policy by introducing more specific timelines for banning their use. For instance, in Sichuan Province, starting from January 1, 2005, the use of prefabricated concrete slabs as floor slabs, roof slabs, and balcony slabs has been prohibited. Sichuan Province is located in an earthquake-prone area and has high requirements for the seismic performance of building structures. The disadvantages of prefabricated slabs in terms of seismic resistance are relatively prominent, so relevant prohibition policies were introduced earlier. In Jining City, starting from January 1, 2012, all industrial and civil construction projects should use reinforced concrete cast-in-place slabs during the design and construction processes, and no longer use reinforced concrete prefabricated slabs. Cast-in-place slabs are formed by direct pouring at the construction site. Compared with prefabricated slabs, they have better integrity, can better adapt to the deformation of building structures, and improve the stability and safety of buildings.

With the continuous development of building technologies and the increasing requirements for building quality, the gradual elimination of house prefabricated slabs is an inevitable trend in the development of the construction industry. New building structural forms such as reinforced concrete cast-in-place slabs have become the mainstream choice for modern buildings due to their advantages of better integrity, seismic resistance, and durability.