March 2010: Texas Company to hold Disaster Reconstruction Workshop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Carol Cirulli Lanham
BWG Agency
972-814-6322
Texas Company to Hold Workshop for Builders Interested in Earthquake Reconstruction
ITALY, Texas (March 30, 2010) – As relief organizations prepare to begin reconstruction efforts in Haiti and Chile, a Texas-based company is hosting a five-day workshop to teach attendees how to build the earthquake-resistant, concrete structures that have proven to be a viable solution for countries around the world.
Monolithic Inc. is hosting a workshop from April 6 through 10, 2010 to train builders in the construction of EcoShells, steel-reinforced concrete buildings that are earthquake- and hurricane-resistant and can be built entirely by hand using about $5,000 in basic materials. The workshop will be held at Monolithic’s headquarters in Italy, Texas along Interstate 35.
EcoShells, which are a variation of the Monolithic Dome, were used in the reconstruction of an Indonesian village that was destroyed by an earthquake and landslide in 2006. They also have been built in India, Kenya, Peru, among other countries.
“EcoShells offer one of the best long-term housing solutions for countries like Haiti and Chile because they are economical and built to withstand both severe weather and earthquakes,” said David South, president of Monolithic. “Builders from all over the country have been contacting us about the training we offer in dome construction techniques so we decided to host a workshop specifically for the EcoShell type of shelter.”
The goal is to train builders in the United States who would be willing to travel to earthquake-stricken areas, and in turn, train local laborers in the construction techniques. “We actually will be building an EcoShell at our headquarters here in Italy, Texas so workshop participants can get hands-on experience in the construction techniques,” South said.
Space is still available for both the April and May workshops. Call 972-483-7423 for more information or visit www.monolithic.com
Construction of Monolithic EcoShells begins with the placement of a ringbeam footing and the pouring of a circular steel-reinforced concrete slab floor. An Airform, a tarp made of tough, single-ply roofing material, is attached to the ring base and inflated.
A grid of steel rebar is then placed to the outside of the Airform, and embedded in concrete. Once the concrete is smoothed with a trowel and sets, the Airform can be removed from the interior of the building and reused.
South formed the non-profit One Dome at a Time with Haitain rapper and UNICEF ambassador Won-G. in October 2009 specifically to fund construction of EcoShells in Haiti. “At the time, no one could have anticipated how great the need in Haiti would be because we formed our partnership two months before the earthquake struck,” South said. “Now there are mind-boggling numbers of people without housing.”
One Dome at a Time is working on a plan to build 100 EcoShell domes in Haiti similar to the ones that were built in Indonesia. Interest in EcoShells is also high in Chile, which was struck by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake on February 27.
For more information on EcoShell construction, visit www.monolithic.com. For more information on One Dome at a Time, visit www.onedomeatatime.org.
