| Typical Building Use |
Permanent homes, small villas, extensions, worker accommodation, and rural housing. |
Temporary offices, site accommodation, guardhouses, budget cabins, and short-term housing. |
Permanent apartments, schools, dormitories, public buildings, and multi-unit housing. |
Choose a system according to intended service life, occupancy, local planning approval, and whether the building is temporary or permanent. |
| Indicative Building Cost |
Approximately RMB 2,000–4,500 per m² for the building package and basic installation. |
Approximately RMB 1,200–2,800 per m² for a basic package. |
Approximately RMB 2,800–5,500 per m² for a standard finished package. |
Confirm whether the quotation includes foundations, transportation, lifting, plumbing, electrical work, interior finishes, taxes, and site preparation. |
| Structural Material |
Cold-formed galvanized steel profiles with bolted or screwed connections. |
Light steel or tubular steel frames combined with insulated sandwich panels. |
Factory-produced reinforced concrete wall, floor, or volumetric modules. |
Ask for steel thickness, corrosion protection, concrete strength, reinforcement details, connection drawings, and quality-control records. |
| Wall System |
Steel frame with cement board, structural sheathing, insulation, vapor-control layer, and interior board. |
Rock-wool, EPS, or polyurethane-core sandwich panels fixed to a steel frame. |
Reinforced concrete panels or modules, often combined with an additional insulation layer. |
Compare thermal performance, moisture resistance, fire classification, acoustic performance, repairability, and replacement cost. |
| Common Insulation Options |
Rock wool, glass wool, EPS, or polyurethane insulation, usually about 75–150 mm thick. |
EPS, rock wool, or polyurethane cores, commonly about 50–100 mm thick. |
External or sandwich insulation, commonly about 50–120 mm thick depending on the climate zone. |
Insulation thickness alone is not enough; check thermal-bridge treatment, airtightness, window quality, and the complete wall U-value. |
| Roof Construction |
Light steel trusses or rafters with metal roofing, waterproof membrane, insulation, and ceiling lining. |
Insulated roof panels or metal roof sheets with sealed joints and flashing. |
Precast or cast-in-place concrete roof with waterproofing and thermal insulation layers. |
Check snow-load design, wind uplift resistance, drainage, waterproofing warranty, roof access, and maintenance requirements. |
| Windows and Doors |
Double-glazed aluminum or uPVC windows; insulated steel or aluminum doors are common. |
Basic aluminum or uPVC windows; single or double glazing may be offered. |
Double-glazed windows with heavier frames and more robust door assemblies. |
Compare glazing type, air tightness, water tightness, solar-control performance, hardware quality, and emergency-exit requirements. |
| Typical Thermal Performance |
Good when continuous insulation and thermal bridges are properly detailed; suitable for many climate zones with project-specific design. |
Moderate to good, but performance depends heavily on panel thickness, joint sealing, and core material. |
Moderate without external insulation; good after thermal bridges and external insulation are properly addressed. |
Request an energy calculation or envelope specification rather than relying only on marketing terms such as “insulated” or “energy-saving.” |
| Fire Safety |
Steel is non-combustible, but wall and roof assemblies must be assessed as complete systems; rock wool generally provides better fire resistance than combustible cores. |
Fire performance varies significantly by core material; rock-wool panels generally offer better fire resistance than EPS or polyurethane panels. |
Concrete is non-combustible and generally provides strong fire resistance, subject to detailing and code compliance. |
Request fire-test reports for the complete wall and roof assemblies, not only for individual materials. Verify fire compartments and escape routes. |
| Wind and Seismic Performance |
Low weight can reduce seismic demand, but anchoring, bracing, and connections must be engineered for the project site. |
Suitable for low-rise applications when adequately braced and anchored; panel joints and fasteners require careful inspection. |
High mass and strength can provide robust performance, but foundations, lifting joints, and connections require detailed engineering. |
Obtain stamped structural drawings and confirm design loads for local wind speed, earthquake intensity, snow, soil, and flood conditions. |
| Factory Production Level |
High; wall frames and panels can be precision-cut and preassembled before delivery. |
High for panels and basic modules, although more site finishing may be required. |
Very high for standardized components, with strict requirements for molds, curing, lifting, and transportation. |
Ask about factory quality checks, dimensional tolerances, moisture protection during transport, and inspection procedures before shipment. |
| Typical Installation Period |
Approximately 1–4 months after design approval and site readiness. |
Approximately 2–8 weeks for a basic low-rise installation. |
Approximately 3–8 months, depending on module size, foundation work, transport, and crane access. |
Construction time is not the same as total project time; add design approval, permits, foundation work, utility connections, and interior fit-out. |
| Transport and Site Access |
Components are relatively light and can be delivered in compact packages. |
Lightweight and easy to transport, but panels can be vulnerable to impact and wind during handling. |
Heavy and oversized components may require specialized vehicles, route surveys, and lifting equipment. |
Evaluate road width, bridge limits, turning radius, crane positioning, unloading space, and transport distance before selecting a system. |
| Foundation Requirements |
Often compatible with strip foundations, slab foundations, or other engineered shallow systems, subject to soil conditions. |
Generally light foundations may be possible, but wind uplift and local soil conditions still require engineering. |
Usually requires a stronger foundation because of higher dead loads and concentrated module reactions. |
Do not select a foundation solely from a standard catalog; commission a site survey and confirm bearing capacity, drainage, and settlement risk. |
| Acoustic Performance |
Good potential with mineral wool, resilient layers, and double-board linings; lightweight assemblies need careful detailing. |
Basic acoustic performance unless thicker panels, mineral wool cores, and additional interior layers are specified. |
Generally good airborne-sound insulation because of higher mass, although impact noise may require floor treatments. |
Compare tested sound-reduction values for walls and floors, especially for bedrooms, shared accommodation, and multi-unit buildings. |
| Moisture and Corrosion Protection |
Requires galvanized or otherwise protected steel, sealed joints, drainage planes, and proper ventilation. |
Requires sealed panel joints, protected cut edges, flashing, and careful control of condensation. |
Requires crack control, waterproofing, joint sealing, and protection against reinforcement corrosion. |
Inspect samples of joints, corners, penetrations, bathrooms, balconies, and roof edges before approving production. |
| Expected Service Life |
Often designed for 30–50 years or more when properly engineered, protected, and maintained. |
Often around 10–30 years for basic temporary applications, depending on core material and exposure conditions. |
Often designed for 50 years or more when structural design, concrete quality, waterproofing, and maintenance are appropriate. |
Service life is a design and maintenance outcome; request the structural design life, material warranties, and replacement schedule. |
| Maintenance Needs |
Periodic inspection of coatings, fasteners, sealants, roof drainage, and moisture-prone areas. |
Frequent checks of panel joints, sealants, roof sheets, fasteners, and damaged panel surfaces. |
Inspection of cracks, joints, waterproofing, façade finishes, drainage, and exposed concrete areas. |
Compare annual maintenance costs and the local availability of replacement panels, sealants, fixtures, and skilled installers. |
| Customization Potential |
High for layouts, façades, roof forms, insulation, and interior finishes, within transport and structural limits. |
Low to moderate; best suited to standardized layouts and simple spans. |
Moderate; customization is possible but changes may increase mold, engineering, transport, and lifting costs. |
Request a clear list of standard inclusions and priced options for kitchens, bathrooms, façades, stairs, solar systems, and upgraded windows. |
| Environmental Considerations |
Steel is recyclable, while overall impact depends on insulation, sheathing, coatings, transport, and replacement frequency. |
Uses relatively little material, but some foam cores are difficult to recycle and may have higher fire or end-of-life concerns. |
Durable and low-maintenance, but cement production and heavy transport can create a higher embodied-carbon burden. |
Compare whole-life performance, material quantities, recycled content, durability, transport distance, and end-of-life disposal options. |
| Best Value When |
A permanent, energy-conscious home is needed with moderate customization and relatively fast installation. |
Low initial cost, rapid deployment, and simple accommodation are more important than long-term premium performance. |
Long service life, fire resistance, acoustic mass, and standardized multi-unit construction justify the higher initial investment. |
The lowest purchase price is not always the lowest total cost; compare construction, energy, maintenance, transport, and replacement expenses over the planned life. |
| Documents Buyers Should Request |
Structural drawings, material specifications, galvanizing or coating data, fire documents, energy calculations, and installation manual. |
Panel core and density data, fire-test reports, joint details, waterproofing details, structural calculations, and replacement guidance. |
Concrete strength records, reinforcement details, connection drawings, lifting plans, fire documentation, and waterproofing specifications. |
Also request a fixed-scope quotation, payment schedule, delivery terms, warranty conditions, defect-response process, and evidence of compliance with applicable Chinese standards. |
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