JBU hosts seventh disaster shelter competition in Siloam Springs

NWA Democrat-Gazette/SPENCER TIREY Daniel Earls (right) works Friday with other University of Arkansas at Little Rock construction management students to carry their rapidly deployable emergency disaster shelter they designed onto an earthquake simulator for testing at John Brown University's technology center in Siloam Springs.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/SPENCER TIREY Daniel Earls (right) works Friday with other University of Arkansas at Little Rock construction management students to carry their rapidly deployable emergency disaster shelter they designed onto an earthquake simulator for testing at John Brown University's technology center in Siloam Springs.

SILOAM SPRINGS -- Construction management students from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock gave a few cheers and clapped after a shelter they built survived a simulated earthquake.

The earthquake testing -- where shelters are placed on a shake table emulating an 5.0 magnitude earthquake -- was one of several tests at John Brown University's annual Disaster Shelter Design Competition. Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization, sponsored the event.

Past Winners

• The winners of the 2017 Disaster Shelter Competition were: first, Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa; second, Pittsburg State University, Kansas; and third, John Brown University.

• The winners of the 2016 Disaster Shelter Competition were: first, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; second, Pittsburg State University; and third Gyeongsang National University in South Korea.

• This year’s winners will receive $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second and $500 for third.

• Category winners for lowest cost, best thermal retention, best presentation/report, fastest assembly, best wind resistance and lightest will receive $300.

Source: Staff Report

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Nine teams from eight universities designed and constructed quickly deployable shelters helping organizations could use in response to natural disasters.

The competition allows construction management, engineering and architecture students to apply their studies to a real-world problem, said Mark Terrill, JBU associate professor of construction management and competition coordinator.

Other teams came from Pittsburg State University in Kansas; Gyeongsang National University in South Korea; Murray State University in Kentucky; Letourneau University in Houston (which brought two teams); Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa; Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.; and JBU.

Teams started working on their shelters in the fall. They were required to write a report and present their work during the competition, which took place in the Blazer Technology Center at JBU beginning Thursday.

Each year the competition has students create a shelter prototype based an a previous natural disaster situation. This year's was based on the 2015, 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal.

Students were asked to consider geography, weather and cultural sensitivities, such as the use of certain colors or materials and the separation of men and women when appropriate, said Eric Weaver, shelter technical adviser for Samaritan's Purse.

International development has evolved to where input is collected from those in the culture where organizations are working, he said.

"There's been so many cases where people have great ideas. They send it, and it's left unused because it's too complex or it's not culturally appropriate," Weaver said. "We want to make sure students are thinking about that."

Shelters were to be at least 140 square feet in size, 440 pounds or less, sustain up to 50-mph wind, be assembled in less than two hours and cost no more than $1,500. There were no requirements on building materials.

Each team's shelter prototypes underwent a variety of durability tests including earthquake sustainability, heat retention, overnight habitability, wind turbulence and water resistance.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock team members said they were most worried about the earthquake testing since their shelter was one of the heaviest. They said they built their shelter primarily to withstand wind, which is the test that had other teams nervous.

It's one of the few construction competitions that includes a hands-on element, said David Manry, University of Arkansas at Little Rock's coach. Other competitions are typically shorter and require a concept, design, budget, schedule and presentation.

"You can do a scale model, but, until this thing is put together, you don't really know" if it'll work, he said.

Vianca Martin, senior Little Rock team member, said the competition allowed her to incorporate what she's learned in the classroom and work on a practical project.

"You're actually building a structure that someone could use," she said. "It's not just a mock-up."

Nine judges evaluated the teams' work and will select a first, second and third overall winners. There will also be winners in several categories awards, such as the shelter with the lightest weight, highest wind resistance, lowest cost, etc.

An awards ceremony will be held today at 12:30 p.m.

photo

Vianca Martin (right) works Friday with Miguel Valderram and other University of Arkansas at Little Rock construction management students to assemble their rapidly deployable emergency disaster shelter they designed on an earthquake simulator for testing at John Brown University’s technology center in Siloam Springs.

NW News on 04/21/2018

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