HAITI’S ROCK AND SOIL ENGINEERING
severely limit the country’s ability to address them with well- funded and thought-out corrective and mitigative actions, and attract investors. Consequently, Haiti is dependent on international donors, philanthropists, and charities.
On the other hand, Haiti is a successful place for vacations, tourism, arts, crafts, and music.
The World Bank Atlas (2020) categorized Haiti as a “lower- income developing country” in 2019 based on its low gross domestic product per person. Transparency International (2020) scored Haiti as 18 out of 100 percent (Corruption Score 18/100, where 1/100 is highest corrupt percent) with a rank of 168 out of 198 countries (Corruption Rank 168/198, where 198 is most corrupt country). Corruption, bribery, cronyism, nepotism, fraud, looting, kidnapping, theft, customs delays and exorbitant shake-down fees, widespread illiteracy, and low life-expectancy are commonplace.
In addition, its French and Creole languages in an isolated island surrounded by Spanish- and English- speaking people is not helpful for its development. My colleagues note “endless double-digit unemployment, double-digit inflation, skyrocket- ing crime, out-of-control HIV, failing or non-existent infra- structure, a primitive waste disposal system, environmental destruction, and a hopelessly inadequate health system.”
As an example of Haiti’s living conditions, the hurricane early warning system constructed throughout the country with USAID funding was pillaged and destroyed so looters could sell the concrete blocks, diesel generators, plumbing and electrical features, and copper wiring.
Figure 4 shows significant Haitian hillside erosion.
Figure 5. Haitian soil erosion caused by improper building drainage control (October 2008)
Figure 6. Haitian flooded agricultural road, after a light September rain, without provided drainage control (October 2008).
Haiti Construction Brief
Figure 4. Haitian hill-slide slope soil erosion due to deforestation to provide cash vegetable crops (potatoes, yams, cabbage, onions, carrots, spinach, beets). (October 2008)
Innovative Haitian demonstration agriculturalists have developed hillside vegetable crop strategies to reduce soil erosion by terracing, bed erosion and ditch recovery, and soil replacement, but these take out two thirds of otherwise cropped land, are labor intensive, and inefficient.
Figure 5 shows significant erosion from poor household drainage.
Figure 6 shows a flooded agricultural road after a light rain.
Many homes and office buildings are routinely constructed with unoccupied ground floors to accommodate routine flood- ing, as does the U.S. Embassy post and USAID Mission in Port-au-Prince. These unoccupied areas are used as lobbies, waiting and greeting area, and inexpensive cafes. Living and working activities are usually performed on second stories and higher.
Wealthier homes are often sited on artificially high ground, and surrounded with high concrete hurricane and security walls for wind, flooding, and vandalism protection. If feasible, structures are constructed to divert flood water away from the building, but this is difficult in the western coastal flood plains and valleys where more of the people live and work.
Climatic Brief
“Climate is what you expect, while weather is what you get.” In designing for weather and resistance like high winds, flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes, it’s wise to design for extreme events rather than average events for more security
14 TPG •
Jul.Aug.Sep 2021
www.aipg.org
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
