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A. Collège Mixte Le Bon Berger, Montrouis (Hint: the foundation has REALLY cured) |
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B. École Elie Dubois, Port au Prince (Complex project of simultaneous phases...including historic preservation) |
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C. Institut Foyer du Savoir "Home of Knowledge" (Rock and rubble sub-slab fill, pre-compaction) |
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D. École Baptiste Bon Berger, Pele (Non-academic courses about to begin) |
Cursors down. Let's see what we've got. Listed in order of progress are the following:
4 - A. Collège Mixte Le Bon Berger, Montrouis. Not like the others: Well, this isn't a foundation - it's a roof! Congrats again on a beautiful new school. Here are some more pics in case you missed all the hooplah last week. Oh and did we mention Montrouis is one of the only handicap-accessible ADA-compliant schools in Haiti? 10 points if you did!
3 - D. École Baptiste Bon Berger, Pele. Not like the others: That darn water table. Also, look at progress made from two weeks ago:
Note how the slab has been poured, and the formwork taken down. Also, the perimeter wall is having its top beam poured to cap all the concrete blocks. After the beam cures the wood boards can be removed. We're ready to start walls! Below: a view across the site from that front porch. Note the water pump in the foreground. Don't worry-things will start looking better from here.
2- B. École Elie Dubois, Port-au-Prince. It may look messy, but only because there's a LOT of work happening on this rather complex construction site, and a new contractor crew that's full steam ahead on all fronts. In the foreground you have a poured foundation for the cafeteria. The new classroom blocks are just getting their foundations dug out, same with the perimeter wall. The pink building in the background is the historic building on site and the design team is 3/4 the way through Construction Documents. Not like the others: Hidden cisterns! Yes, the crew discovered THREE cisterns in digging out the foundations for the perimeter wall. They of course need to be removed...
They also needed to remove a tree.
Vibrating concrete is crucial. The more liquidy parts of the mix fill in any air gaps making for some solid structure.
1 - C. Institut Foyer du Savoir "Home of Knowledge." Not like the others: we're self-executing! The contractor troubles came to a head so our team at the Rebuildng Center decided in order to fast-track construction, get Home of Knowledge back on schedule and avoid some peculiar site complications to manage construction ourselves. It's no easy task. Natalie, our design fellow on the job, has spent a lot of time recently "procuring" all the materials she needs for construction, inlcuding
Timber
Sand and gravel (above, sand and gravel not shown)
Natalie has to coordinate everyone on the construction site, like this carpenter. You wouldn't expect much wood to be part of a concrete building, however all the formwork has to be sawn and assembled. No small feat.
Beneath every concrete ground floor slab is a layer of rubble or rock fill. This is what that fill looks like before it's compacted.
So there you have it - how did you score? You could have earned 18 out of a possible 4 points, but don't be disheartened if you didn't nab all that extra credit. The score doesn't reflect on your true love for architectural foundations.
If you missed all the academic work on the Haiti Challenge and want to get involved, Students Rebuild is throwing every ounce of creativity toward the Humanitarian Crises Challenge. Be a part of an ossified international movement to raise awareness and funds for communities in the DR Congo and Somalia. Lend a hand - make a bone.
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