A Comprehensive Assessment of Building Damage after the January 12, 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Eguchi, Ronald T.; Gill, Stuart; Ghosh, Shubharoop; Svekla, Walter; Evans, Galen; Toro, Joaquin

doi:10.1061/41171(401)202

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake destroyed almost 20% of the buildings in Port-au-Prince and killed nearly 250,000 people. While the earthquake is not categorized as "great" from seismic standards, its damages rank it as one of the deadliest earthquakes of the 21 st Century [1]. The reasoning for such extensive damage from this earthquake stems from the fact that Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas and a majority of homes are self-constructed and not built to any seismic codes [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Sustainable Gabion Houses for Haiti Using Local Resources

April¹,

Heath²,

Ryan³

2020

Proceedings of the Creative Construction E-Conference 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many concrete masonry unit (CMU) block homes have been constructed recently in Thoman, Haiti using volunteer labor under the supervision of But God Ministries. The average cost of construction is $5,000 per home and is dependent on availability and willingness of volunteer labor. Thoman's landscape is covered in loose rocks, largely due to dried up river beds. A sustainable home design which utilizes this abundantly available resource could drive down construction cost and reduce the need for volunteer labor. Gabion walls are wirework containers filled with rock or rubble. Though they are typically used in the construction of dams and retaining walls, they have successfully been used to construct other various structures including structural foundations (Liu, 2012), commercial construction (Conti, 2016) and residential applications in developing countries (Potangaroa, 2013). This research includes the physical construction of an L-shaped wall to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of constructing gabion homes in Thoman, Haiti. The physical wall model consists of a 2-foot wide by 6-inch deep concrete foundation, 8-foot tall wall cages of 10-gauge concrete reinforcing mesh with 6-inch by 6-inch openings, No. 1 aggregate wall infill, and stucco finish on both sides. The total length of wall is 16-feet, with one 10-foot leg and one 6-foot leg. Scaled models of three different roof structures were constructed and analyzed to determine which material systems would best serve the intended purpose for the gabion home design. The roof systems tested include wood frame, angle iron frame, and PVC frame, each of which was topped with corrugated metal roof panels. Two methods were tested for airflow which include corrugated plastic panels and mesh screens. The research findings suggest that chicken wire should be added to the proposed design to serve as a liner for the gabion baskets. The added wire helps secure smaller river rock and provides additional surface area for stucco adherence. The recommended cement to sand mixture for stucco was found to be 1:1. The angle iron framed roof proved to be the most effective of the three roof systems tested because of its availability, strength, and durability. Finally, the mesh screens were chosen to be the most effective roof ventilation method as it was shown to provide more airflow through the structure. Future research should analyze the strength and lifecycle of the final proposed design and evaluate alternate roof systems.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%