Since the turn of the century, the government has increasingly focused on improving the engineering quality of housing construction. Alongside this, clear regulations and legal provisions have been established to supervise and manage housing construction quality, thereby standardizing the construction practices across the industry. Within this framework, construction technology in China is continuously advancing, with prefabricated concrete structures emerging as a significant innovation. This technology has notably contributed to the progressive development of China’s construction industry.
1. Building Construction: Advances in Prefabricated Concrete Technology in China
(1) Prefabricated Concrete Technology
Prefabricated concrete technology, commonly known as PC technology, has become widely adopted across China. Vanke Construction Group was among the first to propose this method, which has since driven substantial growth in housing and other construction projects nationwide. PC technology is extensively used for fully prefabricated concrete components such as stairs, balconies, air conditioning panels commonly seen in everyday life, and interior partition panels in buildings.
As the economy developed, construction research matured, leading industry experts to develop PCF technology, an evolution of PC technology. PCF technology focuses on precast concrete formwork and effectively addresses quality issues in wall areas. Today, PCF technology is widely applied in precast concrete composite floor slabs, shear wall formwork, and other building components.
In practice, PC technology mainly targets installation methods in building construction and the production of fully prefabricated components. It effectively resolves issues related to insulation, water seepage, comprehensive wall prefabrication, and wall decoration. Conversely, PCF technology concentrates on solving challenges with exterior wall formwork, significantly reducing safety risks caused by installing numerous brackets around buildings during construction, thus enhancing overall construction safety.
However, PCF technology has some limitations. Its design often overlooks the load-bearing capacity and stiffness of the external concrete formwork on walls, which can lead to excessive material waste and deviations from initial structural calculations. This, in turn, may negatively impact the building’s seismic resistance.
(2) NPC Technical System
NPC (New Precast Concrete) technology integrates advanced foreign precast concrete methods with China’s specific construction needs and design requirements. This fusion has created a unique NPC technology system, which emphasizes on-site assembly and mechanized factory production. Zhongnan Construction Group first introduced this system in China.
Compared to traditional construction methods, NPC technology offers clear advantages: it reduces noise and pollution on construction sites, promotes energy conservation and environmental protection, saves building materials and labor, lowers costs, and shortens construction timelines. These benefits have led to its widespread adoption in residential and commercial buildings.
(3) Assembly of Integral Precast Concrete Shear Wall Technology
Shear walls are structural elements designed to resist horizontal forces from seismic and wind loads. Also called structural, seismic, or windproof walls, they come in two main types: planar and cylindrical. Currently, planar shear walls are predominantly used in housing construction, particularly in reinforced concrete lift cores, frame structures, and beamless floor systems.
To enhance strength, collapse resistance, and overall building stiffness, reinforced concrete shear walls may be prefabricated or cast in place in certain parts of a structure during construction.
The integral assembly technology for precast concrete shear walls originated from innovations by Yuhui Group in China. Building upon plug-in reserved hole grouting and steel bar overlapping techniques for vertical shear wall connections, this technology has proven highly practical in actual projects. It is applicable to producing horizontal composite floor slabs, stair slabs, vertical shear wall formwork, and balconies.
Nonetheless, this technology has drawbacks, including the heavy and bulky components involved. Moreover, it demands advanced equipment and features a relatively straightforward operation mode, limiting its use in complex building designs.
(4) Composite Slab Concrete Shear Wall Technology
Developed by Xiweide Concrete Prefabrication (Hefei) Co., Ltd., this technology combines Germany’s “double wall precast concrete building system” with China’s domestic housing construction context. It focuses on the shear wall’s role in load-bearing and building stability, as these walls must resist not only seismic and wind forces but also vertical loads transmitted from horizontal building components.
Ensuring the quality of shear walls during construction is critical. By refining production methods, this technology enhances the stiffness and strength of shear walls. Components include laminated wall panels, prefabricated floor slabs, and laminated floor slabs.
Engineering applications have demonstrated that composite slab concrete shear wall technology significantly improves wall strength and stiffness, while promoting a more prefabricated, rational, and standardized construction process.
2. Measures to Improve Prefabricated Concrete Construction Technology in Building Construction
(1) Strengthen the Development of Standardized Mathematical Models
Standardizing mathematical models in architecture can make construction processes more rational and scientific, greatly reducing project timelines. Although China has achieved significant breakthroughs in prefabricated concrete technology, shortcomings remain in producing standardized mathematical models. This gap hinders standardized control over construction techniques during implementation.
To further advance prefabricated concrete construction, China must emphasize the development of mathematical models, as they are essential for standardization control and optimizing project management systems.
(2) Coordinate Management and Technology
The progress of housing construction in China depends not only on technical innovation but also on effective management of construction technologies and related processes. Applying scientific management methods drives technological advancement while ensuring management serves as both protector and guide for technology implementation.
Achieving coordinated development between technology and management will enable China’s housing construction industry to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and expand its scale effectively.
Summary:
In conclusion, China’s commitment to a low-carbon economy has integrated environmental protection and green ecological principles into the entire construction industry. Nationwide, the focus has shifted towards enhancing prefabricated concrete construction technologies for housing, gradually forming construction techniques with distinct Chinese characteristics. This progress has injected fresh momentum into the industry’s growth and the broader socio-economic development.
References:
Song Feifei. Research and Application of Prefabricated and Prefabricated Concrete Structure Technology. Residential Industry, 2010 (03)
Wang Donghui, Liu Xudong, Chen Yong. The Development of Assembled Integral Concrete Structures. Concrete Technology, 2012 (09)
Wang Changyong. Application of the New Prefabricated Prefabricated Building Structure System in Practice. Guangdong Science and Technology, 2011 (06)
Jiang Qinjian, Lv Zhiyuan. Overview of the Development of Prefabricated Concrete Buildings at Home and Abroad. Building Technology, 2010 (07)
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