This past January, I traveled to Ecuador as a professional partner with the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) chapter of Engineers without Borders (EWB). EWB is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to performing engineering and construction projects for communities in need. Our on-going project in Ecuador involves design and construction of a one-story daycare center for the community of Santa Rosa de Ayora, located about an hour drive outside of the capital city of Quito.
Approximately 23 years ago, the community was severely affected by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, evidence of which still remains throughout the community. With a population of around 1,050, the existing community daycare center is too small to provide care for all working families and the nursery has been condemned for structural inadequacies. Since the beginning of their involvement in 2006, the EWB-JHU has conducted multiple assessment and site preparation trips to the community.
Our travel group in January consisted of five JHU students, a JHU faculty advisor, and a structural engineer. We’ve been working closely with local engineering students and faculty from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador (PUCE) to assess and survey the daycare center site, gather information about availability and cost of local construction materials, and meet with local governmental organizations to obtain construction funding. The team has spent significant time with community leaders reviewing multiple options for the daycare layout and specific needs for the nursery.
Engineering a daycare center outside of the United States, in a seismic zone nonetheless, has presented several challenges to the EWB-JHU team. Construction materials, such as Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) block, are significantly different in Ecuador than in the U.S.; and construction methods, especially those associated with wall reinforcement, floor, and roof slab construction, are also different and require research and assistance from PUCE. During construction of the building, we will rely heavily on the community for skilled labor and coordination assistance, and are therefore responsible for providing a design that is familiar, yet progressive and educational for the community; EWB places strong emphasis on sharing engineering knowledge and providing communities with sustainable products that can be duplicated and maintained internally long after the project is complete.
Construction of the daycare center is set to begin January 2012 and is anticipated to last approximately five weeks. EWB-JHU and PUCE are responsible for overseeing construction of the building plumbing, foundation, floor slab, exterior walls, ceiling, and roof. The community is responsible for all finish work, such as doors and windows, and for providing food and lodging to the EWB-JHU team. Local governments will contribute all building materials.
Strong partnerships between EWB-JHU and our in-country contacts are allowing progress towards the completed design and construction of Santa Rosa de Ayora’s daycare center.
To learn more about our project, watch this video recently presented at a Maryland ASCE meeting.