Report: Design Choice Registration Number: 038 For economically less developed regions, a practically viable solution is which takes into account the traditional construction practices combined with low cost retrofits to ensure safety even at extreme weather conditions. Mono-pod Space Design ‘Space design is based on family size and occupational needs. Generally, in flood relief housing a standardised unit is enforced upon the affected. The space provided may not be suitable for all group sizes. Giving an option to design spaces as per need empowers the affected. The mono-pod concept takes this factor into account to create multiple options to live and work as per need. Consisting of portable sub-parts, the mono-pod makes the process of construction quick and thus speeds up the flood restoration programme. Mono-pod Flood Protection ‘A mono-pod unit with a hybrid support system (combination of stilts and floating material) addresses the extreme weather safety aspect. Types of Flood Protecting | TwoStoreyed | Structure Siructureon __] Structure Mono-pod Mechanisms Structure with | elevated on Columns/stits | Floatingon | Hybrid Solution Ground Floor | Compressed Water (amphibious) inundated _| Earth Flood Characteristics Shallow (03m) | 2m) mama | a maa waae Slow (2m/s) a ai ma a wae Costs of Construction Material a mama waaa maa wae Labour @ maa meee we waa Extreme Weather Resistance Strong Winds aa mama waa Earthquake aa mame Ei] ‘Type of Land Surface levelled mee ae maa meee | eee Unlevelled wa ma waa a maa Suitability Index Tube-in-Tube Mechani Generally, for such hybrid structures (amphibious) an independent guiding pole is present whose only purpose is to keep the raft aligned in its vertical axis. Along with it, it also requires additional connecting members having a rigid joint. In whole, this system is labour intensive and time consuming. Improvising on this amphibious system, the bamboo in steel tube mechanism is @ unique feature. The hollow steel pole acts as a load bearing and a guiding member as well. Due to the simple tube-in-tube mechanism, it can be assembled easily with no additional settings. The projections at bottom help in placing and anchoring to the ground surface even during floods. Alternatives Setting up community housing in floods, might lead to a case where there is shortage of flood proofing equipment. ‘The mono-pod is designed such that, most of its standard components can be substituted with an alternative. Bamboo having a specific gravity of 0.4-0.5 is an excellent floating material. Until the drums are procured, bamboo or any other floating material can work as a substitute. Boats can be placed inside the raft grillage system as well, thus making the structure buoyant. The simple grillage system of the raft ensures easy replacement of any floating material. The hay roofing and bamboo mat wall covers require tarpaulin sheets for water proofing. AC sheets in such cases can be an alternative.Joints ‘The mono-pod was designed with the idea of its ability to be modified, replaced and repaired at any point of time. This becomes difficult when the connections are made rigid using bolts and fasteners in bamboo. Also, drilling holes becomes a challenge in this area with limited supply of electricity. Pre-manufactured steel joints for bamboo are expensive. Creating perforations or modifying the bamboo surface to fit other members in it requires skilled manpower and is a time-consuming job. Adopting the traditional practice of making connections using jute ropes becomes advantageous. Depending on actual site conditions, joints can be easily modified and replaced without affecting other members. With proper tying techniques, a rigid joint can be achieved at minimal costs. Movement During floods, the temporary pathways get completely inundated thus hampering human and animal movement. Building a bridge on stilts is fast and easier option for movement. However, for floating houses with the water level being a variable, the fixed stilt bridges become pointless. For coping up with the changing water level, constructing ‘temporary pontoon bridges using boats can be done. The simplest design involves, tying up unused boats and placing a bamboo platform on the them. Pontoon bridges work wel for connecting short distances. Providing them at most used spaces such as toilets, shopping centre and village centre ensures their proper utility. Once the flood water recedes, the pontoon bridge can be easily dismantled and its parts used for their earlier intended use. Movement in-between individual houses can be facilitated using personal wooden boat or a bamboo raft. Due to proximity to a water body and majority of the occupations depending on it, most of the households possess one. Traditionally it has been used as primary means of transport even during dry land conditions. The mono-pod has provision for parking and storing them. Thus, instead of building infrastructure connecting all places, a boat/raft is a convenient and cheaper way for continuing daily activities in a small community. Village Centre Bangladesh being susceptible to annual floods, being prepared on a local level is imperative. Availability of resources for resuming work is a challenge. Building a village centre on elevated land solves many purposes. Being above highest flood level, it need not be equipped with floating mechanism. A stilted structure would work, thus increasing storage space. During dry season, the village centre can operate as a school or as common recreational space. In such times, dedicated spaces should be allocated for storing flood proofing equipment such as scaffolding, drums, tying ropes, bamboo, etc. These need to be procured beforehand. During floods, work of pre-fabrication of floating units can be done inside it. Also, it can act as a shelter, community kitchen or even a rescue space for the affected. Its, proximity to shops and toilets ensures relative comfort. Small domestic animals too can find shelter in it. Its direct connectivity to mainland by roads ensures quick rescue and response from government in extreme weather conditions. Sanitation Groundwater obtained from borewells is the primary source of fresh drinking water in the rural communities of Bangladesh. Thus, it is imperative to prevent groundwater contamination by sewage disposal by all means. Collecting wastewater through drainage pipes and then treating it through wastewater ponds is suitable for a large settlement. ‘The costs of setting up and running this system are high. Setting up a septic tank among every few households is ideal solution for small communities. However, septic tank is unsuitable in flood prone regions with saturated soils due to possibility of contamination with fresh water. Pit latrines are easy to construct and have minimum maintenance costs. In our case where the ground water tables are high, wastes from pit latrines could mix with the ground water and contaminate it. However, the pit latrines can be improvised by creating an impermeable layer between the sewage and the groundwater. In the sand enveloped pit latrine, a sand layer of about 500mm acts as the impermeable filter thus preventing contamination. However, as precautionary measure, these should be located at a substantial distance from the location of the borewells. All the design choices presented are sustainable with the environment. The simple and low-cost solutions make them workable among the local communities. Association with the indigenous way of doing things would empower and make them self-reliant. Scope for improvisation in the designed structure ensures demands are met with the changing needs. Success in a small community could inspire such adaptations on a large scale.