DEVELOPMENT OF A LIGHTWEIGHT, PORTABLE, RECYCLABLE EMERGENCY SHELTER UNITGene Farmer, ARA, Associate ProfessorRonald A. Baier, PE, Visiting ProfessorSuneetha Mallikarjuna, Graduate AssistantAbstractSECTION ONE: BACKGROUNDTable 1: Natural Disasters in the United StatesTable 2: Homeless left by Natural Disasters in the United StatesTable 3: Homeless in the United StatesSECTION TWO: PROJECT OBJECTIVESREFERENCESAPPENDIX 1: CONCEPTUAL DESIGNDEVELOPMENT OF A LIGHTWEIGHT, PORTABLE, RECYCLABLE EMERGENCY SHELTER UNIT Gene Farmer, ARA, Associate Professor Department of Construction Management Florida International University Email: [email protected] Ronald A. Baier, PE, Visiting Professor Department of Construction Management Florida International University Suneetha Mallikarjuna, Graduate Assistant Department of Construction Management Florida International University Abstract Each year thousands of Americans are left homeless by natural disasters. In addition, thousands more are permanently homeless, living on our cities streets and parks. When homelessness occurs, emergency agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross are often tasked with providing emergency shelter for these unfortunate individuals. Unfortunately, the current system of supplying shelter is both complex and costly. Generally, emergency shelter consists of either large tents supplied by the military or through the use of mobile homes. Both systems are expensive and logistically difficult. This project proposes to develop and test a new system of providing emergency shelter. At the core of this system will be the development of a recyclable shelter unit composed of a recyclable corrugated board material. These shelter units will be designed for short-term use, usually up to three months, and can then be totally recycled. The units will be both lightweight and inexpensive and will consist of a set of corrugated board panels, which can be carried and assembled by no more than two persons. Setup and connections will be designed to be easily assembled by unskilled individuals using simple tools. After an emergency, the units can be trucked or air lifted into disaster struck areas to provide almost immediate shelter. In winter climates, these shelters can again be delivered by truck directly to the homeless to provide shelter from the dangerously harsh temperatures. After the initial need, the shelter can be easily de-constructed and the materials re-cycled. In addition to design considerations, this project will consider the economics of both the manufacturing and distribution of the shelters. Keywords: Natural disasters; homeless; emergency shelter; recyclable; lightweight; inexpensive.SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND Disaster Relief The United States, because of its geographic location and geologic make-up, has historically been prone to a variety of different types of natural disasters. These natural disasters include hurricanes, tornados, floods and earthquakes. For the purposes of this project, a natural disaster will be defined as a weather / geologic event classified by the federal government as qualifying for federal disaster relief. Table 1: Natural Disasters in the United States NATURAL DISASTERS IN THE UNITED STATES DISASTER TYPE YEAR HURRICANE TORNADO FLOODS EARTHQUAKE 1990 0 9 5 1 1991 2 1 6 1 1992 2 13 14 2 1993 0 9 11 2 1994 2 4 6 1 1995 4 14 18 1 1996 3 11 19 2 1997 2 14 18 1 1998 4 18 18 1 1999 5 15 8 1 2000 0 9 6 2 2001 0 17 11 1 2002 1 16 17 2 TOTAL 25 150 157 18 According to the emergency management agencies such as American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Virginia Department of Emergency Services, World Health Organization (WHO), and climatic data centers such as the California Geological Survey, Dartmouth Flood Observatory, National Hurricane Center, National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS), National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and United States Geological Survey (USGS), there have been over 350 such natural disasters documented since 1990.These disasters have taken their toll on the population of certain geographic sections of the United Stated in terms of lives, money and emotion. There have been hundreds of persons killed or injured as a result of natural disasters since 1990. In addition over 481,000 men, women and children were left homeless. It is these homeless men, women and children that will be the focus of this project Table 2: Homeless left by Natural Disasters in the United States HOMELESS LEFT BY NATURAL DISASTERS IN THE UNITED STATES DISASTER TYPE YEAR HURRICANE TORNADO FLOODS EARTHQUAKE 1990 - 302 - - 1991 - - - - 1992 126,167 56+ - 5,046 1993 - 3 27,654 1,000+ 1994 - - 2,550 10,000+ 1995 6,100+ 475 36,725 - 1996 198,963+ 892+ 23,000 - 1997 - 4 548 - 1998 1,536+ - 10,116+ - 1999 2,500+ 1505+ 9,238 - 2000 - 59+ 460 - 2001 - 536 11,351 - 2002 250+ 100+ 4781 - TOTAL 335,516+ 3,932+ 126,423+ 16,046+ Homeless in the United States It is estimated that on any given night, there are at least 750,000 people in the United States without a permanent shelter. To put this number in perspective, these homeless outnumber the populations of San Francisco, Boston or Washington DC (General Information about Homelessness). Over the course of a year, between 1.3 million and 2 million people will experience homelessness. While every major city is making an attempt to assist the homeless, a recent survey taken in 27 major U.S. cities found that 37% of all emergency shelter requests went unmet (NationalCoalition for the Homeless, 2002). The following chart illustrates the approximate number of homeless people in six large US cities. Table 3: Homeless in the United States HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES CITY APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF HOMELESS NEW YORK 38,627 (Daily Report, 2004) BOSTON 6,210 (Anderson et al., 2002) CHICAGO 3,000 (Wright, 1995) ATLANTA 12,000 (Blueprint to End Homelessness in Atlanta in Ten Years, 2003) DALLAS 5,181 (Cold Weather Homeless Census Report, 2003) MIAMI 4,000 (Homeless Wrap-up September 2002) While these people are technically without homes, they are not always without shelter. Sheltering of the homeless generally falls into the following four categories: 1. Persons living on the street 2. Persons living in emergency or transitional shelters 3. Persons living in cars
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