Introducing Confined Masonry in a Fragile State: the Case of Haiti After the 2010 Earthquake

Abstract eng:
A majority of common low-rise buildings in the big cities of poor countries is built by small-scale contractors without the involvement of civil engineers. Earthquake risk reduction can only be achieved if these builders and their workers are trained properly and if the society in general is made aware that safer construction is possible and affordable. The present paper will show how SDC’s Competence Centre for Reconstruction (CCR), created in the aftermath of the 2010 quake, helped to introduce confined masonry in the country, in collaboration with the Ministry for Public Works and the National Institute of Professional Training. We will show the process of introducing and promoting the technique over the last five and a half years, focusing on the development and adaptation of the training and communication material in relation to the various target publics. The paper will demonstrate that possessing the right technical knowhow is but a first step of a long process. The main effort goes into the knowledge transfer process: i.e. how to identify the right target public and the right means to reach that public, how to make sure that the knowledge remains with the target public and finally, how to ensure that the knowledge is requested by the market (i.e. working on the demand side). The paper will conclude with a number of lessons learnt. These are useful for any organisation interested in introducing a new construction technique in a country, whether it’s confined masonry or not.

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