January 2004 ISSUE
Volunteers Needed to
Retrofit School in Kathmandu
Volunteer engineers and dollars are needed to protect students of a Himalayan
school in an earthquake zone. Andrew Mitchell, P.Eng., said the seismic retrofit
project for the Shree Mangal Dvip School in Kathmandu is needed because the school
would almost certainly collapse in an earthquake.
Originally a project of University of Alberta engineering students and the humanitarian
organization Engineers Without Borders, the retrofit is now under the wing of
Partners For Sustainable Development, founded by Edmontonians Khaled Saleh, E.I.T.,
and Katharine Cross. Design work was well underway in early 2003, but now support
is needed to turn plans into reality.
Mr. Mitchell, who runs his own Edmonton engineering practice, says the need is
for experienced structural engineers to assist with design and detailing, and
those with project management experience, possibly in the Third World. The hope
is that a number of engineering firms will be interested in partnering on the
project for financing. “We still need money for the project, and we need
more exposure to raise funds,” he said.
Cost estimates are hard to come by at this point, but four other schools in Nepal
have been strengthened in the $5,000 to $10,000 US range, said Mr. Mitchell. “This
four-storey dormitory block may be more expensive, however, due to the use of
structural steel cross-bracing and reinforced concrete shear walls.” Half
the boarders will be away on holidays in June and July 2004, so Partners For
Sustainable Development is aiming for construction to take place then.
The boarding school, home for about 200 children for about 10 years of their
lives, is in a high-risk zone for earthquakes. It’s unlikely if one struck
that the school would withstand it.
U of A students remain involved in the project. Volunteers from Alberta Energy,
Komex International, Stantec and BP-TEC Engineering Group are also participating.
Anyone wanting to support the project or willing to volunteer should contact Mr. Mitchell at (780) 437-3688. Watch for a full feature on the seismic retrofit in an upcoming edition of The PEGG.