Not long after the tsunami levelled untold number of communities in December 2006, light weight steel framing was making its way into remote areas--stacked on bicycles, dropped in canoes, hand carried to sites-to provide emergency relief shelter and housing for the displaced. Houses, schools and hospitals were built on platforms made from steel pilings driven into the ground where the next flood can't just sweep them away.

Taking care of the immediate need is important, but far more critical is the sustainability of the construction over time. Today's lack of planning will be tomorrow's slums, and the people will be left to live with the legacy. Pre-engineered structures that can be constructed and maintained by the local labour force, an understanding of cultural behaviour and home use needs, and materials that will be available for the long-term are all key considerations when rebuilding.

Steel framing is the material of choice for rebuilding disaster-torn communities. Unlike traditional building materials and methods of construction, steel framing has guaranteed strength properties that can meet load requirements for nearly any type of building site. Its light weight not only contributes to ease of transportation, but it often contributes to savings in construction and foundation costs. It is durable, can't be destroyed by bugs and rot, and it is corrosion resistant. Buildings can be designed for fire, earthquake, and wind resistance, and pre-engineering makes on-site assembly quick and easy, even under the worst of conditions.

Living Steel has compiled a tutorial  that explores some ideas and considerations for using steel to deliver these solutions. The tutorial presents key points for proactive thinking in addressing emergency situations: How will the building be used and lived in? How will it be installed, who will install it, under what conditions, and with what available tools and skill levels? It introduces a basic understanding of working with relief organizations and shows how steel solutions can help overcome onsite issues like transportation, lack of adequate power and tools and instability in weak soils. And, it offers insights for sustainable construction.

Steel's lightweight, high strength, flexible and adaptable design criteria provides the capability for not only delivering housing and other solutions to meet emergency situations, but actually to improve living conditions in the community. The emergency building tutorial can start the ideas flowing.

Featured here are just a few examples where Living Steel member BlueScope Steel combined steel, planning and sensible design to bring vibrancy and long-term improvement to devastated communities.

BlueScope Steel's development of these unique emergency building solutions demonstrates their responsiveness to the needs of their communities. Over the years, these solutions, designed for rapid deployment in times of crisis or emergencies, have helped to provide shelter and relief to thousands of survivors of natural disasters. While these building solutions have been developed as part of disaster mitigation work, they can be supplied quickly as part of disaster rebuilding and recovery programs to provide more permanent and substantial shelter.

Sources: BlueScope Lysaght, BlueScope Steel External Affairs

Click next to view examples of emergency housing projects.

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