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How to Build an Earthquake-Resistant Home: An Earthbag Construction Manual
Good Earth Global prepared this guide for Engineering for Change’s members and readers. Please see more about their work around the world at www.goodearthglobal.org. Every one of 55...
Looking to rebuild aN eaRthQUake damaGed school/church iN montrouis, haiti
How thin? From what i see it is simple post, beam and panel… no real change at all. Thin cast implies you are also using thin reinforcing elements, like wire in stucco. The key to casting thinly is supporting the wire inside the form, the key to reclaiming it’s economy is casting the height of the proposed wall ELIMINATING mid panel cold joints and thereby, patching.
If you are going to build a lighter concrete house, you are going to have to redesign the post from square to “T” or “L” (in plan view) and cast the panel monolithic with the post, as part of a post. This makes all of your wall “post”, so roof loading is spread further, reducing footing size.
You selected a metal roof, probably because you never lived under one before. I would suggest for your roof a 2″ thick concrete slab, if you do not know how to build one without shoring or false work, ask me.
I noted that many structures in Haiti used soft AGGREGATES (coral) with the obvious result of low compression value concrete. Just as an AIRPLANE made of lead will never fly, how did you estimate the structural value of your mix?
How long do the panels cure before they can be lifted into place? In our application they would have to be cast at the worksite where there is very limited flat space to cast more than one or maybe two at a time.
But how do you know for sure that they are EaRthQuAke proof?
Structures are tested in labs by placing them on a platform that moves like the ground might move in an earthquake. Also, just to nitpick here (sorry), they don’t call structures earthquake *proof* because nothing can withstand any size of earthquake. Meaning that there are earthquakes that could possibly damage or flatten any building ever constructed. Instead they say the structures are earthquake *resistant*. Hope that’s not too pedantic. Thanks for your interest.
is Haiti’s field stone foundation earthquake resistant or can it be reinforced to be more resistant in an earthquake?