Team 02

Project Proposal and Feasibility Study

Calvin College Department of Engineering

Engineering 339

Senior Design Project

12/11/17

Kyra Black

Cameron Carley

Kyle Sutton

Nathaniel Veldboom

Copyright © 2017, Calvin College, Kyra Black, Cameron Carley, Kyle Sutton, Nathaniel Veldboom

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of this report serves to examine the feasibility of designing an emergency disaster relief shelter prototype and a base camp layout as part of a competition through John Brown University. The competition itself is in response to the 7.8 magnitude (Richter) earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015. This project will satisfy the capstone requirements of Calvin College's engineering program. The name of the group, is Team 2: Dwell. It is comprised of 4 Civil & Environmental engineering majors; Kyra Black, Cameron Carley, Kyle Sutton, and Nate Veldboom. Through this project, Team 2 strives to introduce an innovative and effective shelter prototype capable of sustaining a family of 4 for a period of 1-3 years, specifically in Nepal. Additionally, Team 2 will design an optimal base camp layout for arranging 5000 of these shelter prototypes. This Project Proposal and Feasibility Report further outlines the project goals, research conducted concerning Nepal, potential materials and framing designs to be used in the shelter prototype, and base camp layout possibilities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 1

Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. 3

1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 4

1.1 Team Members .............................................................................................................................. 4

Kyra Black ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Cameron Carley ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Kyle Sutton ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Nathaniel Veldboom .............................................................................................................................. 4

1.2 Team Organization ........................................................................................................................ 5

2. Project Overview ................................................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Project Description .............................................................................................................................. 6

Background ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Summary ................................................................................................................................................ 7

Client...................................................................................................................................................... 7

Project Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Project Management ...................................................................................................................... 7

Schedule ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Budget .................................................................................................................................................... 8

Method of Approach .............................................................................................................................. 8

2.3 Project Requirements ..................................................................................................................... 8

Emergency Design Shelter Prototype Requirements ............................................................................. 8

Base Camp Layout Requirements ......................................................................................................... 9

2.4 Design Norms ...................................................................................................................................... 9

3. Project Elements .................................................................................................................................. 10

3.1 Existing Shelters ................................................................................................................................ 10

3.2 Framing .............................................................................................................................................. 13

3.3 Insulation ........................................................................................................................................... 13

3.4 Camp Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 14

4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 17

Acknowledgements: .................................................................................................................................... 18

References: .................................................................................................................................................. 19

Appendices: ................................................................................................................................................. 20

A. JBU Competition Schedule.............................................................................................................. 20

B. Schedule ........................................................................................................................................... 20

C. Budget .............................................................................................................................................. 20

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TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Nepal’s Geographic Location 5

Figure 2: Disaster relief shelter tent 9

Figure 3: Bamboo and metal sheet shelter 10

Figure 4: Samaritan’s Purse corrugated iron shelter 10

Figure 5: Concrete canvas shelter 11

Figure 6: Example of hexagonal urban plan 13

Figure 7: Example of triangular urban plan 14

Figure 8: Example of concentric circle urban plan 15

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1. INTRODUCTION

Calvin College is a Christian, liberal arts school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Calvin has a four-year

ABET accredited engineering program. Within this program, Senior Design is required of all senior

engineering students to connect the concepts learned in class to a “real-world” problem. The intention of

the senior design project is to transition students into a career as a practicing engineer, but also offer

support, by means of advisors, to aid in the transition. The project scope includes assessing the feasibility

of the project, creating a budget and schedule, deciding on design alternatives, and designing a final

product. In this case, the team will also construct the final design.

To do this, four senior civil engineering students have come together to build a disaster relief shelter and

plan a camp layout for a competition sponsored by John Brown University. The team, project, and plan

are expanded upon in the following report.

1.1 TEAM MEMBERS

KYRA BLACK

Kyra is a Senior Civil/Environmental Engineering Major. She enjoys tutoring and giving tours in the

Calvin College Ecosystem Preserve. This past summer she interned with RWG Engineering LLC doing

site design. Upon graduation, she hopes to work in site design and land development.

CAMERON CARLEY

Cameron is a Civil/Environmental Engineering major with a Geography minor from Livonia, Michigan.

He enjoys travel, photography, and urbanism. Last summer, he worked as a business intern at Central

Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, and has interned at civil

engineering firms in the private and public sectors in the past. After graduation, he plans to attend

graduate school for Urban Planning.

KYLE SUTTON

Kyle is a Civil/Environmental Engineering major with a business minor from Aurora, Ohio. This past

summer he interned with Spectrum Health in their Real Estate and Facility Development division as an

architectural planner. Kyle plans on working in engineering or business/finance upon graduating in May

of 2018.

NATHANIEL VELDBOOM

Originally from the small Northern MI town of East Jordan, Nate is on track to graduate from Calvin

College as a Civil & Environmental Engineering major and with a minor in Mathematics in 2018. Nate

has worked several internships ranging from serving as on-site inspector to testing storm outfalls. Nate

plans on pursuing work in some field of civil engineering following graduation.

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1.2 TEAM ORGANIZATION

Each of the team members have taken a part of the project. Decisions are made by the team or by the

person who is most experienced in that area of the project. If disagreement arises, everyone’s perspective

is made clear, and each member is expected to decide based upon what is best for the project.

Though the immediate team consists of four students, there are many other supporting members including

the team faculty advisor, Professor De Rooy, and the other senior design professors.

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2. PROJECT OVERVIEW

2.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Figure 1. Nepal’s Geographic Location1

BACKGROUND

The country of Nepal is the country for which we are designing this disaster relief shelter. Nepal is land

locked in between China and India (Figure 1). It is a very mountainous country, with a portion of the

Himalayan mountain range enclosed within its borders. Consequently, the country goes from 0 to 9000

meters in elevation with 5000 meters and below being habitable. Nepal also experiences 5 seasons –

spring, summer, monsoon, fall, and winter. Nepal did not become a democratic republic until 2008 after a

century of isolation and conflict. As a result, Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world.2

In April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Thousands of buildings

were reduced to rubble and thousands of people lost their lives. The United Nations estimated that 6.6

million people were affected by the earthquake is some way3. Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief

organization, began distributing relief items soon after. They also began teaching the local people about

earthquake-resistant construction as well as how to build their own temporary structures using provided

1 http://www.welnepal.org/homeMap.html

2 Proud, Richard, Zuberi, Matinuzzaman. “Nepal”. Encyclopǽdia Britannica. 24 March 2017. Encyclopǽdia

Britannica, Inc. Web. 7 Dec. 2017. <https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal/The-people>.

3 “Nepal Earthquakes: Devastation in Maps an Images.” BBC News World. 15 May 2015. BBC. Web. 13 Nov.

2017. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32479909>.

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shelter kits4. As Nepal continues to rebuild, Samaritan’s Purse has sponsored the competition hosted by

John Brown University to bring awareness to the struggles that face the Nepalese people as well as bring

new solutions to the problems of temporary housing and disaster relief.

SUMMARY

The team initially decided to pursue a project that incorporated structural components, as every group

member expressed interest in structural elements. The team also placed emphasis on undertaking a project

that could have immediate relevance concerning the customer or client the project would be designed for.

With these preliminary desires in mind, the team elected to participate in an emergency shelter design

competition sponsored by John Brown University. Through this project, the team will be tasked with

designing an emergency shelter design prototype, and will also need to design a base camp layout for

these shelters to exist should they can be used in an area afflicted by a natural disaster.

CLIENT

The immediate client for this project are the officials at John Brown University who will be judging the

team's design and Samaritan’s Purse, the sponsor of the competition. However, the larger goal is for this

structure to be used in disaster situations, similar to that of Nepal after the 2015 earthquake. Thus, the

intended client of the project are peoples influenced or displaced by natural disasters.

PROJECT SCOPE

The scope of the project involves the design of, acquisition of materials for, and eventual construction of

one disaster relief shelter at the John Brown University competition. Additionally, the competition calls

for the designing of a camp layout based upon the team designed disaster shelter. Assuming positive

results from the competition, the scope of the project may be extended to include bringing this product to

the market and implemented on location in places of need.

2.2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SCHEDULE

This project is on a tight schedule due to John Brown University competition dates. A project report is

required by March 30th, and the final design and shelter must be finished by April 18th. Therefore, the

team has divided the project into sections that need to be completed to meet these deadlines. The first

section is research. The team must collect information on Nepalese culture, its weather and terrain,

materials that could be used for the shelter, and necessary camp plan elements. A greater understanding of

these components will aid the team in making decisions about the design of the shelter. This phase must

be finished by the end of November.

The next step is design. Using the information collected during the research phase, the team must design

alternatives for the shelter itself. This may include testing possible materials to find the strongest and

lightest options. After designing two or three shelter alternatives, the team will choose the best option to

build. The design phase is intended to be completed by the end of January.

4 “Sheltering Nepal”. Samaritan’s Purse. 26 Nov. 2015. Samaritan’s Purse. Web. 13 Nov. 2017.

<https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/sheltering-nepal/>.

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The third phase is building. After the design is chosen, the team will build a prototype. This will further

refine the design as some elements will work while others do not. After refining the final design, a final

prototype will be built to bring to the competition. This phase is planned to occur during February.

The final stage is presentation. The team will bring the shelter to John Brown University on April 18th for

testing and presentation. The Competition Schedule is included in Appendix A. A presentation will also

be given for Calvin’s senior engineering night. The schedule is included in Appendix B.

BUDGET

The teams’ budget primarily revolves around the constraints placed on the competition by John Brown

University, who will be compensating the team for their final shelter through a stipend of $1000. This

stipend is not effective until after the completion of the competition in April. The competition entrance

fee is $250, and the final shelter must cost no more than $1500. If the team is building a prototype before

the final design, an additional $1000 must be added to the budget. Finally, additional funding will be

required for travel expenses, primarily gas, to drive to John Brown University in Arkansas and back. A

full budget proposal is included in Appendix C.

METHOD OF APPROACH

Team 2 entered this competition to meet the interests of everyone on the team. The general criteria of the

competition were already posted on John Brown University’s website. The team used these criteria as a

starting point for research. Research included Nepal’s terrain, weather, culture, materials, and existing

designs used in current disaster relief shelters used in Nepal and surrounding areas.

As the project progresses, the team plans to establish all the design alternatives, decide on one shelter

design, design the shelter and test its materials, and finally, build the chosen design.

2.3 PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

The design competition at John Brown University imposes numerous constraints and requirements

concerning the emergency shelter prototype and base camp layout. As the competition is in response to

the 7.8 magnitude (Richter scale) earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, requirements surrounding the

prototype and base camp layout are tailored for that specific environment and culture.

EMERGENCY DESIGN SHELTER PROTOTYPE REQUIREMENTS

Regarding the emergency shelter, the prototype must accommodate a family of four with a minimum

allocation of floor space of 3.5 square meters (37.7 square feet) per person. The height within the

structure must allow a head clearance of 2 meters for at least 70% of the floor space, and the maximum

footprint of the structure allowed is 16’ x 20’. Additionally, the prototype must demonstrate cultural

appropriateness for use in Nepal, so as not to inhibit any social, cultural, or religious requirements.

The physical performance of the structure is expected to withstand wind loads (75 km/hour) and seismic

earthquake loads similar in magnitude to what struck Nepal (7.8 Richter scale) in 2015. The shelter must

be versatile and responsive to the scenario environmental conditions that vary seasonally, geographically,

and diurnally. Furthermore, the structure must shield occupants from substantial rainfall (4 inches per

hour), promote adequate airflow ventilation in various temperatures, and possess an ability to retain heat

in temperature fluctuations due to day/night and summer/winter variations. It is also expected that

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assembly of the structure be straightforward with simple hand tools, be upgradeable to a more permanent

structure, preferable with readily available local materials, and be reusable.

The expected life-span of the structure must be a minimum of one year, and cost less than $1500 in

materials to construct. The structure’s overall weight must not exceed 200 kg (440 lbs), and the design of

the structure must be conducive to maximizing efficiency of space when shipping and storing numerous

structures in 8’ x 40’ shipping containers.

BASE CAMP LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS

The base camp layout is mandated to accommodate 1500 shelters and 5000 people. The main

considerations regarding the camp layout will be road/walk ways, water and sewer requirements, and

arrangement of shelters and support facilities. An estimate for the cost of construction of the camp will be

required, and it is assumed that no site preparation costs are necessary.

2.4 DESIGN NORMS

Cultural appropriateness is the first and most relevant of the design norms. Since the team is designing

something that will be used in a different culture, understanding the cultural context is important so that

the object will meet an actual need in a way that is natural and fitting for people in Nepal. Designing

without cultural appropriateness could be, at best, a waste of time, and at worst, an injurious act to those

whom the team seeks to serve. Cultural appropriateness has informed the team's research, in that there are

numerous questions to be answered with it. How many unique cultures exist in Nepal? What are the

typical forms and functions of the "average" Nepalese home? Are there any architectural details to

include? Are any materials particularly valued in Nepal? Answers to these questions will inform how the

team chooses its final design.

Transparency is another very important design norm. Transparency is essentially being open and upfront

about the capabilities of the design and whether or not it will adequately meet all the requirements and fit

the cultural situation. The team has no desire to deceive or mislead competition officials or the people of

Nepal. In order to best serve the team's clients, the team will be upfront with any concerns about the

design.

Stewardship implies that the team has produced its best effort given the budget allowed for each shelter,

as well as that the materials or methods required to erect these structures will have minimal impact on the

local and global environments. Stewardship requires the team to answer questions relating to the life-

cycle of its product. What will happen to the materials after the product's useful life is over? Will the

disposal of the shelter lead to undue hardship among any people in Nepal?

Integrity is doing exactly what one says one will. This means that the team is obligated to follow through

on design promises and requirements. It also means that the team will not inflate expectations or say that

the design will be able to do things that it will not do. Integrity means not taking shortcuts or the easy way

out in design.

Justice is an enormous consideration in the team's design. As the team is designing for a people who have

been afflicted by natural disaster. Justice in the team's design is ensuring that the team's product will

attempt to rectify as many wrongs as possible that the Nepalese people have endured.

Caring goes above and beyond the concerns of justice. Not only is it important for the team to design in

terms of what will meet the needs of earthquake-survivors, but also what will provide them with the

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highest quality of life. Will the users of the shelter be able to enjoy living in it? Will the team be able to

provide space for leisure or extras in its design? The team hopes to make living in the shelter as enjoyable

of an experience as possible, given the disaster situation and constraints.

Trust is crucial for the team to be successful in this project. The team is entrusted to make a design that

thousands of people may live in for 1 to 3 years. That is a heavy responsibility, and one that the team does

not take lightly. It is an honor for the team to design a shelter that can have such an impact at a critical

time in many people's lives.

Humility is the understanding that the team will not be always correct, and that seeking out wisdom from

others is crucial. For the team, this means understanding and realizing that there is only so much that a

team with limited knowledge of the target area and people can do on its own. This design norm will cause

the team to seek out knowledge from others who are more qualified in terms of Nepal-related or of related

disaster relief knowledge.

3. PROJECT ELEMENTS

3.1 EXISTING SHELTERS

The team researched disaster relief shelters that are currently being used in areas similar to Nepal to aid in

the decision-making process. Four shelters being used currently include a canvas tent, a bamboo and

metal sheet construction, a corrugated iron shelter kit distributed by Samaritan’s Purse, and a concrete

canvas shelter.

First, the canvas tent shelter, shown in Figure 2, is being used almost everywhere as a disaster relief

shelter. They are generally easy to construct and portable, making them easy to move in a disaster

situation, as well as durable and waterproof. This shelter is also affordable; United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) design costs approximately $200 to manufacture5. For Nepal

specifically, the framing system must be strong enough to withstand an earthquake. The tent must also

retain heat well to keep its inhabitants warm in higher elevations.

5 Laylin, Tafline. “10 refugee shelters I love, for the good and the bad”. Green Prophet. 14 March 2014. Green

Prophet. Web. 6 Dec. 2017. <https://www.greenprophet.com/2014/03/pros-and-cons-10-refugee-shelters/>.

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Figure 2. Disaster relief shelter tent

Second, the bamboo and metal sheet structure, shown in Figure 3, is currently being used in Nepal. The

materials are affordable as bamboo is readily available in Nepal. The framing would be able to withstand

an earthquake as bamboo is very strong. There are also specific instructions for assembling the shelter,

but it takes 1 to 3 days to construct, which would not be conducive to quick assembly in a disaster

situation6. The continued concern is heat retention and adequate insulation.

Figure 3. Bamboo and metal sheet shelter

Third, Samaritan’s Purse has implemented a shelter kit in Nepal, shown in Figure 4. The kit consists of

corrugated, galvanized iron sheet, plastic tarpaulin, rope or cord, and other non-food items such as basic

tools, blankets, and cookware. It is easy to construct as well as cost effective. Samaritan’s Purse, along

6 Frearson, Amy. “Prototype shelter for Nepal earthquake victims could be built by unskilled workers in three days”.

Dezeen. 11 July 2015. Dezeen. Web. 6 Dec. 2017. <https://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/11/prototype-bamboo-shelter-

nepal-earthquake-victims-built-by-unskilled-workers-three-days/>.

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with distributing supplies, implemented a program to instruct those receiving the shelters on how to build

it themselves. The shelter I strong and durable7. However, it is unclear whether more insulation is needed

for temperatures at higher elevations.

Figure 4. Samaritan’s Purse corrugated iron shelter

Lastly, concrete canvas structures are a relatively new type of disaster relief shelters, shown in Figure 5.

This recent technology makes it possible to construct a durable concrete structure within an hour. Air

must be pumped into the pre-sewn canvas and the canvas must be soaked with water to activate the

concrete. In 24 hours, the concrete hardens enough for use. This shelter is very durable, having a useful

life of 10 years. It is also very heat retentive. However, this shelter falls short in portability. Once it is in

place and the concrete is hardened, it cannot be moved8.

In summary, a variety of shelters and materials are currently being used. A breakdown of the components

for a shelter are expanded upon in the following sections.

7 “Sheltering Nepal”. Samaritan’s Purse. 26 Nov. 2015. Samaritan’s Purse. Web. 6 Dec. 2017.

<https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/sheltering-nepal/>. 8 “Concrete Canvas Shelter”. NUNA. 2016. Nuna Innovations Inc. Web. 6 Dec. 2017.

<http://nunainnovations.com/Concrete_Canvas_Shelter.html>.

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Figure 5. Concrete canvas shelter

3.2 FRAMING

The framing of a structure serves two purposes; shape and support. The frame supports the weight of the

building, the internal and external loads applied, and provides a structure to inhabit. The framing also

forms the overall shape of a building, which influences the use of the space as well as the loads it can

encounter. The competition, as previously elaborated, will test external loads such as wind/rain and

endure an earthquake simulation.

Framing materials of the shelter are being considered with respect to characteristics such as strength, cost,

weight, and ease of access in the areas the shelter may be employed. Material strength is given the highest

priority so the structure will not fail under loading. Next, priority will be given to material weight and

cost because these characteristics are most constrained within the competition as the structure must be

below 440 pounds and cost less than $1,500. The final, least vital design consideration is given to ease of

access so the shelter can be easily replicated or repaired if necessary. The frame is expected to be the

sturdiest of the shelter kit materials and last the lifetime of the shelter, thus ease of access is given lowest

priority.

Materials being considered include wood, steel, aluminum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and bamboo. The

team has not yet selected a frame material or determined a connection method. More testing on material

stressing and deformation using a finite element analysis will be required before selecting a frame

material.

3.3 INSULATION

An integral portion of any habitable structure is insulation, particularly in areas plagued by extreme

temperatures. As Nepal can range in temperature from 36°-100° Fahrenheit, proper insulation will be a

crucial part of a successful and hospitable disaster shelter. Without proper insulation, the structure will

struggle to maintain comfortable temperatures during instances of extreme temperature differences

between the interior and exterior of the shelter. The competition will test the effectiveness of the

structure's ability to retain heat by use of a heating apparatus. This apparatus will heat the inside of the

structure to 80° and maintain a temperature of 40° on the exterior. Over a period of 30 minutes, the

temperature drop within the structure will be monitored, and recorded.

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The criteria that will most heavily influence a choice of insulation material consists of cost, effectiveness

in heat retention, durability, and weight. Undoubtedly, the primary goal of insulation will be to facilitate

effective heat retention, but not at a significant negative impact of the aforementioned design parameters.

The different types of insulation being considered are those commonly used in American households,

such as fiberglass, spray foam, and mineral wool. These insulation options would be included in the

packaging for a shelter, when shipped for use. Alternatively, an attractive option for insulating the

structure could come from the area where it is deployed. For instance, Nepal produces straw on an annual

basis up to elevations of 3000 meters9. This may prove to be a superior insulating option as it does not

need to be shipped and packed. Because of this, the use of local materials is always preferable when

designing disaster shelters. Another insulating option could be simply using air. A structure that employs

a double layer enclosing an air pocket could also potentially act as a capable insulator. Collectively, the

team will evaluate all available options and select the most prudent option. The use of local materials is

always preferable when designing disaster shelters.

3.4 CAMP PLAN

In disaster situations, safe plots of land can be precious and scarce. In addition, emergency relief supplies

are often in short supply and people may lack proper access to them. In the design of the camp plan, the

team will design for inclusivity, accessibility, and predictability. The camp should facilitate the movement

of vehicles bringing in emergency supplies and adequate space and navigability for those fetching

supplies. The idea guiding some of these decisions is egalitarianism, where the team hopes to design the

camp to avoid giving priority to certain people in shelters simply due to their location. The designs

considered by the team are hexagonal, triangular, and concentric-circle. The team will decide which one

adequately meets the requirements of the project.

9 “Straw Bale Construction, One-Storey.” 2 Dec. 2015, PP. 12-12., doi:

http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/Nepal/SB-1.1_SBConstr_Rev2.12.15NFC.c.pdf

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Figure 6. Example of a hexagonal urban plan10

A hexagonal camp plan would allow for all straight roads. Along the main spokes of the hexagon would

be wider streets, while between the spokes would be narrower streets. At this point, a single hexagon will

be assumed, instead of the honeycomb-like style in Figure 6. Emergency supplies in low demand could be

based in the center of the hexagon, while emergency supplies in high demand would be located at nodes

halfway between the center and the periphery along the spokes. The goal is for high-demand necessities

to be within a 5-minute walk of any person's shelter and for low-demand necessities to be no more than a

10-minute walk.

A triangular camp plan would have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as the hexagonal

design. This plan, as shown in the 1805 urban plan for Detroit (Figure 7), would allow for home gardens

in the courtyard spaces in the center of the smaller triangles. Home gardens are important to Nepalese

culture, as many families rely on farming to produce their own food11. Dividing up the courtyards into

plots associated with each shelter lot would allow for adequate space for each family to grow crops in an

equitable fashion.

10 https://www.citylab.com/design/2016/09/instead-of-a-wall-build-a-binational-city-us-mexico-border-

trump/499634/ 11 Gautam, Resham, Bhuwon Sthapit, and Pratap Shrestha. "Home Gardens in Nepal." Biodiversity International, 7 Aug.

2004. Google Scholar. Web. Accessed 11 Dec. 2017.

https://www.bioversityinternational.org/uploads/tx_news/Home_Gardens_in_Nepal_1166.pdf

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Figure 7. Example of a triangular urban plan12

A concentric circle camp plan is the least similar to the first two. This would consist of circular roads at

increasing radii coming from the center of the camp. Avenues radiating from the center would meet the

circular roads at 90-degree angles. The layout of shelters along the circles would potentially make it less

convenient to design for courtyards/home gardens. Along the circles, shelters could be more densely

packed than in the previous two designs. However, residents in shelters located between two radial

avenues would have a significantly longer walk to access resources, as walking to the radial avenues takes

a person farther from their target. In addition, a concentric-circle model would not be as modular as the

previous two, in which additional shelter space could be added with versatility and without changing the

grid layout.

12 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_map_1807_plan.jpg

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Figure 8. Example of a concentric-circle urban plan13

4. CONCLUSION

In response to the above analysis, including research of Nepal, existing disaster shelters, materials being

used for shelter structure and design, as well as the project constraints given by John Brown University,

the team considers the project feasible. The team now begins the decision and design process that will

result in a final design that will be constructed for the competition.

13 http://www.christophgielen.com/newsite/category/work/

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The team would like to acknowledge the faculty advisor, Professor De Rooy, as well as the

Calvin College Engineering Program for the support and opportunity to pursue this competition.

The team would like to thank the Eric DeGroot Engineering Fund for their support to our project

and for the continuous support to Senior Design Teams.

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REFERENCES:

“Concrete Canvas Shelter”. NUNA. 2016. Nuna Innovations Inc. Web. 6 Dec. 2017.

<http://nunainnovations.com/Concrete_Canvas_Shelter.html>.

Frearson, Amy. “Prototype shelter for Nepal earthquake victims could be built by unskilled workers in

three days”. Dezeen. 11 July 2015. Dezeen. Web. 6 Dec. 2017.

<https://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/11/prototype-bamboo-shelter-nepal-earthquake-victims-built-

by-unskilled-workers-three-days/>.

Laylin, Tafline. “10 refugee shelters I love, for the good and the bad”. Green Prophet. 14 March 2014.

Green Prophet. Web. 6 Dec. 2017. <https://www.greenprophet.com/2014/03/pros-and-cons-10-

refugee-shelters/>.

“Nepal Earthquakes: Devastation in Maps an Images.” BBC News World. 15 May 2015. BBC. Web. 13

Nov. 2017. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32479909>.

Proud, Richard, Zuberi, Matinuzzaman. “Nepal”. Encyclopǽdia Britannica. 24 March 2017.

Encyclopǽdia Britannica, Inc. Web. 7 Dec. 2017. https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal/The-

people.

“Sheltering Nepal”. Samaritan’s Purse. 26 Nov. 2015. Samaritan’s Purse. Web. 13 Nov. 2017

<https://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/sheltering-nepal/>.

“Straw Bale Construction, One-Storey.” 2 Dec. 2015, PP. 12-12., doi:

http://www.builderswithoutborders.org/Nepal/SB-1.1_SBConstr_Rev2.12.15NFC.c.pdf

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APPENDICES:

A. JBU COMPETITION SCHEDULE

B. SCHEDULE

C. BUDGET