Prefabricated construction site (data and pictures)
Recently, the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development evaluated the first batch of prefabricated building industry bases in our province, designated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Among these, Xiamen’s Zhixin Jianke Prefabricated Building Industrialization Production Base and the CCCC Sanhang New Building Industrialization Production Base were recognized.
In recent years, the development of prefabricated building products, led by these two major enterprises in Xiamen, has expanded across various fields such as precast reinforced concrete (PC) components, subway shield tunnel segments, and municipal pipe galleries. Centered in Xiamen, their influence extends to surrounding areas including Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, Putian, and Quanzhou, where production base scales have begun to take shape. Meanwhile, the concept of green ecological development has gained national recognition.
The country aims to increase the proportion of prefabricated buildings to 30% of all new construction within the next 10 years. Currently, Xiamen’s prefabricated construction industry stands at a promising stage of growth.
Expanding Market and Emerging Industrial Scale
Under the scorching summer sun at Xiamen Zhixin Jianke Prefabricated Building Industrialization Production Base in Shenqing Industrial Park, Jimei District, neatly stacked steel bars ready for shipment to Jinjiang sit alongside prefabricated composite panels just off the PC component automated production line, awaiting delivery.
Workers assembling molds in Zhixin Jianke’s production workshop.
Traditionally, on-site pouring requires significant manual labor, which is time-consuming and often lacks precision. Today, however, advanced Italian Schneier automated steel bar processing equipment is used to fabricate components in the factory before transporting them to the construction site. This ensures standardized bending angles for each steel bar with processing accuracy within 2 millimeters, explained Ye Zhijie, Chairman of Xiamen Zhixin Construction Technology Co., Ltd.
The Zhixin Jianke factory spans 370 acres and includes two automated production lines for PC components, one automated steel processing line, and a subway shield pipe segment production line. Daily output of PC composite panels, composite beams, exterior and interior wall panels, prefabricated stairs, subway shield pipe segments, and municipal composite pipe galleries are shipped continuously to Putian, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, and other locations. Since its establishment, Zhixin Jianke has supplied over 20,000 cubic meters of precast concrete components, supporting numerous real estate, pile foundation, track, and municipal engineering projects.
CCCC Third Harbor Prefabrication Yard has developed subway pipe segments as flagship products, utilizing intelligent systems for all production stages—from concrete feeding to steam curing, cooling, and water curing—achieving industrial automation. Since 2010, when it began assembling prefabricated box girder segments for Xiamen BRT, the company has seen steady growth in prefabrication and assembly within Xiamen’s municipal engineering, particularly in comprehensive pipe gallery construction.
The prefabricated comprehensive pipe gallery in Jimei New City employs a unique “long line matching prefabrication” method, enhancing resistance to settlement and seepage, thereby improving structural durability. The “skeleton” steel cage of the Meishan Road pipe gallery in the eastern sea area is prefabricated using tire molds to ensure horizontal and vertical alignment that meets design specifications. These achievements mark the initial shaping of Xiamen’s prefabricated building industrialization.
Clear Advantages: Faster, Cost-Effective, and More Reliable
Construction time has been reduced by approximately one-third, and the workforce per floor has decreased from 60–70 to just 7–10 workers, greatly lowering costs. Ye Zhijie highlighted that this is exemplified by the project with the highest prefabrication rate in the province for residential-commercial housing—Xiamen Haicang Longhu Chunjiang Bi’an Phase II, Building 1.
Prefabricated construction site (data and pictures)
This project is the first in Xiamen to adopt a prefabricated shear wall structure. Floors 4 through 29 use factory-customized components installed on-site, achieving full decorative delivery and a total prefabrication rate of 47.38%. BIM technology was innovatively integrated during design, coordinating architecture, structure, plumbing and electrical systems, HVAC, and interior design to achieve cost savings, time efficiency, and environmental benefits.
As a pilot project for residential prefabricated buildings in Xiamen, it has hosted site observation conferences attracting thousands from construction firms, design teams, supervision units, and university civil engineering and architecture departments across the province, playing a leading role in promoting prefabricated building development.
Haicang Longhu Chunjiang Riverside Phase II, Building 1, Topped out (Data and Image)
The Xiamen International Innovation Center project in Jimei is another notable example of prefabricated construction. Buildings 2-1, 2-2, and 5-3 utilize prefabrication with a rate of 15.1%. The project was optimized from the planning stage to ensure modular, standardized components. Each prefabricated piece carries a unique code, with QR codes managed via the PCIS (Prefabricated Component Intelligent Production Management) system, enabling full tracking through production, acceptance, transportation, and installation. This digital management boosts efficiency, ensures quality, reduces costs, and enhances construction methods, said Ye Zhijie.
Dr. Lin Zhizhi, inspector and deputy director of Xiamen Construction Bureau, noted that compared to traditional craftsmanship, prefabricated construction significantly reduces materials and labor for on-site tasks like steel bar binding, concrete pouring, formwork, and scaffolding. It also lessens masonry workload, effectively addressing rising labor costs and shortages. Mechanized lifting improves the construction environment and reduces labor intensity.
Lin explained that larger factory production volumes mean less on-site work, shortening construction time and cutting costs related to temporary facilities, management, and personnel. Building 1 in Phase II of Chunjiang River features high prefabrication rates and adopts interlaced construction and simultaneous interior and exterior decoration—completing about four months ahead of schedule. Quality has improved, reducing issues like honeycombing and surface roughness common in traditional cast-in-place concrete, while saving water and electricity, minimizing waste, and lowering on-site pollution.
Industry Leadership and Nationwide Green Initiatives
Xiamen’s two leading prefabricated building enterprises have made rapid progress in green management and ecological development.
At the CCCC Sanhang premixed concrete production workshop, raw materials are transported automatically via pipelines into mixing tanks. Dust levels are monitored, triggering alarms and activating sprinklers to suppress dust by spraying water mist. Sewage generated during mixing is recycled through dedicated pipelines for sedimentation, then reused to clean mixer trucks, pipelines, and tanks. Leak-proof bags are installed at mixer discharge ports to prevent concrete spills and environmental contamination.
Chen Wu, General Manager of CCCC Sanhang (Xiamen) Engineering Co., Ltd.’s prefabrication yard, emphasized that green production is a systematic project involving source reduction, process control, and end-of-pipe regeneration. The factory is fully enclosed to contain dust at its source.
Pipe segments ready for shipment at China Communications Third Harbor yard.
Xiamen Sanhang Concrete Co., Ltd., supplier of high-quality concrete to CCCC Sanhang, holds the highest three-star certification for national green building materials. It is the only concrete producer in the region with intellectual property rights and advanced information management, utilizing an ERP system for internet-enabled production. The company maintains a demonstration laboratory certified by the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and has contributed to provincial standards, including the “Fujian Province Premixed Concrete Green Production Management Regulations.”
On June 16-17, the National Premixed Concrete Industry Green Production Frontier Technology and Management Seminar was held in Xiamen, hosted by the Concrete Branches of the China Construction Industry Association and Fujian Construction Industry Association. Experts highly praised Xiamen’s green production management experience. Visiting Xiamen Zhixin Group’s concrete production plant—a green production demonstration enterprise—they noted the absence of loud mixing plant noise and pervasive dust. The entire process, from raw material storage to mixing, is fully enclosed. Spray dust suppression devices and pulse dust collectors are installed at critical points to minimize dust emissions during raw material handling. Emergency spray systems activate immediately to suppress dust if pipelines leak during powder transport. The final production stage includes concrete recycling, separation, and pressure filtration systems, ensuring no wastewater or slurry discharge.
Zhang Tong, Secretary General of the Concrete Branch of the China Construction Industry Association, stated that Xiamen’s prefabricated construction industry exemplifies standardized, green production and serves as a national benchmark. Promoting these advanced practices nationwide is essential.
As the only region in the province fully implementing green production management for ready-mixed concrete, Xiamen has led the industry in transitioning from traditional resource-intensive methods to a green BIM-enabled and environmentally friendly sector. According to Xiamen Construction Bureau, all 28 qualified mixing plants in the city have achieved star-rated green building material certifications, attaining a 100% compliance rate and ranking among the nation’s top. The industry continues to develop in a healthy and orderly manner.
Article source: Fujian Daily
Author: Chen Ting
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up