CSI CONSTRUCT2012 Keynote Address - Empowering Sustainable Reconstruction

Phoenix sure knows how to capture our attention to open the keynote, with a Hopi Indian dance.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

"Empowering Sustainable Reconstruction"

Dr. Tracy Kijewski-Correa, University of Notre Dame Civil Engineering, and co-founder of Engineering2Empower

"We knew it was a problem, but it was just too difficult to solve." This is the unfortunate prevailing approach to seismic issues in Haiti preceding what is now the largest disaster in modern history. A recurring culprit is masonry, unreinforced, and intersected by haphazard columns.

In a nation that is deforested, you don't have much wood for formwork. Also not enough reinforcing was used. 

Confined masonry was not typically used, costing twice as much. The goal of a safe home was completely unattainable.

Two immediate questions:

 - How to make sure this never happens again?

 - How to repair that block over there?

In the U.S. we adjust our codes and standards and reduce repeating failures. Because we have a strong government and educational pipeline, engineers available and a strong economy. But in many places like Haiti those fundamental underpinnings are missing. 

Best question 

 - Why did they over-rely on block in the first place?

To answer, first listen. What were the underlying factors in how they built? 

 1. Resiliency

 2. Feasibility

Construction materials at their disposal where heavy, attracting more seismic force. Blocks were hand-pressed. Stones were smooth and round. Concrete mixed on the ground, eyeballing proportions.

Understand the market. Homeowners could not afford engineering services like we have, and not workers like we have in the US - they could not even afford the most qualified local workers. They could save every day for the rest of their lives and not be able to afford a safe home. No mortgages or insurance. You just build block by block every chance you have a little money.

Need to also ask, what would add:

 3. Sustainability

 4. Viability

Need a single family home, 3 bedrooms, porch, good ventilation, cool interior, hurricane and earthquake resistant, security, and appearance of modern block home.

Empowerment model - includes those 4 pillars

Held a community meeting

The top 4 solutions all included concrete unit masonry. Not the answer we wanted to hear.

Are the top solutions the same as the ones that killed so many people?!

So we decided to innovate.

Looking at the early colonial structures they had, that actually outlasted the block homes, they were built with a wood structural frame. But they didn't have wood anymore.

So we proposed using what steel reinforcing they have and coupling it with proper building standards to make a durable structural frame, and adding lightweight concrete panels. Using prefabrication at a depot to ensuring that assemblies meet seismic detailing requirements. And paraskilling to make sure workers are efficient and skilled at their tasks. Introduced communal materials like reusable formwork, and equipment like mixers.

Prefabrication helps fill in for lack of strong government. Paraskilling helps make up for lacking education. Standardized design helps with lack of engineering availability. Communal materials and equipment help address the extreme need for economical solutions.

Actually ended up cheaper than block construction. But we also had to be sure this type of house is something the Haitian families would want to live in. Learned a few things that helped change the design. Made it modular so they could begin with 2 rooms, and add more later. The interior panels could actually be detached and redesigned. This gives the homeowners a sense of empowerment. But still not really enough until the whole community was understanding and accepting the solutions, so they could become the voice not me. Self-financed recovery is stronger than continual dependence. So partnered with local groups such as CURL to make sure the solutions worked for them and would have deep roots in the community. Also gave encouragement to residents to save what they could regularly, using messaging through their cell phones to communicate their saving patterns and getting feedback on how soon they could meet their goals for new homes. This further strengthened empowerment in a sense of a social network on the streets that somebody is offering a way out, not a handout.

There are silent Haiti's all over the world, waiting for the next disaster.