Inventory of Major Events in the Prefabricated Construction Industry in the First Half of the Year
Policy Orientation
Ministry of Science and Technology: Issued the Implementation Plan for the National High-tech Zone Green Development Special Action
In January, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced the implementation plan for the National High-tech Zone Green Development Special Action. The plan aims to reduce comprehensive energy consumption per unit of industrial added value to below 0.4 tons of standard coal per 10,000 yuan by 2025. Half of the units in these zones are expected to achieve energy consumption below 0.3 tons per 10,000 yuan. The average annual reduction rate of CO₂ emissions per unit of industrial added value will exceed 4%, with some high-tech zones reaching carbon peaking.
The plan encourages the rapid development of intelligent transportation and smart energy infrastructures within high-tech zones. It promotes green and low-carbon lifestyles, comprehensive energy conservation, and supports enterprises in adopting green production methods. Efforts will also focus on building “carbon neutrality” demonstration parks.
State Council: Launches Green Community Initiatives and Promotes Green Buildings
In February, the State Council issued guidance to accelerate the establishment of a green, low-carbon, and circular economic development system. The focus is on upgrading production, circulation, and consumption systems to be more sustainable, advancing green infrastructure, fostering market-driven green technology innovation, and enhancing legal and policy frameworks to support these initiatives.
Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development: Report on Prefabricated Building Development in China, 2020
By March 2020, 630 million square meters of prefabricated buildings were constructed across 31 provinces and regions, accounting for 20.5% of new construction. Prefabricated concrete structures made up 430 million square meters (68.3%), while steel structures covered 190 million square meters (30.2%). Notably, 12.06 million square meters of new prefabricated steel structure residential buildings were built. The rapid adoption of steel structure integrated modules played a key role in COVID-19 prevention and control.
National Development and Reform Commission: Supports Green Development Investment in Yangtze River Economic Belt
In April, the commission updated the Special Management Measures for Central Budget Investment focusing on green development in 11 provinces along the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The goal is to accelerate ecological restoration, optimize investment management, improve fund utilization efficiency, and stimulate local and social capital participation.
Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development: Promotes Green, Low-Carbon Construction in County Towns
In May, the ministry, along with 15 other departments, issued the “Opinions on Strengthening Green and Low-Carbon Construction in County Towns.” This requires new buildings to meet basic green building standards and encourages star-rated green buildings. The plan emphasizes green building materials, prefabricated steel structures, energy and water conservation standards, and renewable energy development suited to local resources.
State Council: Advances Major Engineering Projects in the 14th Five-Year Plan
In June, the State Council held an executive meeting to promote key engineering projects outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. Projects focus on technological breakthroughs, infrastructure, ecological environment, social welfare, and cultural development. The meeting emphasized respecting economic laws, market principles, and risk prevention while maximizing effective investment and consumer benefits.
Leadership Insights
Liao Yuping, Deputy Director, Construction Market Supervision Department, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development:
Developing intelligent construction is crucial to overcoming industry bottlenecks, enhancing competitiveness, and achieving high-quality growth. In February, seven pilot projects were launched involving top enterprises focusing on digital design, intelligent production, construction, and operation to address labor shortages, resource consumption, and quality challenges.
Suggestions from the Two Sessions
Chen Jinshi, National People’s Congress Representative:
To advance prefabricated buildings, we should learn from developed countries’ technical systems, enhance R&D in cost reduction, ease of construction, and safety, and improve industry management systems. Emphasizing EPC general contracting will help control quality from design to construction and improve efficiency. Policy support to increase the share of prefabricated buildings is essential.
Feng Yuan, CPPCC Member: Expedite the development and introduction of new architectural engineering design fee standards to ensure healthy industry growth.
Zou Bin, National People’s Congress Representative: Leverage state-owned enterprises to deepen industry-education integration, promote cooperation between schools and enterprises, and build a skilled workforce for the construction industry’s future.
Xu Zheng, National People’s Congress Representative: Encourage large infrastructure enterprises to invest in green construction technology research. Increase funding for environmental protection projects and promote rural revitalization through ecological civilization construction.
Wang Cuikun, CPPCC Member: Emphasize low-carbon development throughout construction, including operation and maintenance. Promote comprehensive renovation of existing buildings and encourage solar photovoltaic integration.
Ni Haiqiong, National People’s Congress Representative: Develop evaluation and certification standards for system doors and windows, strengthen supervision, and maintain a dishonesty blacklist for non-compliant entities.
Zhang Laihui, National People’s Congress Representative: Reclassify the cement industry to reflect energy conservation and carbon reduction efforts. Promote new technologies and green factories to elevate China’s green development.
Jie Xinmin, CPPCC Member, Housing and Urban-Rural Development System: Establish a construction quality insurance system and encourage early-stage homeowners to purchase insurance to enhance participation and responsibility.
Yang Guoqiang, CPPCC Member: Support research and application of construction robots and intelligent equipment, promoting their investment and pilot projects to advance intelligent construction levels.
Wang Yuzhi, National People’s Congress Representative: Expand affordable rental housing supply and improve policies to support enterprise investment in rental housing construction.
Dai Yaping, National People’s Congress Representative: Propose expanding the Building Law into the Engineering Construction Law to cover a broader range of construction projects and open up the market.
Expert Opinions
Yue Qingrui: The construction industry’s transformation requires rational planning, accelerated upgrading, extensive use of steel structures, energy-efficient materials, standardized construction methods, and intelligent building operations.
Zhou Ji: The integration of AI and advanced manufacturing technology is driving the fourth industrial revolution. China must leverage its latecomer advantage by promoting digitalization, networking, and intelligence simultaneously.
Xiao Xuwen: Green construction demands coordinated planning, design, and construction throughout the project lifecycle to meet national green development goals and improve project quality.
Wang Qingqin: Green construction and building reforms are central to achieving carbon peak and neutrality, emphasizing human-centered carbon reduction.
Hao Jiping: High-quality development depends on green initiatives. The construction industry must aim for carbon peaking and transfer emissions to sectors where they are more necessary.
Ye Haowen: To promote new building industrialization, standardized, systematic, and integrated design, intelligent construction, and workforce modernization are essential.
Li Congxiao: Developing new construction methods involves promoting energy-saving materials and solving technical challenges for ultra-low energy buildings through prefabricated construction, with EPC contracting models to manage the process.
Technological Innovation
China Construction Technology debuts multiple advanced “black technologies” at Tianjin Exhibition Center
On June 24, the China Building Science Conference and Green Smart Building Expo opened at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin). China Construction Technology showcased innovations including a zero-carbon building experience hall, smart construction platforms, intelligent robots, advanced prefabricated building systems, smart city facilities, and environmental monitoring platforms, drawing widespread acclaim.
China Construction Installation: Jiangsu Province’s First Prefabricated Highway Bridge Opens to Traffic
On June 30, the main elevated bridge of the Nanjing 312 National Highway expansion project, constructed using prefabricated technology by China Construction Engineering Corporation, officially opened. This “aerial expressway” spans 5 kilometers and was assembled from standardized prefabricated components, minimizing disruption and completing the project in 15 months—half the original timeline.
Chengdu Tianfu International Airport Steel Structure Completion
The terminal building of Chengdu Tianfu International Airport passed completion acceptance on March 30. It is the largest civil airport built during the 13th Five-Year Plan and will be China’s second largest upon completion. The terminal features approximately 26,000 tons of steel in a hyperbolic roof truss covering 180,000 square meters. Innovative techniques like hydraulic synchronous lifting and pre-arching technology were used to achieve advanced construction standards.
Beijing Winter Olympics Venues Achieve Full Green Building Certification
For the first time in Olympic history, all Winter Olympics venues use 100% green electricity. Zhangjiakou’s wind and photovoltaic power provide 14 billion kWh annually, covering one-tenth of Beijing’s electricity needs. Venues integrate renewable energy systems, and the Yanqing Winter Olympics Village uses high-voltage electric boilers for 100% renewable heating.
China’s First 3D-Printed Retractable Landscape Pedestrian Bridge Unveiled in Shanghai
Named “Wannian Wheel,” this 9.34-meter-long, 850-kilogram bridge is made from recyclable carbonate polyester composite. It features nine extendable sections with Bluetooth-controlled opening in just one minute. The bridge supports 20 adults simultaneously and includes an automatic gravity warning system, showcasing environmentally friendly 3D printing in construction.
Project Highlights
Zhongjian Technology’s Zhukeng School Project, Shenzhen: Awarded the 2020 Sponge City Design Award, this school integrates experiential teaching with environmental sustainability. It includes roof greening, rainwater recycling, and diverse sponge city features to control runoff, mitigate heat islands, and reuse water, creating a sustainable green campus.
China Construction Third Engineering Bureau’s Zhuankou Six Village Project: Achieved rapid construction speed of one floor every three days using prefabricated components assembled on-site like building blocks. BIM technology was utilized to pre-assemble components and resolve design conflicts, reducing construction time by nearly 20% and minimizing waste and defects.
Xi’an Children’s Hospital Economic Development Park: Applied prefabricated buildings in constructing two hospitals, saving resources, improving efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and cutting construction costs while ensuring timely project completion.
Xiong’an Citizen Service Center: Utilized advanced technologies including BIM, CIM, sponge city principles, passive building, and prefabricated steel structures to complete construction and delivery in six months—half the typical time.
Regional Developments
Tianjin: Aims to implement prefabricated construction in all new residential and public buildings on state-owned land. Focuses on standardized design, prefabricated decoration, and integration of information technology, with quality supervision mechanisms and industrial layout optimization.
Hebei: Accelerates transformation to intelligent construction and building industrialization with focus on steel structure assembly and cultivation of demonstration counties and industrial bases. Supports prefabricated components through subsidies.
Shanghai: In 2020, 46.18 million square meters of prefabricated buildings were started, accounting for 91.7% of new construction sites. Prefabricated concrete component production reached 6.14 million cubic meters.
Jiangsu: Targets 50% of new construction area to be prefabricated buildings by 2025 and 30% for prefabricated decoration buildings.
Anhui: Plans to cultivate integrated design and construction enterprises, with production capacity reaching 50 million square meters by 2025. Established multiple industrial bases and promoted intelligent construction enterprises.
Zhejiang: Aims for over 35% of new buildings to be prefabricated by 2025, with steel structures comprising over 40% of these. Supports industry chain development and pilot projects for steel structure residential buildings.
Chongqing: Implements green building standards in prefabricated buildings, promoting industrialization of construction methods and integration of green building technology.
Guangdong: Targets 30% prefabricated buildings in new urban construction by 2025, with 100% green buildings. Supports building industry innovation, construction robot bases, and industrial base development.
Henan: Promotes industrialization of new construction, green building methods, and preferential policies for prefabricated parts, including plot ratio exemptions and green channels for transport.
Heilongjiang: Encourages promoting prefabricated buildings in affordable housing, aiming for at least 800,000 square meters annually.
Hubei: Focuses on solving technical standard issues and has 72 prefabricated building projects in the first half of 2021, including steel structure industrial buildings across several cities.
Hunan: Pilots new construction industrialization projects based on integrated design and lean production, focusing on concrete, steel, and wooden prefabricated components.
Shandong: Supports the development of size guidelines, factory production of common components, and standardization of building component supply chains.
Hainan: Plans to promote green buildings and prefabricated buildings, targeting 17 million square meters of construction area in 2021.
Ningxia: Solicits experts across multiple disciplines related to green and prefabricated buildings for a comprehensive expert database.
Shanxi: Promotes assembly-based green construction, prioritizes steel structures in public buildings, and aims for 5 million square meters of prefabricated buildings with at least 30% assembly rate.
Sichuan: Focuses on industrialization, research on prefabricated structural systems, and aims for 40% of new buildings to be prefabricated by 2025, with government-led projects promoting technology.
Shaanxi: Targets over 30% prefabricated buildings by 2025, emphasizes improving steel and concrete prefabricated building systems, and encourages integrated application of advanced materials and technology.
Gansu: Promotes coordinated development of intelligent construction and industrialized building methods, insists on fair procurement practices, and enforces supervision of prefabricated components production.
Fujian: Plans 159 new prefabricated concrete projects totaling 6.89 million square meters and 306 steel structure projects totaling 6.82 million square meters in 2020.
Liaoning: Sets a 21% target for prefabricated buildings in new urban construction, promotes steel structure industry bases, and explores “Internet plus construction” platforms and talent cultivation.
Jilin: Plans more than 5 national and 15 provincial prefabricated construction bases by 2025, with prefabricated construction comprising over 30% of new buildings. Offers subsidies for qualifying projects.
Jiangxi: Aims for 30-40% prefabricated buildings by 2022-2025, encourages city-level demonstration projects, and promotes steel structure prefabricated housing in various sectors.
Guizhou: Enforces fair procurement and supervision policies, promoting green building materials and prefabricated components with strict quality controls.
Qinghai: Encourages prefabricated buildings using precast concrete and steel structures, especially in public and rural buildings, with a focus on standard system improvements.
Yunnan: Promotes new construction industrialization through integrated project design and lean production, encouraging prefabricated steel structures in public and rural buildings.
Guangxi: Targets 30% prefabricated buildings by 2025, integrates green and digital construction, promotes BIM technology, and supports standardized prefabricated components and talent training.
Xinjiang: Promotes prefabricated buildings with supportive policies, technical standards, evaluations, and industrial base construction, aiming for 15% prefabricated building ratio by 2021.
Xizang (Tibet): Targets 60% green building area and over 30% prefabricated buildings by 2025, emphasizing steel structure prefabrication and development in border areas.
Inner Mongolia: Aims for 60% green buildings and 15-30% prefabricated buildings by 2022-2025, promotes steel structure prefabricated buildings, especially in public buildings and rural areas.
Source: Prefabricated Building Network. Copyright belongs to the original author. Infringement will be deleted.
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