Cyclone- and Earthquake Resistant Animal Shelters
Goals
To allow access to the unused labour hours from the unemployed individuals willing to join the Mutual Aid Group that focuses on reinforcing animal houses and shelters. Mutual Aid Groups working in this area of focus will help make the livestock shelters in the communal section resistant to cyclones and earthquakes, reduce the level of damage and destruction, loss of life and injury from hurricanes and earthquakes, and increase personal and financial security.
Overview
- This Mutual Aid Group consists of skilled construction workers who will learn and apply the fundamental principles of cyclone- and earthquake-resistant construction to make cyclone- and earthquake-resistant each livestock shelter in the Communal Section. They use their own tools, and their own transportation means. They receive a monthly participation incentive from Reciprocitas and weekly training. A Mutual Aid Group facilitator supervises them. The Mutual Aid Group Facilitators receive training to conduct groups and keep records. They are not subject-matter experts. A Communal Section may have more than one Mutual Aid Group focusing on building and maintaining cyclone- and earthquake-resistant animal shelters.
- Individuals and families whose animal shelters are made storm- and earthquake- resistant, in return, participate freely in building storm- and earthquake-resistant animal shelters for their neighbourgs. Furthermore, they join Farmers Field Schools when these are available in the communal section. They obtain suitable seeds, tools, and other items necessary for plant nurseries and donate plants to be used by the tree planters and stormwater workers in their reforestation engagement.
Job Description
- They assist families in selecting shelter plans which meet their needs and are within their budget.
- They develop cost estimates for construction materials and any subcontracting that will be required.
- They supervise and train families in the proper construction of their shelters.
- They choose tree locations carefully to avoid the full force of the wind or flood.
- They use a building layout with a simple regular shape to avoid the concentration of pressure.
- They used low-cost construction technology.
- They build their own cement block using a manual block making machine.
- They build the roof at an angle of 30° to 45° to prevent it from being lifted off by the wind.
- They avoid wide roof overhangs; separate the veranda structure from the house
- They make sure the foundations, walls, and roof structure are all firmly fixed together.
- They reinforce the bracing in the structure; strengthen walls and joints/ junctions to increase stiffness.
- They make sure the roof covering is firmly attached to the roof structure to prevent it from lifting.
- If doors & shutters cannot be shut, they make sure there are opposing openings to reduce pressure build-up.
- They use doors and shutters that can be closed.
- They plant trees around the house as windbreaks and reduce water flow, but not too close.
- They get people to build safely and yet in a manner that relates to local building needs, styles, and families' financial resources.
- They help build storm shelters in the communal section.
- They follow existing national and international guidelines for para-seismic and para-cyclonic building construction and reinforcement