Samarpan Foundation launches a rebuild nepal eco construction project
by Samarpan Foundation
Samarpan Foundation today announced that it is undertaking a ‘build back better’ project to assist to rebuild Nepal for the long term using ecological construction methods that have been certified to withstand up to 9.8 on the Richter scale. The project will provide long-term support and permanent climate sensitive earthquake resistant homes that have been certified for the people of Nepal.
Samarpan Foundation will undertake construction using a PET bottle and nylon-6 fishnet method that has been tested for certification by the Structural Engineering Research Centre, a constituent of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India. The structure when tested within the laboratory withstood 18 simulated earthquakes ranging from 1.56 to 9.8 on the Richter scale. This method of construction is extremely low cost and an example of recycling PET bottles without a carbon footprint.
Samarpan Foundation’s Chairman, Patrick San Francesco says, “ Samarpan’s construction method has many positive facets. The usage of discarded PET bottles filled with mud makes it an extremely efficient insulator, ideal for the low temperatures in Nepal. Since Nepal is a tourist destination there is an abundance of discarded PET bottles. The use of nylon fishnet in place of steel and the concept of binding the fishnet to the bottles makes for earthquake resistant construction“.
The project team will construct permanent buildings that are sensitive to climate and environmental conditions that maximises and best utilises materials found within the local area. In rural areas where there may be a dearth of PET bottles due to poor tourist influx, Samarpan Foundation has developed a module that comprises of clay bricks with fishnet. This has the same bonding as the PET bottle and fishnet module. In addition a "honey combed" wall structure can be used in which plastic garbage and or construction rubble from devastated buildings can be recycled as wall fill.
Samarpan Foundation offers unique project management and eco construction experience in remote and difficult circumstances having built a 7,000 sq ft, 30-bed charity hospital on the extremely remote Bali Island, Sunderbans, West Bengal, India. The hospital was built using the same PET bottle and nylon-6 fishnet construction method.
The process of manually filling the bottles creates a zero investment cottage industry and will provide employment for the Nepalese people participating within the project. All donations will go to fund the purchase of construction materials and labour. Once built, Samarpan Foundation will give the completed homes to the Nepalese people.
To find out more and to DONATE:
- samarpanfoundation.org/donate
- To view a video on the building process and test click here.
- For further information on the Bali Island, Sunderbans project click here.
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