Service life of panel houses according to the standard and in reality
To assess liquidity (i.e., the real possibility of selling an apartment and the amount that can be received for it), they focus on the service life of the panel house. According to regulations, the service life of five-story panel buildings is estimated at half a century, and for nine-story buildings – about 100 years. But in many cases these figures remain only a guideline for city planners. Let's look at the real and standard service life of the main types of apartment buildings.
Service life of panel houses according to GOST: recommendation or verdict?
Any product has limited shelf life. And residential buildings have a certain service life. After its expiration, the operation of the building becomes unsafe. This period is determined for each type of building according to GOST and relevant SNiPs. In the table below you can see generalized data on the main types of buildings:
During the time specified in the documents, the building (provided that the construction technologies were followed) will retain all the declared qualities. This period is a recommendation for urban planners. Based on it, they decide on the timing of demolition or reconstruction of each building. But the actual service life may be longer or shorter than the standard one.
| Factors that increase the normal life of a building | Factors that reduce the normal service life of a building |
|---|---|
| Strict adherence to construction technology. | Violation of construction technology: use of low-quality materials, poor quality of work of builders. |
| The use of full-size concrete panels or higher quality materials (brick cladding, cinder blocks, etc.) in the construction of walls | Application of thin-walled panels. This solution, typical of Khrushchev, reduces the service life by half. Its use is due to the temporary nature of Khrushchev-era buildings. |
| High-quality sealing of interpanel seams on the roof and walls, their timely maintenance. | Lack of roof sealing, frequent seam leaks. |
| Timely implementation of major repairs: replacement of window frames, wiring, water and sewer pipes | Lack of major repairs for a long time. |
| No major communications accidents: pipe breaks, basement flooding, wiring burnouts | Major accidents: freezing of heating pipes in winter, flooding of communications. |
Standard service life of panel houses from the 70s
Panel houses from the 70s belong to the era of the Brezhnev housing construction program. These include the 90th, 121st and other, less common, project series. At the same time, there are many subseries within the series, and a house built in 1974 may differ significantly from a building built in 1979 in layout, noise insulation and insulation characteristics, and comfort of living.
Many of the features of these houses are revealed in this useful video:
Compared to the first (“Khrushchev’s”) lines of panel houses, “Brezhnevka” houses have several advantages:
- improvement of the layout (the appearance of a spacious kitchen, hallway, increased ceiling height);
- use of thick panels (thickness - from 0.3 m);
- the presence of a garbage chute and an elevator in many lines.
Since the basis of the design of these houses is still a panel scheme, two main disadvantages remain: the impossibility of redevelopment and the tendency of interpanel seams to lose their tightness.
Building regulations and operational standards allow the use of such buildings for 100 years. Therefore, apartments in “brezhnevka” buildings, although they are in the “budget” price segment of the secondary housing market, retain high liquidity.
How to extend the life of a 9-story panel house?
Although the lifespan of 9-story panel houses is estimated by experts at 50–100 years (depending on the series), this age can significantly extend timely major repairs. The period recommended by the standards is a quarter of a century. In this case, the list of activities should include:
- revision of load-bearing structural elements and, if necessary, their strengthening;
- replacement of the roof frame and roofing materials;
- inspection of the foundation and blind area, if necessary, eliminating cracks and strengthening problem areas;
- wiring repair;
- repair of sewer, water supply and heating systems.
Unfortunately, due to the difficult economic situation, many regions are violating the recommended deadlines for major repairs. A delay of 5 years is common, and for many cities, a major renovation overdue by 15 years is not unheard of. In other cases, repair campaigns seem to be carried out in accordance with the deadlines, but the range of activities is reduced.
A timely and complete overhaul can significantly extend the service life of a panel structure.Another important factor is the careful attitude of the residents to the house.
Service life of a 5-story panel house
The service life of multi-apartment buildings with 5 floors, built within the framework of the Khrushchev program (1950–1960), is determined by standards at 50 years. The simplest calculations show that for the earliest releases it has already expired, and houses built in the 1960s have been standing for the last few years. By the time the “shelf life” of the house expires, a group of experts formed by the municipality must assess the condition of the building.
Based on this assessment, as well as the city development plan and the availability of money in the city budget, one of two decisions is made:
- Carrying out major repairs. Such a verdict is made in relation to houses, the safety of which in general is not satisfactory.
- Demolition of a dilapidated building. In this case, residents are provided with apartments of equal area in new buildings, and the house is dismantled after resettlement.
In large cities, one of the important factors influencing the decision is the growing cost of land under the house. Often, demolishing a dilapidated five-story building and building a new 16-story building in its place becomes a much more expedient solution than carrying out a major renovation.
If a five-story building was built in Brezhnev’s (or even later) times, its lifespan is estimated at a century. In this case, as of 2020, the building is operating normally.
We hope that our article helped you understand what determines the lifespan of the house you are interested in and what are the prospects for the demolition or reconstruction of this building.