TECHNICAL ASSESMENT IN ARCHITECTURE AND SOCIAL … · on top of the pillars that were still standing, and contrary to other buildings we visited in Haiti was built with light materials,

Technical Report Project Rural School Coupeau, Haiti. KINDERNOTHILFE HABITERRA S.A.

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TECHNICAL ASSESMENT IN ARCHITECTURE AND

SOCIAL COMMUNITY WORKING IN HAITI

Report Execution of Works School Coupeau SEPTEMBER 2010

Name of the Consultant Address

Phone

Fax Email Address

Website

: : : : : :

HABITERRA S.A. Abelardo Pizarro Nº441, Providencia; Santiago, Chile. 56 2 635 2768 56 2 665 7344

[email protected] http://www.habiterra.cl


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Habiterra S.A. Professional Team

Nº Name Charge Profession 1 Pablo Guzmán Coordinator Architect, Ms Urbanism 2 Alvaro Arriagada Project Manager Architect, Ms Habitat Residential 3 Alejandro Alvarez Project Architect Architect. 4 Nélida Pohl Photographer Photographer 5 Ornylus Augustin Inspector of Work Engineer Surveyor Santiago, September 22, 2010.


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RECONSTRUCTION REPORT RURAL SCHOOL AT COUPEAU

This document synthesizes the different aspects involved in the reconstruction of the rural school at the village of Coupeau, work circumscribed within a larger reconstruction project including 3 Haitian schools destroyed by the earthquake that razed over the country on January 12th 2010. This work was commissioned by a cooperation agreement between the international aid organization NGO Kindernothilfe (KNH) and Habiterra Consultores S.A.

1 GENERAL BACKGROUND During the first stage, the project included a reconnaissance mission in which two Habiterra professionals visited the affected areas in Port-au-Prince in order to scout the situation after the earthquake, evaluate the logistic conditions under which the commissioned construction work would have to develop, and to create a work program for the reconstruction of 3 schools currently sponsored by KNH. With the information compiled during that first visit, alternative intervention criteria were evaluated, and the rural school’s architectonic project was developed according to the work program initially proposed. Having acquired the necessary background information, a second team of two Habiterra professionals visited Haiti with the main objective of concretizing the gross work within a previously estimated time frame of six weeks. Next we proceed to describe in general terms the reconstruction work of the rural school at Coupeau, including a description of the post-earthquake situation and the results of the planned intervention.

1.1 Diagnose of the post-earthquake situation a) General description The rural school at Coupeau is administrated by EPPMPH and funded by KNH. It is located in a rural area 20 km southwest of downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Close to Coupeau there is an important meeting area where the “Momence” river and a smaller tributary intersect, and where local people engage in commercial activities, followed by a long walk back to their communities distributed along the main route that leads to the southern city of Jacmel, located at the island’s southwest coast. The school is supported by an organized community, composed by the people in the neighboring area, same community that built the previous school building, which suffered irreparable damages as a result of the earthquake. The destroyed school was built using cement blocks over a concrete base, over a leveled stone masonry. The structure of the roof was built on wood covered by zinc sheets. It had 4 rooms, two classrooms and presumably two offices. It served 70 students, all of them attending primary school. b) Structural condition of the school The building showed signs of important structural damage; most of the interior and exterior walls were emptied, and some of the pillars were still standing. We presume that the emptying of the walls was due to the absence of concrete beams, besides the poor quality of the construction blocks. The structure of the roof lied on top of the pillars that were still standing, and contrary to other buildings we visited in Haiti was built with light materials, which is presumably the reason why the pillars did not collapse, remaining the roof elevated. We did not detect the presence of foundations.


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Figure 1: Preexisting conditions.

BLOCKS BUILDING

EMPLACEMENT INTERIOR We recognized several opportunities in the community, including a good capacity for organization and self-management, reflected in the existence of a local organization and the community building of the -now destroyed- school. This revealed the existence of a social capital that could help the negotiations concerning the transport of materials and the self-reconstruction of the school and houses. The school reconstruction process could be co-opted to empower the participating community with knowledge regarding the production of construction materials and the application of anti-seismic construction techniques.

2 RESULTS OF THE INTERVENTION The general proposal behind this project was based specifically on the nature of the commissioned work, namely the complete reconstruction of the school infrastructure, considering a student population of 70. The main goal was to provide technical assistance to the community and to take on the job of overseeing the work, in order to rebuild the school through a guided community self-reconstruction process, taking advantage of the available social capital. Further expected results are the successful transmission of construction capacities and tools to the community, to facilitate the repair or reconstruction of their houses.

2.1 General criteria behind the intervention To elaborate our proposal we applied some basic criteria gathered during our first visit to Coupeau last February, criteria that allowed the definition of other aspects such as the type of materials to use, the construction method, the size and spatial layout of the rooms, etc. The following are the main criteria employed: a) Establishing a methodology of self-building and community participation This aspect is part of the commissioned work and constitutes a central element in defining the strategy to apply to the design and construction processes. This assumes the need to generate previous community work


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that could take advantage of the existing social capital (as we explained before, the destroyed school was built by the community). This work consisted on the creation of work groups commissioned with specific tasks, from the making and transport of materials, to the construction of the school building itself. The main goal is to actively involve the community in the building process, thus generating appropriation, care and identity-building practices with edifications, spaces, and with the reconstruction process itself. It is also important to mention the symbolic importance of having a school built by the parents of the attending children. Meetings held with the local organization EPPMPH during our second visit confirmed the existence of practices customarily used by the community, practices that could be used in the general logistical planning of the transport of materials and the construction work. We are mainly referring to the Konbit, which consists on work, in this case the transport of construction materials, performed in exchange for food and beverages. Parallel to the reconstruction of the school, two projects sponsored by the German embassy were being carried out in Coupeau: the building of a latrine and of a rain water collection tank. For these projects EPPMPH and KNH hired a local construction boss (called “boss” by the Haitians) who was later hired to build the school negotiating a fixed fee for the complete work. It was also agreed to pay a fixed price per material/tool transported from the warehouse at Rivière Froide; the payments were done once a week and the amount paid depended on the load type and number of trips to Coupeau. Among the activities performed by the community during the construction of the gross building structure the following stand out in terms of massive participation:

1. Demolition, clearing up and cleaning of the collapsed school: These activities were coordinated by the school principal, instructing to keep the stone masonry base intact and to dispose of the debris in a previously defined area. During this stage it was possible to expose the construction flaws that resulted in structural problems and ultimately in the emptying of the walls during the earthquake.

2. Person in charge of the warehouse in Coupeau: A representative from the community, together with

the school principal, were in charge of keeping track of the names of the people transporting the materials, the type and number of those, as well as of taking care of the stored materials. A house next to the construction zone was rented as a warehouse to store cement sacs, wood planks, steel bars and tools. Due to their size the steel structures had to be stored outside, protected from the rain by plastic tarps.

3. Person in charge of the warehouse in Rivière Froide: EPPMPH entrusted a person to keep records of

all incoming and outgoing materials through lists of people transporting materials to Coupeau, and to take all necessary precautions regarding the storing of materials and tools.

4. Feeding the work teams: Several women from the community participated in cooking food for the

Konbit. They had all necessary kitchen utensils, and the transport of food items was considered part of the transport of materials.

5. Transport of construction materials and tools: From the Rivière Froide (suburban area in Carrefour) to

the Coupeau warehouses, 364 individual trips were recorded until June 6th. Of these, 123 used mules to carry cement sacs. Every trip covered a distance of 10.33 Km., and lasted an average of 2 and a half hours. Weekly payments were delivered, according to the transport lists kept at Coupeau, coordinated by EPPMPH.


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Figure 2: Transport of Materials.

Location of warehouses and path followed by the carriers of materials and tools.

Rivière Froide warehouse. Transport of materials to Coupeau.


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6. Transport of Sand: Performed using the konbit practice, with the participation of 20 to 50 people

working from 6:30 AM until 03:00 PM. The quarry where the sand was extracted from is located 500 meters from the school.

Figure 3: Location of sand

Path followed by the carriers of sand

Preparing food for the Kombit Community participation in the transport of sand


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b) Community training and habitat teaching for the improvement of other buildings One of the direct effects of the self-building process, and of the involvement of the community in it, is the creation of a base to deliver capacities and knowledge regarding the proper use of materials and construction techniques. The main goal is for the community to be able to, through this transfer of capacities, apply these experiences and knowledge in their houses and future infrastructure they build. This criterion recognizes and internalizes the self-building process as a reality very much present in rural and in urban areas, and as such it establishes the urgency to improve the results of this process through guided projects and the delivery of knowledge. During this process of assisted and supported self-building, the “boss” also relied on the part time work of 8 members of the community under his supervision, who participated at intervals as needed. These people worked as part of the excavation teams, building wooden moldings, steel structures and roof trusses, mixing concrete, etc. These activities were negotiated between the boss and the participants and paid directly by him from his fees.

Figure 4: Work teams included people from the community

Making concrete for the foundations. Installing steel structures c) Favor the use of regional materials Another aspect derived from the criterion described above is the decision to include in the project the need to utilize materials commonly used in Haiti, reducing as much as possible the introduction of new materials and construction methods. This aspect is applied solely to the reconstruction of the school, in light of the self-building methodology with which the project will be carried out. This implies using the basic construction unit employed in Haiti, the cement block, but combined with an anti-seismic construction design that improves the safety of the building. In this light, delivering capacities and tools to the community while using imported construction systems and materials non-existent in Haiti would create dependence from the exterior, materialized in the constant need to import materials, which would in turn affect the replicability and sustainability of this initiative. This is why it was decided to work with materials common in the region, emphasizing the improvement of the concrete block fabrication process, for example using higher doses of cement (in Haiti a high percentage of concrete blocks are hand made), and using structural designs and construction procedures that enhance the safety of the buildings.


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d) Carrying out an anti-seismic construction system Besides using regional materials and bettering the concrete mix dosage and the process of making the blocks, it was necessary to implement a formal construction system, defined in this case by the Chilean construction codes. This implies using structural porticos like pillars, concrete beams and stub walls made of concrete reinforced with internal steel structures, creating a confined block system, using the appropriate doses of cement for the different types of concrete to be made. Another important element is having a light roof that reduces the shear force in height that can result from eventual earthquakes, and that responds to the ascending forces caused by the wind, through the correct fastening of the roof with the entire masonry. We were able to find all materials contemplated in the master plan within local Port-au-Prince businesses; however we had to modify the quantity of materials we planned to buy depending on the availability of different lengths of steel bars and wood planks. In total 198 cement sacs were used for the gross building, and 45 more for finishing details such as the interior and exterior wall stuccos. We used the following amounts of steel bars for the pillar, concrete beam and stub wall structures, vertical and horizontal tensor rods, roof trusses supporting bars, anchorages, squares and frames for the movable partition walls: 146 ½” bars, 258 ¼” bars, and 6 square angles of 1/8” x 1”. The following amounts of pine wood planks were used for moldings, wood pillars, roof structures, light partition walls, door and window frames: 89 1”X3”, 205 1”x4”, 36 1”x8”, 2 1”x12”, 82 2”X4”X12” pine wood beams, 47 2”x4”X16” pine wood beams and 186 ½” x1” pine moldings. e) Reusing existing materials Although it was necessary to demolish the school destroyed by the earthquake, the materials that were still in good shape were rescued and reutilized. Among these preexisting elements was the concrete base built over stone masonry, which was perforated at the location of the new pillars, foundations and to build the extension planned in order to fulfill the upgraded spatial requirements of the new school. In terms of materials, zinc planks were recycled for the roof, covering the holes where previous anchors went through with silicone. The coarse demolition debris was used as filling and finer particles from the smashed blocks were used in the foundations concrete mix. f) Improving the physical spatial standards The commissioned work required providing the necessary infrastructure for 70 students and 2 teachers. To develop the final plan we used the spatial standards established by the Chilean General Urbanism and Construction Ordinance, specifically for the recommended classroom size and sanitary requirements. This implied a significant improvement of the physical spatial standards, especially due to the enlargement of the classrooms. The final goal was to confer a physical platform suitable for the appropriate execution of the school activities. g) Communication tools used to record work progress and register agreements between the

different actors To record work progress the following methods were employed:

• Technical progress reports, written by a Habiterra professional, consists in a synthesis of the performed tasks, corrections to previous plans, observations recorded during our visits to the site, the program for the next week, the difficulties encountered during the work, and a photographic record of the performed activities.

• Record of transported materials, written by an EPPMPH representative– in this case one of the school teachers- consists in registering the name of the transporter and the type and quantity of materials transported per day. This information was then systematically registered by a Habiterra professional to calculate the amount of payment owed to each transporter.


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• Work logbook, written by the boss or by whoever was in charge of the different work teams. Its function was to record all activities performed on site, and the type and amount of materials used each day. The logbook was checked by a Habiterra professional during each visit, and the information contained in the logbook was used to write the weekly technical progress reports.

• Flipcharts with construction details and instructions in local Creole. It consisted in sheets of brown wrapping paper, where drawings and schematics clarified construction details, the doses for different types of concrete were specified, and clear instructions were left in local Creole. This information was as valuable as the information contained in the work logbook, and complemented it.

Figure 5: Communication tools used to record work progress

Technical progress reports Work logbook

Record of transported materials Flipcharts

2.2 Spatial criteria Redesigning the school we considered some spatial criteria gathered during in site observations and informal conversations with community members and leaders. The following spatial criteria aimed at constructing a building that provided for different spatial demands, constituting itself as a multipurpose edification:

• Flexibility. One of the objectives was to design spaces capable of promoting different uses and modes of appropriation, according to the specific characteristics of the activities to be developed. The goal was to propose spaces that could be modified in order to cater for activities complementary to those of the school.


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• Multi-functionality. Related to the latter point, it is important to mention that the school was to be the biggest building in the area, and therefore it could shelter complementary community activities, for example local organization meetings and recreational and religious gatherings. The goal was to apply an integral concept of school, where other community activities could take place as well.

• Appropriability. This refers to designing a space that can maximize its appropriation by the

community, and adequately respond to its social needs. In this sense we strived to maintain the same type of materials, and the location and orientation of the building, strengthening the feeling of ownership and identification resulting from the self-building process.

• Habitability. Creating a space fitted to provide the appropriate lighting, ventilation, and temperature

and acoustic comfort.

• Relation with the exterior. Education in the rural world constantly combines indoor and outdoor activities, for this reason the design of the new school included a fluid relationship between interior and exterior spaces. This was achieved by creating an intermediate space (a corridor) to unite both spaces more seamlessly, and through the specific positioning of doors and windows in relation to the yards.

The above criteria molded the following proposal, and originated entirely from the background information gathered on site during last April’s visit.

2.3 Project Description

2.3.1 Architectonic program To define and determine the size of the school’s rooms the Chilean General Urbanism and Construction Ordinance minimum standards were followed. For example each classroom must include at least 1.1 m2 per student. Minimum sanitary requirements exist too, and although the first design of the school included a bathroom with a sewer system, this was eliminated after the construction of a latrine and a water collection tank just outside the school was commissioned. Therefore the school includes the following rooms:

• 2 Classrooms, 46.85 m² each. Both have two exits, one oriented west and another looking east. These two classrooms could unite into a common space by removing a central dividing movable panel.

• 2 Bedrooms totaling 15.50 m². The bedrooms are separated by a central dividing panel, and each possesses its own natural lighting and ventilation.

• 1 Office and 1 Storage room, also totaling 15.50 m², and configured just as the two bedrooms. The program was construed as requested by KNH, maintaining the original general spatial conditions of the former school. However, this proposal also increases classroom size and adds areas destined to become bedrooms, office and storage room. The new school will also have a basic latrine and a water collection tank in its vicinity; the latter will be connected to the school by means of a network of PVC pipes and chutes planned to collect rain water on the school roof and redirect it to the tank. Additionally, a wash basin will be built in situ, attached to the outside wall where it can be integrally associated with the yard, and connected with the latrine’s sewage system.


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2.3.2 Description of the spatial and functional proposals The reconstruction project of Coupeau’s rural school included the complete demolition of the existing structure, recycling still usable materials and, most importantly, preserving the concrete base of the former school, to be integrated into the new project. The starting conditions are shown in the following illustration:

Figure 6: Starting conditions

Source: Habiterra / Google Earth.

The starting conditions included the north-south oriented school building, with a main yard area located next to its west side, where recreational activities and community meetings take place. The area is accessed by a trail located southeast of the building, so that it is the first thing seen when approaching, to later find the main yard next to it.

Figure 7: Starting conditions.

Southeast view of the southeast entrance South view of the main yard


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In the school building destroyed by the earthquake the classrooms were accessed from the south side and blind walls faced the main yard. This project uses the existing platform and adds extensions both to the north and south, encompassing two classrooms, two bedrooms, and office and a storage room.

Figure 8: Definitive ground floor plan

Source: Habiterra

This proposal changes the orientation of the classroom doors from the south to the east and west in order to favor a more direct spatial and visual communication between classrooms and yards. It also includes two new covered open corridors to act as an intermediate space between the classrooms and the outdoors. These east and west corridors harbor the doors to the rooms located north, namely the bedrooms and the office and storage room. The main access to the classrooms is on the west (main yard) side, whereas the east facing classroom doors connect the area with the main access trail. The wash basin is on the west side, directly by the main yard. Lastly this proposal includes a central dividing movable panel between the classrooms, in order to be able to create one big space for massive community activities. Although the building is simple and does not signify major changes from the previous building, destroyed by the earthquake, it improves the relationship between it and the surrounding area, and better integrates the rooms with their assigned roles.

2.4 Program / Work methodology The construction started on May 3rd 2010, after a series of previous negotiations. The work methodology considered the presence of a Habiterra professional directing and overseeing the work, which was performed by work teams under the supervision of a Haitian master builder (Boss). Other work teams covered necessities such as the transport of materials and tools, demolition work, clearing up debris and general cleaning of the area. The Habiterra team assumed a coordination and direction role, keeping a record of the work progress through a series of 6 technical reports, besides encouraging the boss to record all activities on a periodically checked work logbook. At the end of the construction process this logbook will be kept by the community, and


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all technical details will be available to the community and KNH. Following we present and describe the different stages of the process. 1 Demolition of the previous building, clearing up the area and preservation of the original

platform General description

During this stage the conditions necessary to get the work started were accomplished. The ruins of the previous building were demolished and the site was cleared up leaving the existing platform free of debris. Steel bars belonging to the former pillars were kept to support plastic tarps used as shelter from the sun.

Work groups Four work groups, of about 5 people each, distributed the tasks of dismantling the roof structure, removing the zinc cover from it, demolishing walls, pillars and chains. Additionally they removed the debris to an area adjacent to the construction site, in order to have them at hand when needed as ground filling.

Date / Deadline Demolition started 2 weeks before the beginning of the reconstruction work. Tools Sledgehammer / Mallet, Pillory, Pickaxe, Metal Saw, Wheelbarrows, Shovels Responsible parties

KNH / Community at COUPEAU

2 Partial perforations and excavations General description

After measuring the area and positioning the tracings, the existing platform was perforated in the places where the foundations of the new pillars were to be, and excavations were carried out at the locations specified on the construction plans. For these tasks and with the help of translators, the Boss and his team were given specific verbal and graphic instructions.

Work groups To achieve these tasks “Boss” worked with 4 other people, who pick axed the concrete base, extracted rocks out of the existing stone masonry, moved away the debris and excavated.

Duration 5 Days (picture taken on May 7th) Tools Sledgehammer, Mallet, Pillory, Pickaxe, Wheelbarrows, Shovels Responsible parties

Habiterra / Community at COUPEAU


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3 Installing moldings and pouring concrete in the foundations General description Moldings were set in the

excavated areas, where a rubble filling was applied, and the steel structures of the pillars were placed. Afterwards concrete was poured in the foundations.

Work groups Parallel to the excavations, 2 work groups prepared and installed the wood

moldings while other 2 work groups made concrete on the existing platform, and the last 2 groups applied the rubble filling and placed the steel structures of the pillars. Afterwards concrete was poured on the foundations delimited by the moldings.

Duration 4 Days (picture taken on May 13th) Simultaneous work groups

Making of concrete, building and installation of moldings/rubble filling, installing the steel structure of the pillars.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets; Making of concrete: Shovels, Buckets, Accessories, levels, guides.

Responsible parties Habiterra / Community at COUPEAU 4 Installing the steel structure of the stub walls General description The steel structures of the

stub walls were positioned between the existing platform and the new foundations.

Work groups One work group assembled the steel structures of the pillars and stub walls and

installed the former on the new foundations and the latter on the existing platform. Duration 4 Days (picture taken on May 15th) Simultaneous work groups

Making moldings for stub walls and semelles.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets; Fillings; Shovels, Wheelbarrows, Buckets, etc.

Responsible parties Habiterra / Community at COUPEAU


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5 Pouring concrete for the stub walls General description

Making and pouring concrete on stub walls and semelles.

Work groups While some workers installed steel structures and added rubble fillings, 2 work groups

made and set the wooden moldings and 2 other groups prepared concrete on the existing platform. Finally all groups participated in pouring concrete on stub walls and semelles.

Duration 2 Days (picture taken on May 21st) Simultaneous work groups

Preparing the rubble base and making concrete for the concrete base.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets; Making of concrete: Shovels, Buckets, Accessories, levels, guides.

Responsible parties


6 Building bricklayer masonry walls General description

After the stub walls’ concrete started drying, the building of the bricklayer masonry walls started at the places indicated in the construction plans.

Work groups Four groups worked simultaneously in the four corners of the platform. They set to the

task of preparing the mortar and arranging the concrete blocks in the walls. Four rows of blocks were put in place per day.

Duration 4 Days (picture taken on May 21st) Simultaneous work groups

Moistening of cement blocks and preparing materials for mortar making. Finishing the setting of moldings for pillars and chains.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets; Preparation of mortar: Shovels, Buckets, Accessories, Levels, Guides, Reglets, etc.

Responsible parties



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7 Installation of the concrete beams steel structure and lintels / fabrication of moldings General description

At the upper edge of the concrete block walls the steel structures of beams and lintels were installed together with the steel bars the roof structure would be tied to. The moldings for pillars and beams were fabricated simultaneously.

Work groups Two work groups fabricated the moldings for pillars and concrete beams, and two

other work groups made and installed the steel structures of concrete beams and lintels.

Duration 3 Days (picture taken on May 26th). Simultaneous work groups

Making of concrete.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets; Tools to cut and bend steel structures: Tongs, Clamps, Scaffoldings, Levels, Guides, etc.

Responsible parties


8 Pouring concrete on pillars, beams and lintels General description

After setting the wood moldings in place, concrete was poured on pillars, beams and lintels.

Work groups Four simultaneous work groups were required to fulfill the above mentioned tasks,

one in each corner of the building. Each work group made and poured concrete in their corresponding pillars and then waited the necessary time for the concrete to decant and compact. After this concrete was poured on beams and lintels, making sure that the concrete met seamlessly with the pillars’.

Duration 2 Days (picture taken on June 3rd). Simultaneous work groups

Fabrication of wooden roof trusses.

Tools Making of concrete: Shovels, Buckets, Accessories, Levels, Guides, Scaffoldings, etc.

Responsible parties



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10 Fabrication and installation of wooden roof trusses General description

Fabrication and installation of the main and secondary wooden roof trusses.

Work groups To make the trusses two work groups were necessary, while 3 work groups worked

on installing them. Duration 3 Days (picture taken on June 3rd). Simultaneous work groups

Fabrication of the roof’s wooden beams and rafters.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saws, Hammers, Nails, Mallets; Preparation of mortars: Shovels, Buckets, Accessories, Levels, Guides, Reglets, etc.

Responsible parties


11 Installing roof wooden beams and rafters General description

Installation of the beams and other structural elements of the roof like the rafters that fasten the roof cover. These tasks were overseen by a Haitian professional, who sent weekly reports to Habiterra. Data from his accounts are included in this report.

Work groups Four work groups labored simultaneously. Duration 1 Day Simultaneous work groups

Preparing the roof cover.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets, plus Ladders and Scaffoldings. Responsible parties



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12 Installing the roof cover General description

Installation of the beams and other structural elements of the roof like the rafters that fasten the roof cover. As noted above, the inspection of the work will be performed by an Haitian professional.

Work groups Four work groups labored simultaneously. Duration 1 Day Simultaneous work groups

Preparing the roof cover.

Tools Wood carpentry: Saw, Hammers, Nails, Mallets, plus Ladders and Scaffoldings. Responsible parties


2.5 Related complementary products Complementary notes were created to register in simple words the different stages of the building process in order to the community to access the information in a comprehensible manner. These notes also included some basic regulations that assure a minimum resistance in the face of earthquakes, and graphic depictions of some select constructive processes. These materials were written in local Creole and presented to the community together with the original plans, but given the high incidence of illiteracy, they did not have the expected impact. Therefore, while the work was going underway all available opportunities were taken to directly show the community details about the implemented constructive system and other considerations.

2.6 Negotiations performed before the start of the construction. These previous negotiations were performed in order to expedite the reconstruction process and successfully reach our programmed deadlines. The following are among the previous negotiations:

2.6.1 Fabrication and purchase of materials Among the criteria under which this proposal was formulated was the goal of using -as much as possible- materials commonly found in the area. This to ensure the replicability of the reconstruction process within the broader frame of the reconstruction of Haiti Several hardware stores were visited in order to compare prices and have an idea about the availability, quality and quantity of materials required. Price quotes were gathered and according to the acquired information the materials shopping lists were fine tuned. Purchase of materials was done mainly at the following merchants:

• Quisqueya hardware store in Petion Ville: It possessed a well endowed stock of materials such as cement, wood, steel, zinc planks, etc. The price included transport, loading and offloading of materials at the Rivière Froide warehouse.

• Máxime Castera hardware store in Delmas street: Most tools and accessories were purchased here, although it was expensive and the prices did not include transport, which had to be paid by Habiterra.


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Some materials, such as buckets and water tanks, had to be purchased at informal street markets.

Figure 9: Purchase, transport and storing of materials

Budgeting and purchase of materials Transport of materials from Quisqueya hardware store

Storing of materials at Rivière Froide warehouse. Transport and storing of tools. a) Concrete blocks The productive capacity of the community was examined and the making and transport of 1400 blocks in a period of about three weeks was commissioned. The blocks were handmade in situ by an experienced local “Boss” and his team, who worked with a contract and were paid honoraries. The Boss had all the equipment and tools necessary to insure the quality of each block. Instructions were imparted regarding the concrete mix’s proper dosage of cement, sand and gravel (1:5:2), and the precautions needed for its correct congealing. Before the beginning of the construction work 400 blocks, originally destined to become part of the water tank, were already available and were utilized in the school building. Later 400 more blocks were fabricated and returned to their original purpose as part of the water tank. One hundred blocks were made each day, in an area adjacent to the school, and all materials (sand, gravel, cement, water) were transported by the community.


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Figure 10: Fabrication of concrete blocks.

Fabrication of concrete blocks In site fabrication of concrete blocks b) Steel structures and wood The steel structures were made by the Boss according to the given instructions. First the structures pertaining to the pillars were assembled, then the stub walls and lastly the concrete beams. Initially acquiring pre made structures was considered, but since they were not found in any Port-au-Prince business it was decided to fabricate those using traditional methods, which did not affect the original work program. c) Wood Event though the possibility of reusing wood from the former school’s roof was discussed, it was still necessary to purchase wood for beams, wood planks and planks of aggregated wood chips, used to make moldings, the new roof and partition walls, besides later details such as doors and windows. Although we here discussed some materials key to the success of the project, the details regarding availability and transport also apply to all other materials listed above.

Figure 11: Storage in site

Assemblage of the pillars’ steel structures. Transport and storage of wood. Coupeau warehouse.

2.6.2 Storage and tracking of materials and tools To track all materials and keep an updated inventory, lists were written and checked by the persons responsible of the warehouses both in Rivière Froide and Coupeau.


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Figure 12: Tracking and storage of materials.

Storage in Coupeau. Keeping track of all incoming materials and transporters list

2.6.3 Adapting the Coupeau warehouse We rented a house next to the construction area, where cement, wood, steel and tools were stored. The steel structures were too long to fit inside the house and therefore were kept outside, protected from the elements by plastic tarps. The warehouse’s roof was covered with plastic tarps, and the floor was lined with wood planks on top of which cement sacs were stacked.

2.6.4 Work days, days a week, daily hours. The contract signed with the Boss included weekly progress goals associated with his weekly salary, and a work pace was established according to the former. It is worthy to note that the community participated in all stages of the construction. Generally the Boss and his team worked according to the daily availability of sunlight. We calculated working hours taking as a reference similarly sized construction projects. People from the community did not work full days, the work parties relayed each other and at any particular time there were about 8 people working simultaneously.

2.6.5 Availability and transport of water To make the different concrete mixes and moisten the blocks, a constant water supply was necessary at the construction zone, plus water recipients of different capacities. To achieve this supply, rain water was collected in all available containers. Bringing water from the river was dismissed due to the distance to the river and the limited transport capacities of the community.

2.6.6 Finishing For the additional finishing work the final constructive details were developed, lists of materials needed were made, and these materials were then purchased and transported to the warehouse at Coupeau. Just as for the roof structure and cover work parties, a Haitian professional was hired to oversee the final stages. The following are the finishing work parties:

• Interior and exterior stuccos. • Doors and windows. • Light partition walls. • Electric network (ducts and accessories). • In situ sink. • Interior and exterior painting. • Gutters and rain water chutes, connected to the water tank.

Documents

TECHNICAL ASSESMENT IN ARCHITECTURE AND SOCIAL … · on top of the pillars that were still standing, and contrary to other buildings we visited in Haiti was built with light materials,