Good Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them well
Cost1
1. “COST-EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL HOUSING USING GFRG PANELS”
ABSTRACT
One of the mostpressingissuesinthe Philippines’constructionsectorisachronichousingshortage.
In the Philippinesalone,the existingshortage accordingtothe HousingandUrban Development
CoordinatingCouncil (HUDCC) estimatesthatthere are about1.4 millioninformal settlerfamilies
nationwide,of which40 percentline inmetromanila. Itisalsoestimatedbythe National Capital
Regionthatas much as 35 percentof the Philippinespopulationlive inseverelyovercrowded
conditions.Thisillustratesaveryclearneedformore social housingtobe builtof all types.
To meetthischallenge,Philippinesrequiresinnovative,energyefficientbuildingmaterial forstrong
and durable housinginfasttrackmethodof constructionat affordable cost.Itisalso importantthat
the housingandbuildingisdurable enoughtowithstanddifferentdisastertoprotectlive and
propertiesof people.
The single panel Rapid-wallsystemservesasboththe internal andexternal wallandeliminatesthe
needforbricks,blocks,timberandsteel wall framesandplasterboardlinings.What’smore,because
Rapid-wall isquickerandeasiertoerect,projectsare finished faster,freeingupinvestmentand
developmentfunds. Rapid-wall isarevolutionarylow-cost,loadbearingprefabricatedwalling
systemwithbroadconstructionapplicationsfromindividual domesticcottagestomulti-storey
residentialbuildings.
“DISQUISITION OF EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT BUILDINGS”
ABSTRACT
An earthquake isthe shakingof the surface of the Earth, resultingfromthe suddenrelease of energy
inthe Earth’slithosphere thatcreatesseismicwaves.Earthquakescanrange insize fromthose that
are so weakthattheycannot be felttothose violentenoughtotosspeople aroundanddestroy
whole cities.The seismicityorseismicactivityof anarea referstothe frequency,type andsize of
earthquakesexperiencedoveraperiodof time.
The crust may firstbendand thenthe stressesexceedthe strengthof rocks,theybreak.Inthe
processof breaking,vibrationscalledseismicwavesare generated.These wavestravel outward
fromthe source of the earthquake alongthe surface andthroughthe earthat varyingspeeds
dependingonthe material throughwhichtheymove.These wavescancause disastersonthe earth's
surface.
No structure onthe planetcanbe constructed100% earthquake proof;onlyitsresistance to
earthquake canbe increased.To achieve thisgoal improvingthe strengthof the buildorstructure all
designshouldbase on the nation’sbuildingcodes.Ithasbecome essentialtothinkrightfrom
planningstage tocompletionstage of astructure to avoidfailure orto minimizethe lossof property.
Notonlythis,once the earthquake hasoccurredand disasterhastakenplace;how to use the debris
to construct economical housesusingthiswaste materialwithoutaffectingtheirstructural stability
