Earthquake resistant mud/bamboo structures

KEYWORDS:

Special properties	Self-help construction with local materials
Economical aspects	Low cost
Stability	Very good
Skills required	Semi-skilled labour
Equipment required	Traditional local building equipment
Resistance to earthquake	Very good
Resistance to hurricane	Low to medium
Resistance to rain	Low to medium
Resistance to insects	Low
Climatic suitability	All except extremely wet climates
Stage of experience	Experimental

SHORT DESCRIPTION:

• This building system was developed and implemented by John Norton, Development Workshop, France, in a USAID technical assistance project in the Koumbia region of North West Guinea, following the December 1983 earthquake.

• Traditional houses were generally made of wattle and daub walls, and thatch roofs. Similar materials, techniques and house forms had to be used in reconstruction, in order to be sure of acceptance by the people. But the new houses had to be earthquake resistant.

• The solution arrived at was to construct the walls with sun-dried mud bricks and to strengthen them by tying bamboo frames on either side. This external reinforcement can be easily checked for termite or other damage and replaced if necessary, thus avoiding the problem faced by traditional houses, in which the concealed bamboo lattice was usually destroyed and consequently failed during the earthquake.

• With this construction, it was possible to retain the traditional house form and thatch roofing, so that no problems of social acceptance arose.

Further information: John Norton, Development Workshop, B.P. 10 Montayral, 47500 Fumel, France; Bibl. 24.13, 24.14, 25.10.

Plan and Section through Traditional Round House, Koumbia Area; Earthquake Resistant Mud Brick Wall with Bamboo Framework "Sandwiching" (Bibl. 24.13, 24.14); Bamboo tightened by pulling on short sticks attached to wire ends