Zhanjiang promotes cost-saving, energy-efficient prefabs

Zhanjiang will promote the use of prefabricated buildings, also known as prefabs, to save energy, help resolve the problem of excessive industrial capacity, and improve the construction industry.

The Implementation Opinion of Zhanjiang to Develop Prefabricated Buildings was approved at an executive meeting of the municipal government chaired by Mayor Jiang Jianjun on Oct 9.

The document specifies the basic principles, development goals, key tasks, and supportive policies of relevant works.

Prefabricated buildings consist of ready-made components that can be transported and assembled at the construction site. They can increase efficiency and reduce construction waste, dust, and noise compared with traditional cast-in-place concrete structures.

Statistics provided by enterprises show that construction time can be cut by up to a third in some cases, and that use of construction materials such as cement, water, and wood can be reduced by at least 15 percent.

The technique is already becoming popular in large Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.