Updated Research Proposal

HAITI: A SRUGGLING ECONOMY IN NEED OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
By: Bradley Veenstra

Summary Statement of Proposed Project

After the earthquake that rocked the Caribbean island of Haiti on January 12, 2010, the country has been struggling to rebuild what is left of their cities and bring hope back to its people. With help and supplies coming from all over the world to aid them in their endeavors, they have managed to stabilize their country’s economy, but they are not yet self-sustainable. Haiti is a tropical paradise, located on the northern part of the Caribbean Sea that shares an island with Dominican Republic, a popular vacation hotspot for Canadians. Their number one resource and means of income is tourism. It is my intent to research what type of concrete building system would be most appropriate to construct a three story multi-unit hotel building that could withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti in order to bring income through tourism to benefit Haiti’s economy.
Purpose

The people of Haiti are in need of help now more than ever, and with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimating a literacy rate of 45%, it is up to us, the well educated and economically developed nations, to do our part and research the most reasonable approach to build a sustainable economy for a wounded nation. The purpose of this research project is to provide information on developing reliable architecture in Haiti that may be used to produce income and possible disaster shelters in the future. It will also benefit my personal ideals and those of others when it comes to possible future designs in unstable parts of the world.

Goals and Objectives of the Project

There are many concrete building systems in the construction marketplace. My goal is to find out what will be the most reasonable way to build a multi-unit hotel resort, incorporating earthquake resistant design technology, so that it may be used by developers to improve Haiti’s Gross National Product (GNP). The income generated by the developers using the information found will improve Haiti’s economic crisis and eventually Haiti will become completely self-sustainable. Determining the reasonable level of sustainability will also determine whether or not these hotels could act as disaster shelters in case of future earthquakes or other natural disasters.

Methodology and Analytical Approach

In order to find the most appropriate concrete building system for a multi-unit hotel resort in Haiti, I will research the different types on the market, taking into consideration local materials, availability and cost. I will base my research on projects that have already been built and other related research in order to determine a conclusive outcome. The information collected can be used in the construction and re-construction of concrete hotels in Haiti and provide information for those prospecting earthquake resistant concrete construction for other parts of the world.

Previous Studies/ Related Information

Since this is a region specific research due to a recent disaster, this will be a unique study. Seismic Engineering is a field that searches for ways to make structures, such as buildings and bridges, resistant to earthquake damage. Extensive research has been made to write building code regulations as well as region specific research for projects in the past. This research study will provide information for Haiti and its neighboring region to better its infrastructure’s resilience to future earthquakes. It will outline a project specific area of research conforming to the earthquake parameters for engineering design in the Caribbean determined during the first Caribbean conference on earthquake engineering in 1978.

Plans for Dissemination of Work

Information will be shared using a blog set up through Thompson Rivers University’s ARET program at:

http://eddt231.blogspot.com/

References Cited
Carol Bellamy, UNICEF (1999) “The state of the world's children”, table 4, 107
Jeanne V. Beekhuis (1981), Tourism in the Caribbean: Impacts on the Economic, Social and Natural Environments, Ambio, 10(6), 325-331

Morelli, Ugo (2004) "Preventing Earthquake Disasters – The Grand Challenge in Earthquake Engineering – A Research Agenda for the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES)," Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: 1(4), Article 410.

Taranath, Bungale S. (2005) “Wind and earthquake resistant buildings: structural analysis and design”, xiv - 892
Tomblin, John F. (1978), The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive: Earthquake parameters for engineering design in the Caribbean, http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/elib/www/documents/200905/tomblin-earthquakes-caribbean.pdf