DESIGNING AND BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES: AN IMPLEMENTATION IN NEPAL
Location
Bobo Room, Hodgin Hall, Third Floor
Start Date
8-11-2017 10:45 AM
End Date
8-11-2017 11:45 AM
Abstract
Resilient communities are necessary to mitigating loss, damage, and other negative impacts associated with system shocks and stressors, such as natural disasters. The objective of this project was to investigate and demonstrate a holistic design and construction process for building resilient communities in the developing world focusing on earthquake recovery efforts in Nepal. The project included the incorporation of resilience theory into the design and construction process of a small-scale building project. The second and final phase of the project was completed in June 2017 with the construction of a dodecagonal parallel Pratt steel truss roof, exterior flat stone façade wall, and recycled flat stone tile flooring. The circular earthbag structure is in the footprint of an old health clinic that collapsed during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in Spring of 2015. A holistic approach was used combining engineering research and resilience theory to develop a sustainable, inexpensive, earthquake-resistant, locally-sourced structure that can be replicated by individuals and other communities. Major aspects of the project were (1) consideration for environmental hazards, social conditions, culture, local sustainable materials, climate, and geography, (2) the use of an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) for evaluating project criteria, and (3) incorporation of diverse local labor force to ensure longevity of the building and training of community members on the construction type and building methods and best-practices.
DESIGNING AND BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES: AN IMPLEMENTATION IN NEPAL
Bobo Room, Hodgin Hall, Third Floor
Resilient communities are necessary to mitigating loss, damage, and other negative impacts associated with system shocks and stressors, such as natural disasters. The objective of this project was to investigate and demonstrate a holistic design and construction process for building resilient communities in the developing world focusing on earthquake recovery efforts in Nepal. The project included the incorporation of resilience theory into the design and construction process of a small-scale building project. The second and final phase of the project was completed in June 2017 with the construction of a dodecagonal parallel Pratt steel truss roof, exterior flat stone façade wall, and recycled flat stone tile flooring. The circular earthbag structure is in the footprint of an old health clinic that collapsed during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in Spring of 2015. A holistic approach was used combining engineering research and resilience theory to develop a sustainable, inexpensive, earthquake-resistant, locally-sourced structure that can be replicated by individuals and other communities. Major aspects of the project were (1) consideration for environmental hazards, social conditions, culture, local sustainable materials, climate, and geography, (2) the use of an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) for evaluating project criteria, and (3) incorporation of diverse local labor force to ensure longevity of the building and training of community members on the construction type and building methods and best-practices.
