DEGENKOLB ENGINEERS

ENGINEERING A RESILIENT HAITI

TOGETHER

As we mark the passing of a third year since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake shredded Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, it is fitting to take a look back, and a look forward. Nearly every Haitian was directly or indirectly affected by an unstable building. No natural disaster had ever affected a capital city in such a way, creating a ripple effect that paralyzed even the areas well outside the disaster zone.

Nearly every Haitian was directly or indirectly affected by an unstable building in the 2010 earthquake. In the midst of that disaster, Degenkolb was there. And, three years later, we remain committed to the recovery effort in Haiti.

We have been working in Haiti since 2010, when our reconnaissance team assisted with post-earthquake building inspections in Port-au-Prince. We have applied our 70+ years of experience in seismic structural engineering, while performing building evaluations, and reviewing damage patterns in buildings. Our presence in Haiti has grown exponentially over the past three years. We have volunteered our services to the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group and established a deep-rooted relationship with the nonprofit social enterprise, Build Change.

We are deeply civic-minded, with strong ties to some of the poorest and most affected areas in Haiti. After accounting for staff and gathering resources, we rolled out one of our largest investments to seismic safety worldwide in our 73-year history—delivering critical training and assistance to Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities.

Hours volunteered by Degenkolb and engineering staff helped develop and

implement a training program for local engineers, and perform peer reviews.

WHAT GIVES PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND DISASTERS LIKE THE 2010 EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI, AND NOT SINK INTO DESPAIR? RESILIENCE. RESILIENCE.

OUR COMMITMENT: 2010 TO PRESENT

KEY FIGURESWE’VE TRAVELLED TO 27 INTERNATIONAL EARTHQUAKE SITES IN 18 COUNTRIES. DATA GATHERED DURING THESE MISSIONS INFORMS OUR APPROACH TO DISASTER RESISTANT DESIGN AND REHABILITATION.

SELF-SUSTAININGTrained Local Engineers + Local Materials

STIMULATED ECONOMY

HAITIAN ENGINEERS TRAINED

2300+ HOURS

150

Our engineers created a training program for government engineers in Haiti. As part of this program, local engineers are trained on the evaluation and retrofit techniques necessary to improve the seismic safety of local building practices.

RESILIENCY IS ACHIEVABLE WITH SMALL CHANGES, LIKE THE INCORPORATION OF SEISMIC CONNECTION DETAILS. WHAT WE ARE DOING IN HAITI IS NOT REALLY NEW. WE’RE JUST IMPROVING EXISTING APPROACHES THAT WILL GIVE HAITIANS A STRONGER SENSE OF SECURITY ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. AS YOUR CONSULTANTS, WE WORK WITH YOU TO FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF YOUR PROJECTS.

REBUILDING CAPACITY TOGETHER: 70+ YEARS OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE + LOCAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCESWe understand that needs are immediate and it’s important to develop solutions quickly. We’re adapting already proven solutions that will give Haitians a strong sense of security about their future. People are already using the materials and techniques—such as concrete, steel and concrete block—needed to build strong structures. With small changes, like the incorporation of seismic connection details, disaster resilience is achievable. We envision a long-term process of educating the labor force to redesign and rebuild for themselves. We are improving on existing approaches, and allowing people to choose from a handful of locally appropriate solutions that address Haiti’s unique set of challenges. All of which are based on three key principles: 1) keep it simple; 2) pay attention to details; and 3) use local resources.

WE’VE APPLIED ENGINEERING PROCESSES

TO SIMPLE CONCEPTS, USING LOCAL MODES OF

CONSTRUCTION. BY USING LOCAL RESOURCES, WE

MINIMIZE COST AND BUILD THE LOCAL ENGINEERING

CAPACITY—CRITICAL TO HAITI’S SAFE AND

SUSTAINED FUTURE. IT’S NOT ONLY CULTURALLY

SOUND AND APPROPRIATE, BUT IMPORTANT THAT THE

MONEY RAISED TO BE INVESTED IN HAITI, STAYS WITH THE PEOPLE THERE.

“Many believe that it will take at least two generations for Haiti to significantly improve and to recover and reconstruct from the impacts of the earthquake. It will take a long-term international commitment to rebuild the country. It’s important to provide Haitians with the skills and tools needed to be self-sustaining—to stimulate the local economy, and to sustain change.”

OUR WORK IS A SMALL, BUT OUR WORK IS A SMALL, BUT IMPORTANT PART OF THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE ROAD TO RECOVERYROAD TO RECOVERY

SELF-SUSTAINING, SAFER COUNTRY

- Abe Lynn, Degenkolb Engineers

“Focusing on seismic safety, we are creating a built world that is safe. We go further than protecting against structural collapse. We design to higher levels of structural performance, which protects the building occupants and helps return the community back to normal quicker after a disaster. As seismic engineers, we are acutely aware of earthquake hazard and we understand the potential consequences of a large seismic event. In Haiti, I’m doing something productive with my awareness.”

COMPELLED TO USE OUR COMPELLED TO USE OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR GOODKNOWLEDGE FOR GOODDEEP-ROOTED

CONNECTIONS

- Lizzie Blaisdell, Degenkolb Engineers

SEISMIC SAFETY + RESILIENCEith more than 70 years of experience designing structures in earthquake prone parts of the world, our engineers

have a deeply-rooted understanding of life safety after a major earthquake. Since 2006, we have applied our decades of experience in earthquake engineering and seismic code development to public policy initiatives and thought leadership around disaster resilient communities.

“The ongoing rapid expansion of urban areas in seismically active, developing countries, means that future disasters

will increasingly become a part of the new landscape. Sadly, it may not be long before the world witnesses a

similar disaster with more than a million fatalities.” – Mark Sinclair, Principal

W

50We have visited more than fi fty earthquake

sites worldwide

10000We have performed more than 10,000 evaluations worldwide.

Led or participated in the development of every U.S. seismic standard in use today.

Led 150 agency Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission, studying the resilience of Oregon.

Authored the pivotal “The Resilient City” a road map for disaster recovery in the San Francisco Bay Area.

We have performed more than 3,000 seismic evaluations and retrofi t

projects worldwide.

3000

OUR AWARD-WINNING STRUCTURAL DESIGNS HAVE SAVED OUR CLIENTS MORE THAN $550 MILLION

ounded in 1940, Degenkolb Engineers is the oldest and largest earthquake engineering firm in the United

States. During the last 70 years, we have worked closely with organizations to provide more than 3,000 seismic evaluations and retrofits across the globe. Our award-winning structural designs have saved clients more than $550 million in the past ten years, and we have led or participated in the development of every US based seismic code used today. At Degenkolb Engineers, we are problem solvers and natural explorers. To better serve our clients, we draw on the expertise and resources of our staff of 160, located in six offices throughout the western United States.

F

We have performed seismic retrofits on more than 300 hospitals in the most seismically regulated environments. We’ve completed more than 1400 evaluations and retrofits for critical care facilities such as hospitals and healthcare centers.

1400+ EVALUATIONS AND 1400+ EVALUATIONS AND RETROFITS RETROFITS HEALTHCARE

We have a rich history of working with government agencies on seismic evaluation, upgrade, renovation, and new design projects. We played a major part in the standardization of ASCE-31 Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings and led the standardization of ASCE-41 (FEMA 356) Prestandard and Commentary for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings.

CUTTING EDGE OF CUTTING EDGE OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING GOVERNMENT

MORE THAN 100 NATIONAL AND LOCAL STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AWARDS WON

ssential facilities such as emergency operations centers, community housing, communication control

centers, hospitals, and water/wastewater facilities need to be operational after community disasters. We understand the need for nonstructural system-wide protection, especially as it relates to mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and telecommunications systems.

We are experienced at designing to an Immediate Occupancy performance for structural and nonstructural systems—which translates to complete system bracing/anchorage and post-earthquake functionality. A commitment to preparing our clients for disaster response and recovery drives us to public policy advocacy, performance-based design engineering, and support of recovery efforts worldwide.

E

We have more than 1000 education projects in our portfolio and more than 70 years’ experience using advanced analysis techniques to save clients money in construction. We design and rehabilitate next generation, sustainable, learning facilities.

1000+ PROJECTS1000+ PROJECTSEDUCATION

We have worked on more than 300 ecclesiastical facilities. Our ecclesiastical experience includes more than 150 evaluations; 92 seismic retrofit projects; 26 new design projects; and 11 historical retrofit projects.

300+ PROJECTS300+ PROJECTSECCLESIASTICAL

“Following a major disaster, the difference between downtime and the time it takes for the resumption of lifeline systems highlights the disparity between resilient communities, those whose lifelines rebound in some mutually agreed upon time frame, and those that succumb to widespread lifeline failures for unacceptable periods of time.” – Chris Poland, Senior Principal

THE FASTEST WAY TO GET BACK INTO HOUSING IS TO REPAIR AND RETROFIT THE EXISTING YELLOW AND RED TAGGED BUILDINGS. THIS ELIMINATES MANY CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING NEW CONSTRUCTION SUCH AS DEMOLITION AND DEBRIS REMOVAL, LAND AND HOME OWNERSHIP UNCERTAINTY, AND QUESTIONABLE RECONSTRUCTION STRATEGIES.

LEVERAGING OUR SEISMIC EXPERTISE WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE & RESOURCES

n 2010, Mark Sinclair led our four-member reconnaissance team on a ten-day visit to Port-au-

Prince. In addition to reconnaissance activities, the team assisted with ATC20-based post-earthquake building inspections—red/yellow/green tagging system. After returning to the United States, we realized that many of the red and yellow-tagged buildings could easily return to service if repair programs were supplemented with inherent seismic safety evaluations and retrofits.

We adapted material from the existing seismic evaluation and retrofit standards (ASCE-31 and ASCE-41) into a rapid methodology suitable for use in Haiti—the goal being to leverage Degenkolb’s seismic expertise and contribute to the recovery effort in a more significant way. Together, Degenkolb and Build Change developed and implemented guidelines and training, which has seen approximately 150 Haitian engineers trained in existing building evaluation, and retrofit design and implementation.

Build Change is an international nonprofit social enterprise that designs earthquake-resistant houses in developing countries and trains builders, homeowners, engineers, and government officials to build them. Build Change leaves in place permanent change in construction practice by building local skills and stimulating local demand.

IThe manual and training materials used for this program includes a field manual with checklists for different building types; five different retrofit techniques with over forty sample details; spreadsheets; and rapid evaluation and design tools. The package also includes PowerPoint training materials and teaching aids. All materials can be downloaded here:

http://www.degenkolb.com/2011/10/25/mtptc-manual/

EVALUATION AND RETROFIT EVALUATION AND RETROFIT MANUAL + TRAINING MATERIALS MANUAL + TRAINING MATERIALS PROGRESS

RETROFITS FOR MORE THAN 1000 HOUSES HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED USING THESE GUIDELINES. AN ADDITIONAL 300 HOUSES ARE PLANNING FOR UPCOMING RETROFITS. WITH OUR PROGRAM, A CORE GROUP OF ENGINEERS WILL BE TRAINED TO A LEVEL THAT ALLOWS THEM TO TRAIN ADDITIONAL ENGINEERS.

DEGENKOLB + BUILD CHANGE HAVE DEVELOPED GUIDELINES SPECIFIC TO EVALUATING AND RETROFITTING MASONRY HOUSING IN THE REGION SURROUNDING PORT-AU-PRINCE: THE SEISMIC EVALUATION AND RETROFIT MANUAL. THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS IN HAITI HAS SINCE ADOPTED THESE GUIDELINES AND IMPLEMENTED THEM AS THE TECHNICAL ANNEX TO THEIR GUIDE FOR HURRICANE AND EARTHQUAKE STRENGTHENING OF BUILDINGS.

LOOKING FORWARD

ur investment in Haiti didn’t stop after our first, second, or even third trip to the country. All levels

of our staff have been profoundly impacted by our work in Haiti, and our experience there has changed the way our firm does business. To further our commitment and investment in the country, we have joined the UN Global Compact. This provides us with an opportunity to work on on-going development projects in Haiti—not just on post-disaster recovery and repair. Our success in Haiti, is marked by a permanent change in design and construction practices. We strive to transfer our knowledge and expertise to local engineers—building local skills and ultimately, stimulating the local economy.

O

Principal, Mark Sinclair, is dedicated to making the small changes today that will ensure a more resilient Haiti tomorrow. Currently, Mark is working on a concept to increase housing density in the region. This would significantly impact people’s quality of living—providing safe, permanent and affordable housing.

We’ve seen, first-hand, members of the community join together to make positive and sustainable change. We think beyond what’s currently happening in Haiti. It’s not about one project or one building. We are focused on the future of Haiti, which is promising.

SMALL CHANGES TODAY, FOR SMALL CHANGES TODAY, FOR A RESILIENT HAITI TOMORROWA RESILIENT HAITI TOMORROWHAITI’S FUTURE IS

BRIGHT

THE INNATE RESILIENCY OF THE HAITIAN PEOPLE IS WHAT FIRST INSPIRED US TO TAKE ACTION. AND, OUR COMMITMENT TO HAITI HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER. THE ROAD AHEAD MAY BE RIDDLED WITH COMPLEX CHALLENGES, BUT WITH STRONG LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS, WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING LIFE-SAVING ENGINEERING TRAINING AND DESIGN ASSISTANCE TO HAITI.

ENGINEERING A RESILIENT HAITI TOGETHER

e continue to look forward—focusing on the future of Haiti. We are beginning work on two projects, which

we believe will have positive impacts on Haiti’s future. We were hired by UNDP to lead a program aimed at seismic risk reduction (UNDP Plan du Nord, Haiti). Key deliverabales include: Seismic Action Plans for the cities of Cap Haitien, Fort Liberté, Port-de-Paix and Ouanaminthe, which we will develop through a collaborative process with each community.

We will conduct a community education and outreach campaign on earthquake hazard and preparedness with a focus on targeted social infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, and civic buildings. Importantly, and like our other projects in Haiti, we will focus on building the capacity of Haitian engineers, builders and organizations involved in earthquake risk reduction through appropriate training and information.

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It is estimated that more than 3,000 school buildings were damaged or destroyed in 2010. To be truly safe, learning facilities must be built for long-term durability and resilience. A well-designed and constructed school can also offer a safe refuge for the wider community in the event of a disaster. Working with Save the Children, we are assessing the La Renaissance School, which was tagged yellow and requires repair. The 2-story permanent building has a temporary structure that is used for classrooms. Sharing our knowledge of safe design and construction, and engaging with communities about the importance of safe design is our top priority.

SCHOOLS ARE VITAL, SAFE SCHOOLS ARE VITAL, SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDRENENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDRENA NEW KIND OF

NORMAL

FUTURE PROJECTS IN HAITI PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR TEAM TO IDENTIFY AND PROPOSE LESSONS LEARNED THAT INFLUENCE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY THINKING ON SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION WORLDWIDE.

PROVEN EXPERIENCE INFORMS ENGINEERING JUDGEMENTNo matter how much you read, or how great the computer model is, nothing has a greater impact on our understanding of building performance than seeing it after an earthquake. Understanding these observations enhances our engineering judgement—giving us the confidence to make sound decisions so our clients’ buildings will perform well when subjected to a significant earthquake.

WE BRING EVERYTHING WE’VE

LEARNED ABOUT BUILDING SYSTEMS,

DISRUPTION AVOIDANCE, SOIL

INTERACTION, CONSTRUCTION

PRACTICES AND COST CONTROL TO HAITI. THIS KNOWLEDGE OF PROVEN DATA

AND EXPERIENCE—DEEPENS OUR

UNDERSTANDING AND IS A KEY BENEFIT TO

OUR CLIENTS IN HIGH SEISMIC RISK ZONES.

We’ve travelled to 27 international earthquake sites in 18 countries. In 2010, we rolled out one of our largest investments to seismic safety and disaster resilience worldwide in our 73-year history—delivering post-earthquake training and assistance to Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities. We bring everything we’ve learned about building systems, disruption avoidance, soil interaction, construction practices and cost control to Haiti. This knowledge of proven data and experience—deepens our understanding and is a key benefit to our clients in high seismic risk zones.

1300 Clay Street, 9th FloorOakland, California USAwww.degenkolb.com

Jorn Halle, SE, Principal1+ (510) 272-9040JHalle@degenkolb.com

DEGENKOLB WEBSITE - TRAINING MATERIALS DOWNLOADhttp://degenkolb.com/index.php/blog/mtptc_training_materials

DEGENKOLB’S BUILD CHANGE PERSPECTIVEhttp://degenkolb.com/images/uploads/Perspectives_BuildChange.pdf

BUILD CHANGEhttp://www.buildchange.org/resources.php#haiti