Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development: Strengthen the Planning, Construction, and Management of Super Tall Buildings

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Emergency Management issued a notice on strengthening the planning and construction management of super high-rise buildings. It requires strict control over the construction of new super high-rise buildings, and generally prohibits the construction of new super high-rise residential buildings.

Super high-rise buildings play a positive role in the intensive use of land resources, promoting the advancement of construction engineering technology, and facilitating urban economic and social development. However, in recent years, some cities have deviated from actual needs, comparing themselves with others in constructing super high-rise buildings, blindly pursuing the highest building height and unique forms, which raises construction costs, exacerbates energy consumption, and increases the difficulty of safety management. To implement the new development concept, coordinate development and safety, scientifically plan and manage the construction of super high-rise buildings, and promote high-quality urban development, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Emergency Management issued a notice on strengthening the planning and construction management of super high-rise buildings.

The main contents of the notice are as follows:

Strict control over new super high-rise buildings

(1) Strictly control building height. Localities must strictly control the construction of new super high-rise buildings. Generally, new super high-rise residential buildings are not allowed. In cities with a permanent urban population of less than 3 million, the construction of super high-rise buildings over 150 meters is strictly limited, and the construction of super high-rise buildings over 250 meters is not allowed. In cities with a permanent urban population of over 3 million, the construction of super high-rise buildings over 250 meters is strictly limited, and the construction of super high-rise buildings over 500 meters is not allowed. Relevant departments in various regions must consult with local fire rescue agencies when approving residential building projects over 80 meters and public building projects over 100 meters to ensure compatibility with local fire rescue capabilities. If it is necessary to construct super high-rise buildings over 150 meters in cities with a permanent urban population of less than 3 million, it must be submitted to the provincial housing and urban-rural development authorities for review and reported to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for record. If it is necessary to construct super high-rise buildings over 250 meters in cities with a permanent urban population of over 3 million, the provincial housing and urban-rural development authorities must conduct strict verification and review in conjunction with earthquake resistance, fire protection, and other specialized topics, and report to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for review.

(2) Reasonably determine building layout. Localities should combine urban spatial patterns and functional layouts to plan the construction of high-rise and super high-rise buildings in a relatively concentrated manner. Strictly control the construction of high-rise buildings in ecologically sensitive areas, natural landscapes, and other key locations, and do not construct high-rise buildings in areas that affect historical and cultural districts, historical sites, world cultural heritage, and important cultural relic protection units. Do not construct super high-rise buildings near mountains, rivers, or in old cities with high development intensity, dense populations, and traffic congestion. Do not construct super high-rise building clusters in urban ventilation corridors.

(3) Deepen and refine assessment and demonstration. Localities should fully assess and demonstrate the risks and negative impacts of super high-rise building construction. Especially in areas with concentrated super high-rise buildings, strengthen traffic impact assessments for super high-rise building projects to avoid exacerbating traffic congestion; strengthen environmental impact assessments for super high-rise building projects to prevent exacerbating the urban heat island effect, avoid light pollution, and high-rise canyon winds. Strengthen the evaluation of personnel evacuation and emergency response plans for super high-rise buildings. Disaster prevention and evacuation sites for super high-rise buildings should be concentrated nearby, with a per capita area of no less than 1.5 square meters. Strengthen energy-saving management for super high-rise buildings, with a standard floor area utilization rate generally not less than 80%, and the green building level not lower than the three-star standard.

(4) Strengthen public investment management. Localities should strictly implement government investment regulations, and generally do not approve the use of public funds for the construction of super high-rise buildings. Strictly control the investment in the construction of super high-rise buildings over 150 meters by state-owned enterprises and institutions in cities with a permanent urban population of less than 3 million, and strictly control the investment in the construction of super high-rise buildings over 250 meters by state-owned enterprises and institutions in cities with a permanent urban population of over 3 million.

(5) Tighten and solidify decision-making responsibilities. Implement a lifelong responsibility system for decision-making on super high-rise buildings. The construction of super high-rise buildings over 150 meters in cities with a permanent urban population of less than 3 million, and the construction of super high-rise buildings over 250 meters in cities with a permanent urban population of over 3 million, should be reported as major public construction projects to the city party committee and government for approval according to the "Interim Regulations on Major Administrative Decision-Making Procedures" (State Council Order No. 713), and implement lifelong accountability.

Strengthen safety management of existing super high-rise buildings

(6) Conduct a comprehensive investigation of safety hazards. Localities should strengthen guidance and supervision of safety hazard investigations for super high-rise buildings in conjunction with the three-year action for special rectification of production safety, clarify the basic situation of super high-rise buildings, and establish a safety hazard investigation information system. Organize and guide super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units to comprehensively investigate safety hazards in the foundation, structure, power supply, water supply, gas supply, materials, elevators, earthquake resistance, fire protection, and other aspects of super high-rise buildings, analyze safety risks related to flammable and combustible exterior insulation materials, electric bicycles entering buildings, exterior wall falling, infectious disease prevention, and fire rescue, and establish a ledger.

(7) Systematically promote hazard rectification. Localities should strengthen supervision of hazard rectification for super high-rise buildings and implement special supervision for major safety hazards. Super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units should develop a roadmap and timetable for hazard rectification, and implement responsible units and responsible persons. Before major safety hazards are rectified, super high-rise buildings must not continue to be used. Super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units should form a professional fire safety management team, encourage the hiring of qualified professional technicians as fire safety managers, improve emergency rescue facilities and equipment, develop personnel evacuation and emergency response plans, and organize drills to enhance prevention and self-rescue capabilities.

(8) Enhance safety assurance capabilities. Localities should strengthen the construction of fire rescue capabilities that match the needs of super high-rise buildings. Local fire rescue agencies should strengthen research and familiarity with super high-rise buildings and regularly organize practical drills. Guide super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units to build micro fire stations according to standards for each building, organize property service personnel, security personnel, users, volunteers, and other forces to establish professional fire brigades, volunteer fire brigades, and other fire organizations. Super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units should improve the collaborative working mechanism for personnel in power supply, water supply, elevator operation, and fire maintenance, form a technical response team, and strengthen joint training and coordination with local fire rescue stations to improve collaborative response efficiency.

(9) Improve the operation management mechanism. Localities should establish and improve the operation and maintenance management mechanism for super high-rise buildings to effectively enhance regulatory capabilities. Conduct energy consumption monitoring for the operation and maintenance of super high-rise buildings, regularly organize energy consumption monitoring and analysis, and promptly disclose the results. Guide super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units to establish an operation and maintenance platform for super high-rise buildings, connect to the Internet of Things urban fire remote monitoring system, and link with the urban operation management service platform. Where conditions permit, super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units should fully utilize Building Information Modeling (BIM) to improve the operation and maintenance platform and strengthen the connection with the City Information Model (CIM) basic platform. Super high-rise building owners or their entrusted management units should develop an operation and maintenance inspection plan based on the design service life of super high-rise buildings, and entrust professional institutions to regularly test and evaluate the status of super high-rise building facilities and equipment, promptly repair and maintain any identified issues.

Localities should promptly improve the collaborative mechanism for planning and construction management of super high-rise buildings, strictly implement relevant standards and control requirements, and explore the establishment of safety insurance for super high-rise buildings. Establish an expert database, regularly conduct special investigations on the use and management of existing super high-rise buildings, and report relevant situations to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in a timely manner. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will regularly research and evaluate the implementation of work.