Fearless of the raging wind! Revealing the excellent wind resistance of prefabricated houses

At a time when extreme weather is frequent, the wind resistance of buildings has become the focus of attention. Recently, after the typhoon "Compa" passed through Wenchang, Hainan, my country, a batch of prefabricated concrete farmhouses remained intact, which caused heated discussions. Prefabricated houses are gradually becoming a new choice for buildings in high wind pressure areas with their excellent wind resistance. ​
The wind resistance advantage of prefabricated houses comes from their scientific design and advanced manufacturing technology. In terms of design standards, prefabricated houses strictly follow the building codes of various countries. For example, China's "Building Structure Load Code" divides wind pressure zones according to different regions. The wind pressure value in coastal areas can reach 0.8-1.5kN/㎡. Prefabricated houses will fully consider these factors when designing to ensure that they meet wind resistance requirements. From the perspective of material selection, steel structure prefabricated houses use Q275 and above strength steel, which has high elastic modulus and good toughness, and can absorb wind load energy through slight deformation; concrete prefabricated houses rely on reinforcement design and large deadweight to effectively offset the uplift force caused by wind load.

In terms of structural design, prefabricated houses have many ingenious ideas. In the main structure, whether it is a steel frame or a concrete frame, it is connected by nodes to form an overall lateral force resistance system to reduce lateral displacement under wind load; the prefabricated concrete shear wall or light steel ribbed wall of the shear wall structure can effectively resist horizontal wind force. The structural details are even more critical. The foundation connection is firmly connected to the main structure through anchor bolts and embedded parts. The component connection nodes are ensured to be stable by high-strength bolts, grouting sleeves, etc. The roof is set up with reasonable slope design, metal roof panels and wind-resistant clips to resist wind suction. ​
It is worth mentioning that the wind resistance of prefabricated houses has been strictly tested and certified. Wind tunnel tests simulate wind pressure distribution under different wind directions and wind speeds to ensure the safety of houses in extreme weather. At the same time, international standards such as the US FEMA 361 and China's "Technical Specifications for Low-rise Cold-bent Thin-walled Steel House Construction" also provide normative guarantees for the wind resistance of prefabricated houses.

Compared with traditional buildings, prefabricated houses have more significant advantages. Factory production ensures that the dimension error of components is ≤2mm and the quality of connection nodes is controllable; modular design can flexibly adjust structural parameters according to wind pressure zones; although the self-weight of light steel structures is only 1/3 - 1/5 of that of traditional brick-concrete structures, through reasonable stiffness design, wind resistance displacement is smaller. ​
Whether it is the prefabricated steel structure houses in Kyushu, Japan that resisted the 15-level typhoon, or the prefabricated concrete buildings in my country's coastal areas that stood firm in the typhoon, they are constantly proving the reliability of prefabricated houses in wind resistance. With the continuous advancement of technology, prefabricated houses will provide safe and efficient building solutions for more regions and become a solid fortress against extreme weather.