Chongqing - The implementation proportion of prefabricated construction in Chongqing will reach 30% this year, according to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
They said, approximately one-third of new buildings will adopt prefabricated technology, positioning Chongqing as a leader in the western China region.
Prefabricated construction utilizes the assembly of components, similar to building with blocks, which facilitates the incorporation of smart technology and significantly improves construction efficiency.
Prefabricated technology brings a 700% increase in construction progress
A typical example of prefabricated construction is the Xinsen Avenue Tunnel project in Chongqing High-tech Zone.
Unlike traditional construction sites, there is no dust, garbage accumulation, or noise, while workers assemble precast components like building blocks using gantry cranes to complete the tunnel construction.
According to Lu Wanqing, Chief Engineer of China Construction Seventh Engineering Division Southwest Construction Co., Ltd., the Xinsen Avenue Tunnel is approximately 790 meters long, with 445 meters constructed using prefabricated techniques, requiring over 800 precast components. Each precast component for the tunnel weighs around 72 tons, with a thickness of approximately one meter and a width of about two meters.
"Two precast components are assembled to form a complete arch shape, which is then joined together using a mortise and tenon structure to complete one ring of tunnel construction," Lu added.
With the adoption of prefabricated technology, the construction of this project has increased from one meter per day to eight meters, with an increase of 700%. The number of on-site lining workers has been reduced by half, and the use of materials such as reinforcement bars and concrete has decreased by 20%.
The precision of assembly has reached millimeter-level accuracy, controlled within approximately two millimeters. To achieve on-site assembly, a prefabricated component production plant was also constructed within one kilometer of the assembly site.
Workers are adopting prefabricated technology in construction. (Photo/Shangyou News)
Prefabricated construction industry to exceed 300 billion yuan
Developing the prefabricated construction industry, Chongqing strengthens the supply chain, and it has formed a complete industrial chain, including research and development design, component production, intelligent construction, installation, equipment manufacturing, logistics transportation, decoration, quality inspection, and education and training.
For example, the integrated assistance project in the Yang'erping Community Resettlement Area, located in Ma'an Street, Fuling District, Chongqing, adopts over 68% of prefabricated construction and leverages advanced technologies such as auxiliary construction robots, significantly improving construction efficiency.
During the construction phase, material-handling robots are responsible for transporting bricks. In the inspection phase, 3D reality reconstruction robots digitally measure the houses and compare them with the building information model to ensure compliance with the design model.
Prefabricated construction features green, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient characteristics, capable of changing the traditional production methods of the construction industry and addressing challenges such as labor shortages and rising material prices.
Improving the quality issues commonly seen in traditional construction, such as wall cracks and leakage, prefabricated construction can shorten construction periods and makes its path toward achieving the Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality goals in the construction industry.
So far, Chongqing has cultivated six national-level industrial bases for prefabricated construction, 30 municipal-level industrial bases, and over 70 component production enterprises.
In the future, Chongqing aims to increase the proportion of prefabricated construction areas to new building areas to 35% by 2025, and the annual output value of the prefabricated construction industry in the city will exceed 300 billion yuan (about 41.5 billion U.S. dollars).