Each construction technology has its advantages and disadvantages, supporters and opponents. Today, industrial home construction found itself in a difficult situation. For many, the words "panel building" is still associated with something low-quality and unreliable. But today, modern industrial construction around the world is based on flexible technologies. After all, factory wall structures guarantee the quality and high speed of construction, and aesthetics are achieved by applying various architectural solutions.
Advantages and disadvantages
In Soviet times, large residential areas were built on the basis of panels. And 90 per cent of them have an unattractive, gloomy appearance. It is no wonder that many began to think that the era of panel building is coming to an end. But it is not so. In European countries, such housing occupies a significant share of the market. It is built using advanced technologies in accordance with modern standards and requirements.
In Ukraine, these technologies are also spreading and undergoing a kind of "rebirth" stage. Moreover, it is important that the local authorities used to be the customers of such projects, but now mostly private developers are.
The reasons are obvious: new series have entered the market, and significantly changed the aesthetics of the building for the better. At the same time, new technologies of industrial construction have opened opportunities for flexible architectural solutions. This means that projects are developed individually, and production can be reformatted in a very short time according to emerging needs. That is, the same production line can be used to produce various structural elements of a wider range and required sizes. Also, if earlier 12-16-22-story buildings with a standard set and configuration of apartments were built, now you can build objects of any number of floors and of any shape. The set of apartments in such houses can also be chosen. They are comfortable to live in, and the previous complaints about poor thermal insulation and high level of noise have been corrected. In other words, typical panels of the 70s and 80s and modern houses using industrial construction – are heaven and earth. And it concerns all the aspects, starting from the appearance and ending with operational characteristics.
Industrial home construction has other advantages — each house does not need to be designed from scratch, manufacturing parts and structures in factory conditions allows you to significantly speed up the construction period under the conditions of maintaining high quality.
Of course, this technology has a number of factors that act as a certain limitation. For example, in traditional panel buildings, it is impossible to create premises on the first floors with high ceilings for the accommodation of small businesses, so it is necessary to find a non-traditional approach and, for example, design the two lower floors from monolith reinforced concrete and the following ones – using industrial construction technology. It is also difficult to make entrances to porches without high thresholds, etc., which seems to complicate the construction technology, but is not impossible. However, these difficulties are completely surmountable by foreseeing relevant solutions in the project.
Regarding production capacity, unfortunately, today the number of producers is lower than the one that was before. Currently out of 85 enterprises no more than 5 are active on the market, and modern. Вuring the boom of the industrial method of construction in the 50-60s of the last century happened during the peak of the development of a whole network of house-building factories that produced ready-made wall structures. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, this story ended — such factories began to close down widely due to lack of demand and economic impracticability. First of all, this situation happened due to a significant increase in the cost of the production process, the primary cause of which was the high cost of electricity. After all, as everyone knows, during the USSR times, electricity "didn't cost anything", so many production processes were not expensive for enterprises. In current conditions, without modernization and the application of new technologies that allow optimizing the panel manufacturing process, it will be unprofitable.
Modern technologies of precast concrete and industrial construction make it possible to manufacture structures quickly, reliably, of appropriate quality and with high performance indicators, which makes it possible to solve tasks of various complexity facing the construction industry.
Expert comment
Industrial construction is surrounded by many myths. Also, in order to understand in more detail the nuances of the technology, we turned to leading industry and science experts to comment on their vision of the situation in the segment of housing construction by industrial method.
Anatolyi Berkuta, Vice-President of the Construction Chamber of Ukraine, Vice-President of the Academy of Construction of Ukraine:
— The current question regarding the utility or impracticality of building residential objects from industrial structures is, in my opinion, out of time. After all, there is no point in discussing this matter. This issue is understood, and the engineering community has been working on this problem for many, many years. First of all, let's go back to the historical aspects. Clearly, after the end of the World War II, the country had to look for ways to provide the population, first of all, with housing facilities, and then with social facilities. We started with what we understood – we need to build something simpler in order to also provide temporary accommodation. So, the first brick houses, which were five stories high, were usually designed for about 30 years of operation. It was planned to replace them later with something more comfortable and acceptable from the architectural image point of view.
Over time, it became clear that the problem would not be solved quickly in this way, and they began to think about new approaches to construction. One of the accepted options was to produce ready-made large blocks of bricks at the production sites for their subsequent assembly at construction sites. These were the same five-story buildings, but fewer workers were involved in their construction on the construction site, because the main processes took place in the workshops, where masons formed blocks of bricks.
Unfortunately, this approach turned out to be a rather labor-intensive process, and it was concluded that all this can be done from concrete by forming concrete panels. Initially, they were formed from "heavy" concrete which involved significant costs for cement and reinforcement during production and issues with energy efficiency during the operation of ready-made buildings. Later, light concretes, more energy-efficient cellular concrete began to appear. Also, the construction technology itself caused many problematic issues. In particular, there was significant leakages, especially in the end sections and even blowing between the panels. Of course, this was only the beginning of such industrial construction, but it made it possible to solve the problem of providing housing more quickly. At the same time, more and more work began to be transferred from the construction site to the production shops. Most products were manufactured on factories, and only their assembly took place on the construction site, which allowed to increase the volume of construction.
For example, if we look at the 1987 indicators, the largest amount of residential construction was built in that year – 21.3 million m2 of housing, of which: 5.5 million m2 was built by people themselves, 14.8 million m2 was built by the state organizations that relied on industrial construction, 1.3 million m2 was built by cooperatives, 1.4 million m2 was built collective farms. At the same time, the capacities for 1987 were also significant: 50 house-building factories, 24 large-panel construction enterprises and 3 factories that produced industrial structures.
Now we all see that it was a quick construction and such houses have many flaws, but this does not mean that this technology is not worth paying attention to. The main thing is to have a modernized approach and make the most of new technological opportunities. Today, there are already new constructive solutions, they are prefabricated, they are assembled in factory conditions, able to withstand loads that old panel houses could not bear, etc.
Also, to say that industrial construction should be abandoned, identifying it as panel building, is absolutely wrong. It is quite competitive and can coexist with other housing construction technologies. And taking into account the scale of destruction that Ukraine has at the moment, there is a lot of work ahead. We have a large state and a large territory, so it will be necessary to build housing not at the pace at which we can build today, but much faster. Therefore, it is worth calculating the relevance of certain construction methods.
Hennadiy Fareniuk, Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor, director of the State Scientific and Research Institute of Building Structures:
— Today, it is a common opinion that panel houses are less resistant to seismic fluctuations and dynamic influences than other structural systems. In fact, this is not the case. Constructive systems of multi-story panel buildings provide the necessary stability due to their flexibility and, providing necessary quality of connections between the panels, buildings are able to perceive dynamic loads and extinguish them. The main thing, as in other technologies, is the quality of the panel installation work.
By the way, equally disputable is the question of the degree of damage and destruction of panel buildings during military impacts, which, unfortunately, is the most relevant for our country. Based on the results of research into damaged and destroyed buildings conducted by our institute in 2022-2023, it can be stated that the destruction of the structures of large-panel buildings is not greater than in monolithic frame buildings. But this is a general conclusion, detailed research and analysis of destruction in buildings with different structural systems has not yet been carried out, and these issues require special study.
In general, from the point of view of the speed of construction and the quality of construction works, with their proper organization, industrial construction has its advantages. First, the production of panels at the factory can be carried out regardless of the season and weather conditions. The stability of the quality indicators of each batch is also ensured, because in factory conditions it is easier to carry out quality control of finished products, strict compliance with technological requirements, and ultimately, control of materials and raw materials used in the production of structural elements. Modern production is automated and unified, which reduces the human impact. In addition to availability of panel production in any weather conditions, the industrial construction method also has greater season adaptability in terms of installation, which is also important.
Among the biggest problems of this technology is ensuring the necessary operational properties of the joints of the panels. However, currently, there are enough high-quality solutions on the market to ensure a proper joint and the necessary air and water tightness characteristics.
The question of the influence of air permeability on operational properties is much broader than only the air permeability of joints. These issues are also urgent for the existing constructive systems of facades of monolithic frame buildings. For facade insulation of buildings with external walls of two or two and a half bricks, air tightness through the structure is ensured with the proper fulfillment of the requirements for the seams of the existing masonry. With modern solutions, the walls are filled between floors in one brick or a block without proper preparation of the joints, and the presence of insulation does not provide the necessary characteristics regarding air infiltration and, accordingly, regarding the thermal insulation properties of the external walls.
In industrial construction, such problems do not arise, and the main thing is to comply with technical requirements, both in the process of manufacturing and installation of finished products.
During the production of large-format panels, they are insulated and furnished at once. After a full cycle of factory work, such three-layers panels are delivered to the facility and installed. Therefore, it should be emphasized that the current level of panel house construction and modern technologies of precast concrete make it possible to build houses with high operational characteristics that fully meet the modern requirements of engineering and technical support and energy saving. At the same time, they are distinguished by a variety of layouts and external architectural expressiveness.
As for the regulatory framework, in Ukraine it is formed and covers all issues of design, production, quality control and compliance, the main thing is that the current regulatory requirements are fulfilled.
So, taking into account the above, we can say that the industrial method of construction can become a reliable assistant in the rapid restoration of destroyed housing, but at a completely different level. It is only important comply with a few key things: prepare the projects of mass application and a clear system of control over the execution of work directly on the construction site. Otherwise, it will not have the proper effect.
China can serve as a vivid example of the active use of industrial construction. We all have heard about their records of building high-rise buildings in literally 20 days. Moreover, they build entire blocks using standard designs. But looking at the Chinese construction experience, special attention should be paid to how they carry out quality control, both of the materials themselves and of the work execution process.
Petro Shilyuk, Hero of Ukraine, Honorary President of DBK-Zhytlobud Corporation, President of the Construction Chamber of Ukraine:
— Once upon a time, industrial house building was a priority in Ukraine. So, if we take the period up to the beginning of the 60s, when the program for the intensive provision of housing to the population was working, there were at least three house-building factories in each regional center. In comparison, in Soviet times we built 24 million m2 of housing, while during independence – a maximum of 11 million m2.
A whole new stage in the development of industrial housing began with the implementation of State Building Norms В.2.6-31:2006 "Thermal insulation of buildings" in 2007. During the further development of the projects, full compliance with modern heat engineering requirements was ensured and all the shortcomings characteristic of residential buildings of the first mass series were prevented. A calculated assessment of thermal characteristics was carried out for typical block-sections of industrial buildings of the modernized series. The junctions of wall structures which were critical from the point of view of heat engineering, have undergone a thorough inspection for compliance with regulatory requirements. Therefore, modern "warm panel houses" – is not only a stable comfortable temperature in living spaces, but also a significant reduction of harmful CO2.
For example, in Europe, prefabricated technologies are constantly developing, combining traditional advantages – speed and less influence of weather conditions on the construction process – with high quality of structures, which allowed them to take a prominent place next to monolithic and frame-monolithic construction technologies.
Our task is to catch up with the Europeans, who are one step ahead in panel housing construction. Its very essence remained unchanged, but the tools and the result changed. Moreover, this technology can become the main resource for increasing mass construction, however, only in condition of modernization of plants of reinforced concrete products and house-building plants. And this is possible under the condition of developing a mechanism of sustainable lending and appropriate legislative framework. For the wider development of this direction, it is better to have a relevant state program.
Unfortunately, we often follow fashion, including in construction. For example, monolithic-frame construction technology began to be used more and more often. This is a fairly modern technology that has its advantages, but it is also worth considering the fact that most of such objects in Ukraine are performed by companies that do not have their own production base. Which quite often affects the quality of work and the guaranteed completion of construction and putting it into operation. Equally important is the fact that the majority of such housing appears to be unfurnished. So, if we talk about the economic component, it is doubtful.
For example, it takes an average of two years to build a house using industrial technology. It is a ready-made multi-storey building with elevators, roof, ventilated facade, internal fittings and engineering. In other words, you can bring the furniture and live. Of course, you can build a monolithic frame house in two years. But after receiving housing, its owner has to bear almost the same expenses for furnishing that was spent on buying "square meters". Usually, such houses are put into operation without internal equipment, or with minimal equipment. So, if we take the material costs of building a house, there is also a noticeable difference. For comparison: reinforced concrete is used in industrial construction at approximately 41 kg/m3, while in monolithic frame construction – up to 200 kg/m3.
Among the most common advantages of monolithic frame construction is free planning. Yes, there is no such advantage in a house built using industrial construction technology, but this does not mean that such houses are all of the same type.
In general, modern industrial construction is a kind of high-tech designer: the elements are the same and unified. As for the single type of buildings, this issue has long been resolved – today there are no problems in making high-rise industrial buildings modern and architecturally expressive. And this is primarily because, from typical structures, we build houses that are individual in terms of architectural solutions and attractive from the outside.
At the same time, the thermal reliability of buildings is ensured by effective thermal insulation, one of the elements of which is the facade system. To ensure modern energy efficiency requirements, we use the HOSTROCK curtain wall facade system, the full cycle of manufacturing and installation of which is carried out by one of the corporation's enterprises, the Sonet plant. In general, it is quite important when the factory and the construction and assembly departments, which build houses from industrial structures, are links of the same chain, then they are bound by joint responsibility. For example, our corporation consists of 11 powerful organizations that professionally perform design, construction, electrical installation, commissioning, finishing works, installation of elevator equipment, manufacture concrete and reinforced concrete products, organize the territories, and maintain buildings after commissioning.
A complete closed cycle of production within the framework of one enterprise — this mechanism is unique for Ukraine, because today, even among large developers, there are not so many enterprises capable of sustaining the entire construction process on their own.
Our houses of the modernized APVS series with a ventilated facade are a clear example of housing design and construction, the heat losses of which are reduced to a minimum.
Unfortunately, today there are quite a few enterprises that work with the industrial construction technology. Moreover, in order for it to be modern, it is necessary to invest a lot. And not all manufacturers are ready to take such a step. For example, our corporation purchased an industrial line for production, which is modern for Ukraine today, but if you take Europe, it is equipment that has been used there for a long time and is popular. It has software, zero-waste production and variability in product manufacturing. Unfortunately, there is only one such line in Ukraine. But this is not a reason to bury industrial construction. It will be able to take its place in the reconstruction and provide high-quality and comfortable housing in a relatively short period of time. At the same time, it is important to adhere to the principle that the building should not be put into operation as a "semi-finished product", but with all the finishing works provided for by the project.
Royal House press service:
— It is worth noting that modern precast concrete differs from Soviet-style panels to approximately the same extent as Mercedes from old Zhiguli. The panels used today are five times more energy efficient. Thermal insulation is laid in a continuous carpet, which makes it possible to avoid the "cold bridges". The absolute strength of the structure is achieved immediately after its installation. Sealing of external seams is provided by modern technology of panel joints. In fact, houses using prefabricated monolithic technology are "built" at the factory, and are installed in the position already on the construction site.
In general, prefabricated monolithic technology undoubtedly has a number of advantages, including:
- the cost of construction when using prefabricated wall modules is reduced by 25-35 per cent (compared to monolithic frame technology);
- construction terms are halved;
- the use, for example, of clinker on the facade extends the service life of buildings;
- construction and installation are possible at any time of the year. All "wet" processes take place in advance in the plant's workshops.
For example, in European countries, industrial panel house construction is widespread, in particular, it is quite common in residential construction. Popularity is explained by high consumer features (and at the same time economy) — in fact, by what the consumer most often values.
Although it is worth noting that in Europe there are quite high requirements for the quality, environmental friendliness, and energy efficiency of residential buildings. We felt it when we entered the European market. We can say with confidence that the wall modules with an energy-efficient insulation system of the Royal House group of companies fully meet European quality and energy efficiency standards, and the implemented projects in Europe show the high trust of European customers in the Ukrainian product. Among the greatest advantages of TM Royal House wall modules, thanks to which they conquered the heart of Europe, is an energy-efficient insulation system that exceeds Ukrainian standards by 20 per cent. That is why the houses built according to this technology are very warm, which allows you to save up to 55 per cent on heating the premises (data based on the example of the completed project of the residential complex "British quarter").
Current tasks of increasing the volume of economically efficient construction require new solutions. Modern industrial house construction can be such a solution. After all, modern industrial construction technologies will make it possible to diversify the industry, reduce capital costs, and at the same time significantly reduce the scope of work and the associated risks. And perhaps the main advantage of this method is the transfer of most technological processes from the construction site to factory conditions. This will make it possible to control the technological processes more carefully, and therefore increase the quality of finished houses. So, as we can see, there are practically no real alternatives to industrial housing construction to solve the problem of mass construction of affordable and high-quality housing.
