China to promote prefab buildings in urbanization

China will promote prefabricated buildings in urbanization to conserve energy, improve safety and reduce excess capacity, the State Council announced Wednesday.

Prefab buildings made of steel, concrete and other factory-made components will be used more in new buildings in metropolitan areas such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and cities with more than three million permanent residents, according to a statement released after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

The government will improve related standards and regulations regarding prefab buildings and promote development of a sound industrial chain from design to furnishing, the statement added.

Enterprises are encouraged to enrich prefab building products, develop new technology and equipment and use more prefab products in construction.

The State Council called for improvement of systems regarding contracting, construction, pricing and inspection to ensure the quality and safety of prefab buildings.

Local governments could roll out supporting policies to encourage prefab buildings, which would be included in city planning review, the statement added. Endi