International
aid and emergency organisations that provide temporary shelters for desperate
refugees in disaster ravaged areas should perhaps consider mass producing
more permanent but versatile shelters.
The
FIRST building block was the 3ft by
8ft WALL panel.
The SECOND building
block is the triangular ROOF panel.
Just as the flanges on the 16 wall panels bolt together, so the flanges on
the 16 roof panels bolt together.
Each
roof panel also has three bolts attaching it to the top of the wall panel
beneath it.
(The wall panels also have 1.5 inch pre-drilled top and bottom flanges bent
outwards - not shown in these elementary drawings.)
The
flanges on the roof panels rest directly over the flanges on the wall panels,
providing a skeletal framework that requires NO other structural supports.
The roof peak is 10 foot high.
Each
wall panel is 3ft x 8ft with 1.5 inch side flanges bent outwards at 102 degrees.
(Notice black flanges on green wall).
The
flanges have pre-drilled
holes 16 inches on center.
16
wall panels bolted together form a rigid 16 foot diameter enclosure providig
200 square feet of internal space.
Some
wall panels will have openings for doors or windows, and these can be positioned
or repositioned by simply unbolting and then rebolting the panels into a new
position. How many doors or windows in each EZUP HUT will be optional.
The
above explains the basic idea - wall panels and roof panels that can be mass
produced and erected by two unskilled (weak) people. These mass produced panels
can be manufactured with various materials (plastic injection,3D printing
etc.). The drawings shown here were designed as though the panel material
will be an eigth inch thick aluminum composite material. The panels will be
lazer cut from sheet material, the bolt holes predrilled and the 1.5 inch
flanges bent to 102 degrees.
NO EXPENSIVE WELDING IS INVOLVED !
The
flanges when bolted together form the structural supports.
The
wall and roof panels are designed to NEST flat together for ease when shipping
- 4 panels to a box - 4 boxes of wall panels and 4 boxes of roof panels. All
bolts will be the identical size. Tools provided along with a "hut kit"
will include two rachet spanners and two simple spanners; a spirit (bubble)
level to help level the ground before erecting the EZUP hut; a simple 5 foot
ladder; pic-to-gram drawings showing the erection sequence that even the illiterate
can comprehend.
More
details?
The
windows will be plexiglas panels slightly larger than the openings and simply
bolted on from the outside.
Wall
and roof flanges have an aluminum waterproofing "U" channel covering
them before bolting.
The
"U" caps more than double the strength of the bolted flange structural
supports. For extreme snow loading the flanges can be enlarged from 1.5 inches
to 3 inches.
Despite
their good intentions the housing authorities in developing countries can
build only a restricted number of permanent shelters for the homeless depending
largely on the cost and availability of construction crews. But if the homeless
are given or can buy their own EZup Hut Kits
they can erect them on level ground and be sheltered within a day. If governmental
housing departments set their construction crews to erect Ezup Hut Villages
they could assemble 30 EZup Huts in the time usually taken to build one permanent
house. Such projects could seriously reduce the number of homeless around
the world.
EZup
Huts - shelters for the homeless
What's
so exciting about the Ezup Hut?
SIMPLICITY!
ONLY TWO SIMPLE BUILDING BLOCKS
WALL
panels
ROOF panels
NO other structural components are required.
What's
required? Shelters that are durable, portable, easily erected, and inexpensive
to mass produce.
Here's
one possible design that might qualify. Let's call it the "EZup HUT".
(Note:
Colours show separate panels in drawings - in reality all panels will be the
same colour - silver/grey?)
So
how does the EZup Hut fit together?
Two
wall panels are connected by having their flanges bolted together on the outside.
Because
the EZup Huts can be assembled, disassembled and then reassembled at a different
location, and because they won't corrode or deteriorate, their durable life
span can equal that of more permanent structures. In additon, EZup Huts can
be joined together by bolting 3 ft. passage kits between them. Multiple configurations
(circles, squares) of joined Ezup Huts can provide family compounds and enclosed
courtyards.
An
ALUMINUM hut? It might be portable, durable and waterproof, but occupants
might either bake or freeze depending on the local climate and season. How
can the EZup Hut be insulated? Simply by attaching thatch (straw/grass/leaf)
bundles to the exterior - tied to all those exterior bolts and nuts - or by
packing a mud/clay/straw mixture up the outside walls and on the roof. The
aluminum won't corrode and the insulating materials can be easily removed,
the hut disassembled and relocated, and insulating materials reapplied.
If
this EZUP HUT concept interests you, or if you have any suggestions or possible
alternative ideas, please contact Plum Design and let's see if we can take
this idea to physical completion.
(Mail@plumdesign.ca)
There's
an 8 inch diameter 'hole' in the roof where the triangular roof panels meet
at the 10 ft. peak. A venting pipe to exhaust internal fumes will be attached,
with a roof cap for waterproofing.
In
high wind locations the EZUP HUT can be anchored to the ground by bending
the bottom foot of a few wall 'U' caps and inserting them 3 ft. into holes
in the ground. Rocks and earth packed back into the hole will secure these
bent 'U' caps. But since these bent 'U' caps will now only stick 4 ft. out
of the ground, another 'U' cap can be cut in half and the remaining 4 ft.
of wall flanges can be covered and bolted.
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