Research LOCATION: Haiti (sources 1- 4) • Haiti is an island country located

in the Caribbean Sea. • The terrain of this region is mostly

rough and mountainous. • There are annual Hurricanes

and severe storms affecting this area.

• It is a tropical region. • There are occasional

flooding and earthquakes. • Speaks French. • Population is about 10

million people. • Recently in January 12,

2010, Haiti has been affected by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

• 30 % of Haiti’s capital is destroyed.

http://www.easyvoyage.co.uk/haiti/gonave-island-1436

http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/haiti-flag.html

http://gozonews.com/11933/red-cross-appeal-for-funds-for-haiti-earthquake/

• Many buildings are down; many shelters are now just piles of rubbles.

• Those who have survived the earthquake, estimated about 1.5 million people, are out on the streets next to their home which are now just piles of rubbles.

Needs: Shelter (sources 1-5)

http://www.buzzybloggers.com/yele-haiti-earthquake-foundation-wyclef-jean/

http://www.ecouterre.com/help-haiti-now-drop-off-your-gently-used-shoes-at-any-foot-solutions-store/

http://mashable.com/2010/01/12/haiti-earthquake-pictures/

• Many shelters are not available for many people of Haiti as a result of the earthquake, and with occasional tropical storms and annual hurricanes, if these people do not obtain a safe place to be in during these storms, the devastation of the earthquake will be more intensified.

• Haiti is receiving many aids from many countries; however, many of these aids include foods, clothes, and money, not shelter.

• Haitians needs a shelter that could be set up quick, mass produced, and un-expensive, so that every people of Haiti could have a safe shelter to be in temporarily.

http://www.amazon.com/Genji-Sports-Push-Instant-Tent/dp/B0035VUIKI

Current Viable Solutions (source

6)

• 500,000 people are living in improvised camps in Port-au-Prince. However, there is not enough room for more homeless people.

• Blankets and plastic sheeting are provided from countries such as U.S., Japan, and Turkey.

• Passed out tarps and tents but the costs of it is enormous, a soaring 40 million dollars for the tarps and 30 million dollars for the tents.

• Bamboo houses are built. It is light weighted, strong, and insulates the room. However, despite these advantages it costs money and there are not substantial amount of these bamboos.

• Transitional shelters are built, with walls of plywood and a tin roof. Therefore, it is sturdy, strong and will keep standing

http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=3573

http://hoklife.com/2010/06/03/haiti-t-shelter/

for a long period, and also will be able to stand against strong tropical storms. However, to build one of these shelters, the cost of it is $1,000 to $1,500.

• Modular construction is a structure that is nearly completed and then is shipped to Haiti to be completed there. This is made by using the steel-framed system which promotes sustainability as well as safety. Also, it can be built in about half the time that traditional stick-building construction method requires. However, it cannot be transported in mass amounts at once, and it costs money since it is made from wood and steel.

• All of these solutions uses “new” materials, and therefore are expensive.

http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Technology/pages/YouTube-challenges-users-to-guess-how-much-money-its-losing-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html

http://www.pacvan.com/blog/2009/11/modular-buildings-vs-site-built-%E2%80%93-equally-durable

Why Was this Problem Selected? We choose to design a temporary shelter for the people of Haiti because after the devastating earthquake, many people have lost their home. However, many of the aids sent to make shelters cost a lot of money and cannot be delivered in substantial numbers in a short period of time. As a result, we choose to make a shelter that can be easily carried to Haiti without taking much space, by making it foldable, and therefore enabling to carry many of it. It is also quick to be set up and is eco- friendly since it is made from 100 % recycled materials. As a result, it will be very inexpensive unlike many of the shelters that are being constructed in Haiti, and still be able to protect people from rain, and storms.

http://www.demossnewspond.com/sp/photos/haiti_shelter_relief/samaritans_purse_haiti_shelter_haiti57/smoothbox?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=300&width=500

CALCULATIONS

Other Missing Research

• Population of Haiti = 8,924,553 • Avg. rainfall annually = 54in. • Roughly 2 million people were homeless in Haiti after the

earthquake. • We use about 1 million plastic bags per minute worldwide. • 94.8% of plastic bags end up in your local landfill. • Plastic bags are virtually weightless, but they do cover a

large amount of surface area for its size. It also is water-proof which will benefit our tent.

• Haiti can get hurricane speed winds so it is important that a temporary shelter can be a durable counter force against it.

•

http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/2010/01/haiti-aid-facts.php America is 11th on the global percentage in giving money to Haiti. We can improve our image of being a giving country with the helping of this project.

Bibliography

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"Climate - Haiti - Average, Annual." Encyclopedia of the Nations - Information about Countries of the World, United Nations, and World Leaders. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Haiti-CLIMATE.html>.

Editors, The. "The Help That Haiti Needs - NYTimes.com." Room for Debate - NYTimes.com. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/the-help-that-haiti-needs/>.

"Haiti Homeless Reach 2 Million | World News | Guardian.co.uk." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/21/haiti-homeless-reach-2-million>.

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Lee, Nicole C. "2011 January « Let Haiti Live." Let Haiti Live. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://lethaitilive.org/2011/01/>.

"Paper vs. Plastic – The Shopping Bag Debate « Greenfeet Blog." Greenfeet Blog. Web. 09 Feb. 2011. <http://blog.greenfeet.com/index.php/paper-vs-plastic-the-shopping-bag-debate/reducing-your-footprint/121>.

"Population - Haiti - Growth, Annual." Encyclopedia of the Nations - Information about Countries of the World, United Nations, and World Leaders. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Haiti-POPULATION.html>.

Root, Jessica. "60,000 Plastic Bags Are Being Used This Second: Help Slow It Down - Planet Green." Planet Green : Sustainable Living, Energy Conservation, Earth Day. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/plastic-bag-facts.html>.

Saturday, Last. "Terrible Effects of Earthquake in Haiti." Welcome to Third World Network (TWN). Web. 07 Feb. 2011. <http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/gtrends/gtrends282.htm>.