Epilogue
Teamwork produces portable shelter solution:
Meeting post-disaster housing needs economically
ByTess Black

Working with a team of scientists, manufacturers and inventors from the aerospace industry, Dr. James E. Koch, director of Missouri-Rolla’s Lemay Center for Composites Technology, has created a modular home that is easy to assemble, affordable, and appeals to the consumer market as well as humanitarians.

Koch said the most important lesson in the process of innovation is that truly sustainable approaches to hazard mitigation requires consistent teamwork between the producers and users of new technology. The Lemay Center’s mission is to promote technology transfer from the producer to the commercial and industrial community. The development of the modular shelter is one example.

Through the use of both virgin and composite materials, the new design is reasonably priced at $22,000 for a six-window shell and includes shingles, panels, flooring and siding. Each unit can be assembled by an eight-person crew in less than 48 hours. The sturdy structure is made of state-of-the-art recycled fiberglass and urethane resin foam panels, which are able to withstand winds exceeding 130 mph. The beauty of these buildings lies in their diversity. These basic modules can be easily converted from temporary to permanent facilities by augmenting the composite rock bolt and mud sill foundation to a permanent cement flooring, making the building viable for multiple uses, from immediate disaster sheltering to long-term recovery. The intention in shaping such technology should be in creating a product that incorporates the resource base of at-risk communities regardless of their location or technological sophistication.

Submitted by Nicholas F. Colmenares, Ph.D.,
Consultant and Project Director, CDMHA
(Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance)

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