SPSU 9-1-2011 WSB-TV 4PM.wmv

The RUBBLE-HOUSE Research Project
(A Joint Research Effort Sponsored by SPSU and Conscience International, Inc.)
RUBBLE-HOUSEs are environmentally friendly structures for families left homeless by the earthquake in Haiti. RUBBLE-HOUSEs recycle the rubble from destroyed buildings to build the walls, and are engineered to be earthquake resistant. The construction methods and tools used in making RUBBLE-HOUSEs are designed with local conditions in mind to minimize the cost, while maintaining the safety of occupants.

Conscience International has built more than 30 RUBBLE-HOUSEs in Haiti and plans to increase the number to 1000. SPSU faculty & students, with their engineering expertise, volunteered to evaluate the performance of RUBBLE-HOUSEs built with current construction techniques and make recommendations to improve the seismic resistance without much increase in cost of construction.

The objectives of this research are:

• Evaluate current construction techniques and propose cost-effective improvements
• Perform static load testing on a full-scale RUBBLE-HOUSE
• Create computer models for static and dynamic analyses
• Make recommendations for future seismic shake table experiments
• Draft construction and design guidelines based on experimental and numerical findings

We expect to have strong faculty and student participation during the project. If you have an idea or feedback please contact:

Dr. Fatih Oncul (CET), foncul@spsu.edu
Dr. Wasim Barham (CE), wbarham@spsu.edu
Dr. Metin Oguzmert (CE), moguzmer@spsu.edu

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• SPSU
• 9
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• 2011
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[pouremilee]

yea me too.. i walk by that every single day. creative and proud of SPSU.

[Zellie1994]

I was out there filling buckets of rubble and I have to say it was a beautiful thing. Taking nothing and making something.

[21centuryg]

I walk by this everyday on my way to J-building. I was wondering what it was! good job guys