Can Folding Houses Be Reused and Relocated?

Folding houses are exquisitely designed for repeated reuse and convenient relocation,and these two attributes are core functional advantages of the product,which are fully reflected in its structural design,material selection and construction mode,making it far more flexible in mobility and cost performance than traditional prefabricated houses,modular houses and even container houses in temporary application scenarios.

In terms of reusability,folding houses take high-strength and wear-resistant light materials as the main body of the structure:the load-bearing frame is mostly made of aluminum alloy or light steel keel with strong anti-deformation and corrosion resistance,and the key connecting parts such as hinges,telescopic braces and self-locking buckles are all made of industrial-grade heavy-duty hardware,which can withstand repeated folding,unfolding and locking operations without easy damage or failure.The wall,roof and floor panels are mostly integrated fireproof,waterproof and thermal insulation composite panels,which are detachable and replaceable;if individual panels are worn or damaged after long-term use,they can be replaced locally without affecting the overall structural use.With regular simple maintenance(such as lubricating the hinge connection,tightening the loose fasteners and repairing the panel surface),a folding house can be reused dozens of times even in frequent temporary use scenarios such as construction camps,disaster relief resettlement and outdoor pop-up service points,and its service life can reach several years to more than ten years according to the use frequency and maintenance level,effectively reducing the single use cost of the product.

In terms of relocatability,the foldable structural design of folding houses maximizes the reduction of transportation volume and difficulty,and the whole relocation process is simple and efficient without relying on large-scale construction equipment.First of all,after folding,the volume of the folding house can be compressed to 1/5 to 1/10 of the unfolded use size,and the overall weight is light(most small and medium-sized folding houses are within a few tons).Ordinary light trucks or vans can complete the transportation,without the need for large flatbed trucks or cranes for hoisting and transportation,which greatly saves transportation costs and is suitable for short and medium distance relocation.Secondly,the on-site deployment and retraction operation is simple:only 2-3 people can complete the whole process of unfolding,locking and forming in 30 minutes to a few hours with simple hand tools;when relocating,it only needs to unlock the fixed parts,fold the frame and panels in reverse order,and then pack and transport them,with no complicated disassembly steps.In addition,folding houses do not need to build a fixed concrete foundation during use,and only need to lay simple cushioning materials(such as steel plates,wooden boards or cement floor tiles)on flat ground to ensure stability,which means that they can be quickly moved to new sites as long as the site meets the basic flat requirements,and the relocation will not cause any damage to the original site and the house itself.

It should be noted that the reuse and relocation performance of folding houses is based on normal use and basic maintenance,and avoiding severe man-made damage(such as violent collision,improper folding operation)and extreme natural damage(such as being hit by strong winds,heavy snow compression,flooding).If the core load-bearing frame is bent and deformed,or the key hinge and locking mechanism is seriously damaged,it will affect the secondary folding and use;but such situations are rare in conventional application scenarios,and even if individual parts are damaged,they can be quickly repaired and replaced with standardized accessories,without affecting the overall reuse value.

In general,the high reusability and convenient relocation of folding houses make it an ideal choice for temporary,mobile and short-term use scenarios,which can realize the flexible deployment of space resources and effectively reduce the comprehensive use cost of the project.

References

GB/T 7714:Pérez-Valcárcel J, Aragón J, Muñiz S, et al. Transportable temporary homes with folding roof[J]. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 2024, 20(2): 337-357.

MLA:Pérez-Valcárcel, Juan, et al. "Transportable temporary homes with folding roof." Architectural Engineering and Design Management 20.2 (2024): 337-357.

APA:Pérez-Valcárcel, J., Aragón, J., Muñiz, S., Freire-Tellado, M., & Mosquera, E. (2024). Transportable temporary homes with folding roof. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 20(2), 337-357.