Hatian Observation

This post has absolutely nothing to do with software. The short of the long of it: Donate to Engineers without Borders.

The earthquake in Haiti is tragic, but the biggest tragedy of it all was the fact that thousands of deaths could have been prevented with better construction methods.

Looking at the photos of collapsed buildings and crumbled infrastructure there were a few things that caught my eye.

The first thing I noticed was the conspicuous absence of rebar. Having lived in the Caribbean for several years I know that concrete block is the most common construction material used in the region. It is cost effective, keeps things cool and can be installed by novice laborers.

However, what most laypeople don't know is that block has crap for sheer strength. When constructed properly, a concrete block building should have a vertical steel reinforcing bar packed in the openings with mortar at least every two feet. Even if the building fails, the steel acts to keep the wall together and will make more of a "tent" instead of crumbling into a pile.

Another thing I noticed about the concrete is how small of pieces it crumbled into. Even without rebar, the concrete should have failed in chunks, rather than turn to dust. I have two theories about why this happened. Either WAY too much water was used in the mixes and/or the water used was cut with salt water.

The whole point of this post is to make the observation that once the humanitarian crisis is under control, the rebuilding of Haiti needs to happen with proper building codes. Personally, I feel that the best organization that can help make this happen is Engineers Without Borders. They have a special Haiti fund set up. If you are a French-speaking civil or structural engineer they are also looking for volunteers. (Sidenote: I would totally do it, but the only French I know is "Mai j'ai une autre Diet Coke, s'il vous plaît?")

Thanks for reading.