A PROPOSED MODULAR EVACUATION EMERGENCY FACILITY MADE FROM

RECYCLABLE MATERIALS IN DASMARIÑAS CITY, CAVITE

Undergraduate Thesis Proposal

Submitted to the Faculty of the
College of Engineering and Information Technology
Cavite State University
Indang, Cavite

In partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the subject
ENGL 7:
Scientific Reporting/Thesis Writting

By:

Agustin, Erljohn M.

De Leon, Ron Mykelle S.

Taniegra, Cruise Ford S.

 April 27, 2021
INTRODUCTION

Philippine hospitals struggle to cope with the increasing number of infected

COVID-19 patients because of the lack of emergency facilities and cramped evacuation

areas, moreover the preparedness of the country in terms of catering the needs of

people for rainy season and unexpected future disasters during mid-years are being

questioned.

From the recent news report of Rappler, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

confidently replied that the country does not need any additional preparation because

the government had already developed infrastructure and capacities for the regional

and provincial disaster management councils in the past several years. However,

problems with regards to the facilities for evacuation and medical emergencies are still

visibly noticed with immediate solution and attention are nowhere to be found.

Another concern that is being faced by the country that arose during the

pandemic is garbage disposal. Because by significantly increasing the medical and

plastic waste generated as part of fighting and living with the virus, COVID-19 has also

added to the country’s growing garbage problem.

 According to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) forecast, hospitals in Metro

Manila alone generate 280 metric tons of medical wastes daily during the pandemic, a

595% increase from the 47 metric tons that healthcare facilities produce each day prior

to the pandemic. This includes materials like plastics, polyisoprene (rubber), polyester

and polypropylene (face mask fabrics), and other medical wastes. (Featuredesk et al.,

2021)

To formulate a solution to the ever-decreasing problem of the Philippines is to

make a facility where it can be replicable throughout the country, catering the needs of

every patients or people in times of disaster and at the same time preventing the growth

of problem in waste disposal through recycling materials and using it as a main

component for constructing modular evacuation emergency facilities.

Statement of the Problem

As the problem in terms of medical- evacuation emergency facilities and garbage

waste disposal continue to arise, the need for most cost effective, eco-friendly and

efficient community shelter deepens throughout the whole country.

The modular evacuation emergency facility should be a replicable structure

where people could stay for urgent severe medical cases or for a temporary protection

in times of calamity. Can be reconstructed, rebuild, and reorganize in a shorter period of

time.

Specifically, this research aims to solve these certain problems:

 • Inability of hospitals or evacuation areas in catering the needs of overflowing

number of people in emergency situations.

• Inefficient design of emergency facilities (this includes the lack of horizontal or

ground spaces for construction)

• Worsening situation of garbage waste disposal in the Philippines.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

• To provide a practical layout or design that acts as a guideline for the construction of
modular evacuation emergency facility.

• To determine the recyclable materials that can be used in construction of modular

evacuation emergency facility.

• To identify the situations and circumstances that requires installation of modular

evacuation emergency facility.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of the study will be of great benefit to the following:

1. The City Government of Dasmariñas, Cavite - The Study will contribute to the concrete plan
for pandemic preparedness of the whole city. it will focus on the ways on how it will be more
effective to strategically put an emergency facility following all the guidelines provided by the
Department of Health and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

2. The Residents of the City of Dasmariñas, Cavite - The study will provide a design of a facility
that will give people more bed capacity during an emergency situations that causes a surge in
bed occupancies in the City of Dasmariñas, Cavite. The priority of the study is for the patients
whole comfort and to divert there minds about the widespread of virus inside the Hospitals.

3. The Environment - As Green Building Materials are to be used in the proposed modular
evacuation emergency facility, it would help a lot in decreasing the harmful effects of previous
Architecture movements that doesn’t consider designing with the nature. Using such materials
will provide more opportunities in new construction methodology in the future.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The study will focus on the design of a new modular evacuation emergency facility in the
City of Dasmariñas, Cavite. It will determine the most effective location using citation through
maps and behaviors of the people through the areas around the city. The study will also
determine the best suitable recyclable material through extensive research of the existing
studies that provide building materials that would help in constructing the emergency facility.
The aspects that were look into are compatibility, strength, aesthetic, and environment friendly.
Because of the lockdowns and community quarantine that are being imposed in the
country, the data gathering are limited only to non physical contact related researches, all datas
are conducted through online efforts of the researchers.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

Acoustic insulator - also known as sound insulation, is a form of insulation that

provides soundproofing, preventing or reducing the transference of noise between
rooms and from inside a building to outside and vice versa.

Adaptability - the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions.

Architectural typologies - In urban planning and architecture, typology is the

classification of (usually physical) characteristics commonly found in buildings and
urban places, according to their association with different categories, such as intensity
of development.

Conventional - is an adjective for things that are normal, ordinary, and following the
accepted way. Ho-hum. This word describes what is typical and ordinary and that which
follows accepted standards of behavior or taste.

Construction - is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems,
or organizations, and comes from Latin constructio (from com- "together" and struere "to
pile up") and Old French construction.

Degradation - is the act of lowering something or someone to a less respected state. A

president resigning from office is a degradation. It's also a downcast state. Once the
president has resigned, he might feel degradation.

Destructive - causing great and irreparable harm or damage.

Dismantle - to take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces

Ecology - is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans,
and their physical environment; it seeks to understand the vital connections between
plants and animals and the world around them.

Economical - giving god value or service in relation to the amount of money, time, or
effort spent.
Ecosystems - is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving
components of their environment, interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic
components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.

Enthusiasts - having or showing intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval.

Emissions - the production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation.

Evolutionary - relating to or denoting the process by which different kinds of living

organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms.

Fabricated - construct or manufacture (something, especially an industrial product),

especially from prepared components.

Fire retardant - having the ability or tendency to slow up or halt the spread of fire as
by providing insulation.

Recycling - the action or process of converting waste into reusable material.

Subassemblies - a unit assembled separately but designed to be incorporated with
other units into a larger manufactured product.

Nondestructive - not involving damage or destruction, especially of an object or

material that is being tested.

Greenhouse - A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a

hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such
as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.

Hampered - hinder or impede the movement or progress of.

Hypothetical - of, based on, or serving as a hypothesis.

Incineration - the destruction of something, especially waste material, by burning.

Infrastructure - is the general term for the basic physical systems of a business,
region, or nation. Examples of infrastructure include transportation systems,
communication networks, sewage, water, and electric systems.

Immunosuppressed - have a reduced ability to fight infections and other diseases.

This may be caused by certain diseases or conditions, such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes,
malnutrition, and certain genetic disorders.

Loadbearing structure - has the components of a building which carries and transfers

the load to the ground safely. This structure guarantee stability of the building and its
performance. Commonly walls, columns, beams, foundation.
Minimization - the reduction of something, especially something undesirable, to the
smallest possible amount or degree.

Modular systems - Modular design, or modularity in design, is a design principle that

subdivides a system into smaller parts called modules (such as modular process skids),
which can be independently created, modified, replaced, or exchanged with other
modules or between different systems.

Pressurization - is the application of pressure in a given situation or environment.

Psychological - of, affecting, or arising in the mind; related to the mental and emotional
state of a person.

Recyclable - a substance or object that can be recycled.

Renewable - a source of energy that is not depleted by use, such as water, wind, or
solar power. "production costs for the renewables are higher than for coal, oil, or gas"

Reverberation - a continuing effect; a repercussion, prolongation of a sound;

resonance.

Subsidized - having part of the cost of production paid in order to keep the selling price
low.

Substantial - concerning the essentials of something.

Susceptibility - the state or fact of being likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a
particular thing. "lack of exercise increases susceptibility to disease"

Sustainability/Sustainable - avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to

maintain an ecological balance, the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Ventilation - public discussion or examination of an opinion, issue, or complaint.

Visibility - the degree to which something has attracted general attention; prominence.
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

DESIGN OF GREEN EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR CALAMITY

Philippine public infrastructure lags many years behind other countries, especially with its Asian
neighbors. Given the country’s susceptibility to damaging natural disasters, this may be an excellent
opportunity for the country to enhance its disaster preparedness when it comes to evacuation shelters.
This paper presents transient evacuation centers as the best emergency shelter suited for victims of
calamities. A modular design was conceptualize which allows expansion and subdivides structures into
multiple units for easy relocation as requirements change. “Eco-friendly construction, using recycled
container vans, is utilized for simple assembly and installation. Solar electricity was also included in the
system. The layouts were based on hypothetical available land area based on typical land areas allotted
by local government.” Introducing an alternative shelter using used container vans is achievable, more
economical compared to conventional concrete structure, and easier to install and dismantle. The
establishment of the said emergency shelter was suggested as these would enhance the country’s ability
to establish an immediate but acceptable evacuation shelter for displaced citizens of the community.

The area of dasmarinas, cavite in the Philippines is known for nearby tragedies such as
earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions and today we are close to the flood problem which has taken
the lives of the cavitenos. These tragedies have had a devastating effect as many families have lost basic
necessities, such as food and homelessness to protection in future disasters, sometimes without
transportation due to the spread of the covid-19 virus, if so it is difficult before helping those affected by
the tragedy. so here comes the value of having an emergency evacuation center in such crisis.
Emergency evacuation centers are a required aspect of any recognized crisis operations plan. When an
urgent situation arises and these shelters are needed, the general public expects that officials have
thoroughly planned their implementation process.

It states “to provide relief in times of disasters and to carry on measures to minimize the
suffering caused by them.” Disaster preparedness is one of the major components of its program that
aims to prepare especially the vulnerable communities in the event of calamities. Whenever there are
natural calamities, affected families flock school buildings and multi-purpose gymnasiums or halls even
churches that are used as evacuation centers. The economic and social costs of using school buildings
and open space structures as evacuation centers are just too high. School classes are hampered to give
way to families seeking refuge. But these facilities are not normally intended for such purposes for an
extended period of time as the rebuilding of the stricken communities takes time. Situations in these
types of emergency facilities are horrible and we usually see people stripped of their dignity.

MODULAR FABRICATED AND RECYCLABLE MATERIALS

This paper intends to present new architectural typologies which can offer solutions to reduce
waste generated in construction. Applied at the early stage of the design process, disassembly concepts
and prefabricated and modular systems address the issue of housing shortage, while opening the
discussion about recyclable architectural concepts. Prefabricated architecture is not new, and the
aspects of history in which it was most relevant often reflect today’s circumstances. Architects,
engineers and contractors need to improve their understanding of the history and pragmatics of
prefabrication so that they can effectively develop and implement these methods in architectural
production. The concept of recyclable architecture has remained essential to the evolution of
architectural knowledge. This paper contributes to the current body of knowledge by providing a deep
insight into prefabrication and modular typologies leading towards the Recyclable Architecture.

The concepts of modularity, disassembly, reuse, and recycling in construction are presented for
a better understanding of the history of prefabrication. Modular methods are closed systems in which
elements are prefabricated independently for a specific building. In addition, the modules can be
assembled into complete entities by combining them in several different ways Disassembly is a process
in which a product is separated into its components and/or subassemblies by nondestructive or semi
destructive operations. Reuse is the use of components and modules obtained from the end-of-life
products as replacement parts. Recycling is the recovery of materials from end-of-life waste products.

Prefabrication is a method of producing components offsite in a factory and then assembling

them onsite. It challenges architecture, bringing up the question of the authorship of a concept and
singularity, and requires knowledge of production and construction methods. If architecture could suit
these requirements and succeed, a difference could be made to the quality of the built environment. It
has been found that prefabrication increases the safety and quality of construction while reducing the
time, cost, material waste and the impact on the environment.

The outcomes, the projects of the architectural typologies developed during this research, are
intended to be implemented in cities or regions where there is a need for new construction to provide
houses offering shared and public spaces while enabling the adaptation to social needs, while reducing
the use of natural resources and waste generated. Prefabrication is evolutionary, not revolutionary. The
solutions to problems are discovered through practice and failure, which leads to an understanding of
what works or not. Prefabrication can be a tool by which architecture can impact the built environment,
most significantly the housing. The offsite manufacturing processes can offer greater accuracy, shorter
construction times, safer working conditions, better value, promote recycling and reduce waste.
Although prefabrication can reduce waste materials, it gives no clear indication about the environmental
impact of materials used in construction. Prefabrication seems to be a viable solution for buildings to be
easily disassembled and reused as industrial supplies.

[TOPIC: Recycling Materials]

d harmRECYCLED MATERIALS AS CONSTRUCTION COMPONENTS

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and

objects. It is a way of helping the environment by being an alternative way of disposal

where materials are saved for more uses thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the

consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing energy usage, air pollution (from

incineration), and water pollution (from landfilling). Recyclable materials include many

kinds of glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, tires, textiles, electronics and so much

more. This lessens the methods of oil usage, carbon dioxide emissions, and the

quantities of waste requiring disposal.

 Recycling of materials has seen rapid expansion over the last decades in a

number of countries. Advances in technologies and systems for the collection, sorting,

and reprocessing of recyclable materials are creating new opportunities for recycling;

therefore, it may be possible to divert the majority of these waste from landfills to

recycling. (Radosavljevic, et al. 2018)

In construction, architects and designers are taking notice of the opportunities

offered by recycling and reuse. Using salvaged materials not only has a positive

environmental impact by reducing waste, it also offers architects materials typically

unavailable in their current situation and location. From the smallest furniture to large

buildings, the use of recycling is efficient and helpful contributing to nation’s ecology

and sustainability.

[TOPIC: Recycling Materials - Examples]

This Danish house was completely made from recyclable materials made by

Lendager Arkitekter Studio, also from Denmark. The house has an area of 130m 2 and is

located in the Danish city of Nyborg. (Figure 1)

Figure 1. House made from recycled materials by Lendager Arkitekter

 The loadbearing structure of the house comprises two prefabricated shipping

containers with insulated exteriors. The roof and the façade are built out of aluminum

soda cans. Façade panels contain pressed and heat-treated granulated paper. The

kitchen floor consists of used bottle corks, while the bath tiles are made from recycled

glass. Walls and floors are covered with OSB-panels containing pressed wood-chips.

House design is based on the principle of passive solar architecture in terms of house

orientation, temperature zoning, natural lighting optimization, shading, and natural

ventilation. The built was built exclusively from recycled materials. The end result of this

project was a house with a modern design, which looks as if it were built out of more

expensive materials.

Figure 2. Plastic Bottle House by Ingrid Vaca Diez

Another example is this ‘Plastic Bottle House’ in Bolivia made by Ingrid Vaca

Diez. The walls are made of discarded bottles filled with mud and sand. Ingrid thought

that such construction could solve both the homelessness and the recycling problems in

Bolivia. So far, Ingrid’s houses became home to several families who had previously

been left homeless. (Figure 2)

 Figure 3. Buddhist Temple Beer Bottles by Ingrid Vaca Diez

Beer bottles have become a primary material in green building. In addition to

being cheap and easy to build with, they also provide the building with natural lighting

and good insulation. One of the best examples of beer bottle buildings is a Buddhist

temple in Thailand. Its construction required around 1.5 million brown and green beer

bottles. The bottles were used to build an entire complex of 20 buildings, including the

temple, bungalows for monks, bathrooms, and a crematorium, with various beer bottle

decorations throughout. (Figure 3)

 Figure 4. Car Tire House in Serbia

An example of a car tire house built according to the Earthship method can also

be found in Serbia, in the village of Brusnica, 3 km from Gornji Milanovac. In addition to

car tyres, about 300 of them, the house also consists of glass bottles, aluminum cans,

earth mortar, straw, wood, concrete, and bricks. The tire wall, which is 25 m long and 2

m tall, took one month to build. Old glass will be used to build the greenhouse. This

Earthship house has a green roof and a composting toilet, i.e., a toilet bowl without a

flushing system and without a cesspit. All household waste water is purified naturally.

[TOPIC: Recycling Materials - Kinds]

1. Cork - The architects chose cork, after extensive experiments involving water, fire,

and degradation resistance tests. Cork is strong and durable, making it ideal as a

building material. They can also harvest the wood in a sustainable manner directly from

the bark of the cork oak tree. (Springwise, 2019)

According to Thornes (2018) of Archdaily, cork is something of a dark horse

when it comes to the environment—a model of a sustainable industry and building

material. By its very nature, cork is both recyclable and renewable, as it is the only tree

that regenerates its bark, while harvesting that bark causes the tree no harm.

Cork has been sneaking its way into our buildings for many years now; due to its hard-

wearing properties it can be found, for example, in the checkerboard flooring of the

Library of Congress in Washington, United States. Even NASA (National Aeronautics

and Space Administration, U.S.A.) has been wise to cork's light weight and insulation

capacity, using it as an insulator for their space shuttles.

Despite what many assume, cork is extremely waterproof resistant to abrasion,

and acts as a fire retardant and an acoustic insulator. It also has desirable aesthetic

qualities, giving buildings mottled earthy tones and natural patterning.

Portugal is the largest producer of cork in the world; it is here where the material

begins its life as the bark of cork oak trees in large agricultural forests called montados.

The process by which the cork is handled couldn’t be much more sustainable: it is

harvested by stripping the outer layer of skin off the tree with a small hatchet that then

regrows in time for the next harvest. In the factory, the cork is shredded and

compressed at high temperatures, causing it to expand and the sap to melt to form a

glue that binds it all together. Once cooled, it can be cut to measure ready to be put up

as cladding. None of the harvested bark goes to waste in the process apart from the

dust produced along the way.

In Portugal the regulations for the cork industry is extremely tight, ensuring

sustainable production, and the trained workers are paid a good living wage. By

law, cork oaks cannot be harvested until the tree is at least 25 years old and even then,

it can only take place every 9 years. The trees also require no pesticides, irrigation or

pruning. The stripped trees absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide and release more

oxygen, so Portugal's montados are often referred to as the "lungs" of the environment.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, they also play an important role in protecting

biodiversity in the forest: “Cork oak forests support one of the highest levels of
biodiversity among forest habitats, as well as the highest diversity of plants found

anywhere in the world.” – World Wildlife Fund

The adaptability of cork as a material has meant many buildings are beginning to

use it for both external and internal uses. When used internally, in the case of the  Heart

Clinic by Dost, the cork regulates humidity, absorbs odors and provides comfortable

sound reverberation, perfect for a clinical environment that aesthetically benefits from

an organic, warm atmosphere. As cladding, the impermeable cork protects the building

against the elements for a significantly carbon negative material.

Here are some examples of buildings using cork as construction material:

1. Villa Extramuros, Portugal Jordi by Fornells of Vora Arquitectura and Rolf

Heinemann Alepo Arquitectura.
 On a sloping hill on the outskirts of Arraiolos, a medieval town in the Alentejo

region of Portugal, sits ‘Villa Extramuros’—a luxuriant villa with five guest suites,

designed by Jordi Fornells of Vora Arquitectura and Rolf Heinemann Alepo

Arquitectura.

2. Cork Study, London by Tom Surman & Percy Weston

 The architects wrapped the block in sheets of cork – offering a similar tone to the

brick backdrop, but creating a contrasting texture. This mottled-brown cladding

also weatherproofs the structure, and provides both acoustic and thermal insulation.

"The natural earthy quality of the thick cork, combined with wild-flower roof, helps

nestle the building into its organic green surroundings," said architects Tom Surman and

Percy Weston.

2. Plastics - While not all plastics are being recycled, even the ones that display the

recycling sign, the global plastic waste problem is nowhere close to being resolved.

Recycling, generally determined by factors like demand, legislations, and economy,

takes on arguably around 20% of the annual production of plastics, leaving a large

quantity unattended, doomed to last forever in our environment. In addition, competing

with newly-produced materials, recycled plastics need to meet standards of quality and

price, and undergo a sustainable, efficient, and economically viable transformation.

Current global challenges with existing recycling technologies include the

impossibility to process mixed plastics due to their chemical composition, the need to

segregate the materials and establish different recycling lines, the high energy

consumption as well as the cost. Moreover, for glass, considered infinitely recyclable,

low recycling rates are due to sorting difficulties, transportation obstacles, and

expensive processes. On that note, ROGP, operated by Development Inc., is one single

technology that can at the same time, recycle all 80+ types of plastics and all types of

glass, and generate a composite from the rejects of glass and plastic.
 The process builds on turning environmental liabilities into abundant resources,

with a significant cost advantage over alternative materials. It requires no washing of

plastics and glass; and it can handle all types of plastics, including mixed plastic waste

and all types of glass, including mixed color and glass with impurities.

This efficient and low-cost recycling method has the ability to produce a multitude

of end-products, from construction, infrastructure, piping, to urban furniture. Final

outcomes are extremely diverse, especially that it can be molded into a variety of

shapes and colors. Actually, specifications can be altered depending on the intended

application. It can be used for tiles, speed bumps, parking stops, water pipes ducting,

street furniture, waste sorting bins, building facade finishing, etc. Durable, flexible,

strong, and with a relatively low production cost, this technology can also create a

substitute for natural resources. (Harrouk, 2020)

Here are some examples of buildings using plastic as construction material:

1. Plastic Baskets Façade, South Korea by Hyunje Joo

 Hyunje Joo's design for a façade in South Korea is a proposal that addresses the
separation between the interior and exterior with the construction of a flexible, light, and
recyclable architectural element.
The project, a surface made up of 1,500 semi-transparent plastic baskets,
diffuses the light and the silhouettes, while offering the ability to be reused with different
configurations in different places.

“We intend to reinterpret the possibility for the boundary of the wall using new

materials. A flexible architectural element rather than a fixed element, this wall consists

of 1,500 structural semi-transparent baskets.” – Hyunje Joo

The surface minimizes the separation between the inside and outside, as light and

silhouettes beyond the space show through. Over the course of the day, changes show

on the surface of the wall due to the diffusion and reflection of the material. The

passage of time is more actively sensed from both inside and outside, as these light

effects stimulate our senses.

When the building is demolished in 2 years, the baskets can be reused.

2. The EcoARK, Taiwan by Arthur Huang

 A building some are calling "the world's first plastic bottle-built structure" has

been unveiled in Taiwan. This amazing building, dubbed the EcoARK, was constructed

using a whopping 1.5 million PET bottles to raise awareness about the importance of

recycling. Standing three-stories tall, the EcoARK features an amphitheater, an

exhibition hall, and a screen of falling water collected during rainy periods for use as air

conditioning. The designers tout the building as being "the world's lightest, movable,

breathable environmental miracle," yet insist it's strong enough to handle typhoons and

earthquakes--but it's sure have recycling enthusiasts blown away.

The EcoARK, and the call for better waste management that it represents,

couldn't have come at a better time in Taiwan. It is estimated that only a mere 4 percent

of the nation's plastic bottles are recycled or reused--and with 2.4 billion bottles used

annually, that adds up to a lot of waste to clutter landfills, or worse, make it out to sea.

“When we are thinking about what type of trash to make a very, very green low

carbon building, we just look at our trash can, and we noticed that in our office, most of

our trash that we have are actually PET bottles, because all our engineers love drinking

bottled tea.” -Arthur Huang

3. Glass - The construction industry is in need of natural aggregates and cement in

large quantities for new developments and maintenance of buildings and engineering

infrastructures. However, these large quantities of natural resources have resulted in

continuous depletion of earth's natural resources which this could lead to environmental

degradation. One of the many ways of recycling materials for construction is the use of

waste glass as a replacement for natural aggregates and cement, therefore, reducing
the amount of waste glass dumped in the landfill, and making exploration of natural

aggregates unattractive and also reducing the emission of greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere. As the world population continues to increase, including an increase in the

standard of living, the volume of generated glass waste will only continue to increase.

However, it is important to understand more about the use of recycle waste material

such as glass in construction. The use of recycled waste materials in building

construction is viewed as a sustainable way of managing wastes and preserving the

environment from further degradation. (T.O.Ogundairo et al, 2019)

Here are some examples of buildings using glass as construction material:

1. Morrow Royal Pavilion, Las Vegas by Realm of Design Construction

It has been designed solely from glass bottles and fly ash – the particles released

by the coal plants that supply the city with electricity. Glass is collected from hotels and

casinos, crushed into granules and mixed with the ash. The mixture is then poured into

molds and dried. The result is a perfect alternative to concrete, both in terms of
robustness and in terms of cost. The greenstone can then be made into bricks or be

used to create decorative elements – for example fireplaces, fountains, balustrades,

columns, etc.

2. Bottle House, Nevada by Tom Kelly

One of America’s most peculiar ghost towns, Rhyolite, Nevada is uniquely rich in one

thing: bottle houses. Three of these structures–made by embedding glass beverage

bottles in various kinds of mortar–can be found in this long-dead desert town. A marvel

in its own right, the standout among these glass houses was built by a man named Tom

Kelly. Like so many others, Kelly had been drawn to the West by the promise of gold.

Around the year 1905, Kelly chose Nevada’s Bullfrog Hills as the site where he would
finally put down his pan and build a home. In the mining camp of Rhyolite, where the

only source of lumber was the ill-suited Joshua tree, Kelly saw construction potential at

the bottom of his beer bottle.

4. Paper - Anthony Crabbe, a reader at Nottingham Trent University's School of Art and

Design, had been investigating ways of processing waste paper in its dry state to

improve the management of water and increase the lifetime of paper products.

If shredded paper could be coated and pressed together using techniques similar to

those in the manufacture of engineered woods like plywood and chipboard, then the

resulting recycled paper products would have much longer lifetimes than, say, recycled

packaging.

After initial research, Crabbe discovered that by combining a mixture of long

strands of shredded paper with a sodium silicate gluing agent, which protects against

flame and moisture, we could create a new composite which is as strong as MDF

(medium density fibreboard).

Here are some examples of construction using paper as main material:

1. Paper Palace 1 by BetR-Block

 The first house they built, made from old newspapers, is called Paper Palace 1,

and tested the durability, cost, effectiveness, and safety of the blocks. They found that

Bet-R Block isolates two times better than conventional building material, which means

it will consume less energy to heat or cool. Therefore, there is no need for additional

isolation such as fibre glass, which is often expensive anful to the environment.

Hospital Design

Facility design for swing beds often requires additional corridor doors and provisions for
switching nurse call operations from one nurse station to another depending on use.

A formal parking/traffic study should be conducted to ensure that adequate parking and
traffic flow is provided to accommodate inpatients, outpatients, staff, and visitors.

In new construction, single patient rooms should be at least 12 feet (3.66 meters) wide
by 13 feet (3.96 meters) deep (or approximately 160 square feet, or 14.86 square meters)
exclusive of toilet rooms, closets, lockers, wardrobes, alcoves, or vestibules. These spaces
should accommodate comfortable furniture for family members (one or two) without blocking
access of staff members to patients. Efforts should be made to provide the patient with some
control of the room environment.

Windows are important for the psychological well-being of many patients, as well as for
meeting fire safety code requirements. They are also essential for continued use of the area in
the event of mechanical ventilation system failure.Where renovation work is undertaken, every
effort should be made to meet this standard. Where space does not permit the installation of an
additional hand-washing station in

the patient room, or where it is technically infeasible, the authority having jurisdiction may grant
approval of alternative forms of hand cleansing.

Where a facility contemplates patient/family-centered care rooms, the rooms should be

constructed to meet the needs of the functional program: a. Capacity. Patient/family-centered
rooms should be single-bed rooms. b. Area and dimensions. These rooms should have a
minimum of 250 square feet (23.22 square meters) of clear floor area exclusive of family
alcoves, toilet rooms, closets, lockers, wardrobes,

vestibules, staff charting areas, or staff hand-washing stations, with a minimum clear dimension
of 15 feet (4.57 meters).c. Additional area. Additional areas should be provided at a minimum
clear area of 30 square feet (2.79 square meters) per family member (permitted by the
facility).d. Environment of care. Consideration for a homelike atmosphere, furniture
arrangements, and orientation to the patient bed and

room windows should reflect the needs of the functional program.

The station should permit visual observation of all traffic into the unit. Multipurpose
rooms are used primarily for staff purposes and generally are not available for family or visitors.
A waiting room convenient to the unit should be provided. A storage or bin space should be
included for recyclable materials: white paper, mixed paper, cans, bottles, and cardboard.

In general, reliance on a substantial pressure differential (> 0.01"wg/12.5Pa) will

maintain the appropriate directional airflow with or without an anteroom. The anteroom concept
should remain an option (i.e., not required).: a. Anterooms, in general, should be designed to
meet local fire safety code as well as to prevent air from the patient room from escaping to the
corridor or other common areas. b. In addition to the concept of containment of airborne
microorganisms, anterooms may appropriately be used for storage of personal protective
equipment (PPE) (e.g., respirators, gowns,gloves), clean equipment, and hand hygiene, c. In
ganged anterooms (two patient rooms with a common anteroom), it may be difficult to maintain
directional airflow and pressure differential intended to avoid contamination from one room to
the other through the anteroom. The design, installation, and monitoring of ventilation systems
in such configurations is of utmost importance.

Immunosuppressed host airborne infection isolation (protective environment/airborne

infection isolation) a. Having a protective environment is not a minimum requirement. Facilities
with protective environment rooms should include at least one immunosuppressed host airborne
infection isolation room, b. An anteroom is required for the special case in which an
immunosuppressed patient requires airborne infection isolation, c. There is no prescribed
method for anteroom ventilation—the room can be ventilated with either of the following airflow
patterns: (1) airflows from the anteroom, to the patient room and the corridor, or (2) air flows
from the patient room and the corridor, into the anteroom. The advantage of pattern (1) is the
provision for a clean anteroom in which health care workers need not mask before entering the
anteroom.

Protected Units

The purpose of this section is to lend guidance in the design of units that by their very
nature require a protected environment for the treatment and care of their patients. The
following units fall within this intended guidance, although this list is not inclusive: transplant
units, burn units, nurseries, units for immunosuppressed populations, and neonatal intensive
care units. Portions of emergency departments where the initial triage occurs may be
incorporated as part of the triage service while an assessment of potential infection and
contamination is made prior to processing the suspected patient. Consideration for appropriate
pressurization and air exchange rates to control contamination should be addressed.

Transportation of patients to and from the critical care unit should ideally be separated from
public corridors and visitor waiting areas. Provision should be made for rapid and easily
accessible information exchange and communication within the unit and the hospital. In critical
care units, the size of the patient care space
should be determined by the intended functional use. The patient space in critical care units,
especially those caring for surgical patients following major trauma or cardiovascular, transplant,
or orthopedic procedures and those caring for medical

patients simultaneously requiring ventilation, dialysis, and/or treatment with other large
equipment (e.g., intra-aortic balloon pump) may be overwhelmed if designed to the absolute
minimum clear floor area.

A staff emergency assistance system should be provided on the most accessible side of
the bed. The system should annunciate at the nurse station with backup from another staffed
area from which assistance can be summoned.

Patients should be visually observed at all times. This can be achieved in a variety of
ways. a. If a central station is chosen, it should be located to allow for complete visual control of
all patient beds in the critical care unit. It should be designed to maximize efficiency in traffic
patterns. Patients should be oriented so that they can see the nurse but cannot see the other
patients. There should be an ability to communicate with the clerical staff without having to enter
the central station.b. If a central station is not chosen, the unit should be designed to provide
visual contact between patient beds so that there can be constant visual contact between the
nurse and patient.

The requirements for documenting patient information by providers have become

substantial and continue to grow. A growing number of providers and others review patient
records in critical care units. Confidentiality of patient information is important. Computers are
increasingly used to meet these expectations. a. Separate areas need to be designed for the
unit secretary and staff charting. Planning should consider the potential volume of staff (both
medical and nursing) that could be present at any one time and translate that to adequate
charting surfaces. b. The secretarial area should be accessible to all. However, the charting
areas may be somewhat isolated to facilitate concentration.c. Storage for chart forms and
supplies should be readily accessible. d. Space for computer terminals and printer and conduit
for computer hookup should be provided when automated information systems are in use or
planned for the future. e. Patient records should be readily accessible to clerical, nursing, and
physician staff.

The offices should be large enough to permit consulting with members of the critical care
team and visitors.To minimize distraction of those preparing medications, the area should be
enclosed. A glass wall or walls may be advisable to permit observation of patients and unit
activities. A self-contained medicine-dispensing unit may be located at the nurse station, in the
clean workroom, in an alcove, or in another area directly under visual control of nursing or
pharmacy staff. The unit should provide the ability to continuously monitor the physiological
parameters appropriate for the types of patients the unit is expected to care for.

. Equipment storage room or alcove: a. The location of the equipment storage room or alcove
should not interfere with the flow of traffic. b. Work areas and storage of critical care supplies
should be readily accessible to nursing and physician staff. c. Shelving, file cabinets, and
drawers should be accessible to all requiring use. d. Electrical outlets should be provided in
sufficient numbers to permit recharging stored battery-operated equipment. e. Alcoves should
be provided for the storage and rapid retrieval of crash carts and portable monitor/defibrillator
units.

Space allowances for pediatric beds and cribs are greater than those for adult beds because of
the variation in bed/crib sizes and the potential for change. The functional program may
determine that general storage be provided in the pediatric critical care unit above the minimum
required.

Whenever possible, supplies should flow through special supply entrances from external
corridors so that penetration of the semi-sterile zone by non-nursery personnel is unnecessary.
Soiled materials should be sealed and stored in a soiled holding area until removed. This
holding area should be located where there will be no need to pass back through the semi-
sterile zone to remove the soiled materials.

When the functional program includes a mother-baby couplet approach to nursing care, the
workroom functions described above may be incorporated into the nurse station that serves the
postpartum patient rooms.

The facility should provide a therapeutic environment appropriate for the planned treatment
programs. The environment should be characterized by a feeling of openness with emphasis on
natural light. In every aspect of building design and maintenance it is essential to make
determinations based on the potential risk to the specific patient population served.

Surge Capacity
 In preparation for the emergence of highly infectious patients, hospitals should have the
capacity to handle a surge of up to ten or fourfold increase above the current emergency
department capacity for such patients.a. This preparation should include the provision of
adjacent space for triage and management of infectious patients. b. Utility upgrades for these
areas (oxygen, water, electrical) should be considered. c. The area should provide for
depressurization to help control

aerosolized infectious particles with 100 percent exhaust capability. If 100 percent exhaust
cannot be achieved, appropriate proven technology should be utilized to reduce airborne
particles by > 95 percent. If patient care areas are to be utilized in the hospital to house these
patients, the route to the patient care unit should minimize the potential for cross-contamination.
Existing smoke control areas could be utilized to meet the ventilation requirements.Air-handling
systems should be designed to provide required pressure differentials. Written protocols must
be developed to ensure proper performance of the means to accomplish the intended

goals. DHHS, the Office of Emergency Preparedness, will have more up-to-date information.

Classification of emergency departments/services/trauma centers

Basic aspects of previous Level I-IV emergency department/services classifications are

still recognizable in current criteria statements but have evolved substantially to address
changes in practice, needs, and technologies.

Fast-Track Area

A separate fast-track area when annual emergency department visits exceed 20,000–
30,000 visits should be considered. This area should include space for registration, discharge,
triage, and waiting, as well as a physician/nurse work station. Storage areas for supplies and
medication should be included. A separate treatment/

procedure room of 120 square feet (11.15 square meters) of clear floor space should be
provided. Examination/treatment areas should be 100 square feet (9.29 square meters) of clear
floor space, with hand-washing stations, vacuum, oxygen, and air outlets, and examination
lights. At least one treatment/examination room should be designated for pelvic examinations.
 The design of the emergency department is critical, particularly at the main public
access point, to ensure that emergency medical staff and hospital security personnel maintain
control of access at all times. In the event of a disaster, terrorist event, or infectious disease
outbreak, the emergency service must remain under the control of the hospital and limit
contamination to ensure its continued availability as a resource.a. Efforts will be made to
separate patients waiting for triage in a secure area with appropriate ventilation that is clearly
visible from the triage station. This area will be separate from the post-triage waiting area to limit
the spread of contamination and/or contagion.b. Although the triage station must have
unobstructed visibility of the waiting area to permit observation of patients waiting for treatment,
a reception and control or security function must be provided to monitor the main entrance to
the department and all public areas. Public access points to the treatment area shall be minimal
in number, and under direct observation by the reception and control or security function.

Observation/holding units for patients requiring observation up to 23 hours or admission to an

inpatient unit should be located separately but near the main emergency department. The size
will depend upon the function (observation and/or holding), patient acuity mix, and projected
utilization. a. As defined by the functional plan, this area should consist of a centralized nurse
station; 100 square feet (9.29 square meters) of clear floor space for each cubicle, with vacuum,
oxygen, and air outlets, monitoring space, and nurse call buttons. b. A patient bathroom should
be provided. c. Storage space for medical and dietary supplies should be included. d. X-ray
illuminators should be available

A security station and/or system should be located to maximize visibility of the treatment areas,
waiting areas, and key entrance sites. a. The system should include visual monitoring devices
installed both internally in the emergency department as well as externally at entrance sites and
parking lots. b. Special requirements for a security station should include accommodation for
hospital security staff, local police officers, and monitoring equipment. c. Design consideration
should include installation of silent alarms, panic buttons, and intercom systems, and physical
barriers such as doors to patient entry areas. d. The security monitoring system should be
included on the hospital’s emergency power backup system.

Disposal space for regulated medical waste (e.g., gauzes/linens soaked with body fluids) should
be separate from routine disposal space. Other space considerations. Provision of a patient
hygiene room with shower and toilet facilities should be considered. At least one bereavement
room should be provided. This room should be accessible from both the emergency treatment
corridor and the emergency waiting area. This room should be comfortable enough to provide
respite to the bereaved family and should be equipped with a sound transmission coefficient
equivalent to 65 for the walls and 45 for the floors and ceiling.

Equipment storage room(s) for equipment and supplies used in the surgical suite should be
strategically located and sized for convenient access and utilization. In larger surgical suites,
storage spaces should be located for ready access to

specialty rooms.

Space layouts should be developed in compliance with manufacturer's recommendations

because area requirements may vary from machine to machine. Since technology changes
frequently and from manufacturer to manufacturer, rooms can be sized larger to allow upgrading
of equipment over time.

Particular attention should be paid to the management of outpatients for preparation, holding,
and observation. The emergency, surgery, cystoscopy, and outpatient clinics should be
accessible to the imaging suite. Imaging should be located on the ground floor, if practical,
because of equipment ceiling height requirements,close proximity to electrical services, and
expansion considerations.

Sterilization room. This room is used exclusively for the inspection, assembly, and
packaging of medical/surgical supplies and equipment for sterilization. a. Access to the
sterilization room should be restricted. b. This room should contain Hi-Vacuum or gravity steam
sterilizers and sterilization equipment to accommodate heat-sensitive equipment (ETO sterilizer)
and ETO aerators.c. It should contain worktables, counters, a hand-washing station,ultrasonic
storage facilities for backup supplies and instrumentation, and a drying cabinet or equipment.d.
The area should be spacious enough to hold sterilizer carts for loading of prepared supplies for
sterilization.

The receiving area should be located to promote the safe, secure, and efficient
movement of arriving materials without compromising patient areas.

Collection and storage. The underlying framework of waste management comprises waste
minimization and segregation. Facilities should seek both to minimize all components of each
waste stream and to separate different components of the total waste stream. At a minimum,
the functional program should include consideration of regular trash, medical/infectious waste,
hazardous waste, and low-level radioactive waste.

Greeen building

Bloomquist v. Wapello County, 500 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 1993). Plaintiffs sued employers and
builders for providing an unsafe work environment due to an inadequate HVAC system. The jury
awarded $1 million, finding chemical exposure associated with pesticide application and
inadequate ventilation. The judge set aside the verdict because of inadequate scientific basis.
However, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed the judge’s decision and reinstated the original
verdict.

Knauf et al Chinese Drywall Litigation. In late 2006, reports began surfacing of drywall imported
from China off gassing sulfur-like odors in newly constructed homes in Florida. At the same
time, there was evidence of failure of metal devices installed behind sheet rocked walls, such as
HVAC systems and electrical wiring and conduit. A shortage of construction materials
manufactured in the United States resulted in builders purchasing products from overseas.
Testing conducted on behalf of the Florida Department of Health revealed the presence of
strontium sulfide in addition to pyrite in the drywall.

Economic Benefits

Obviously, the potential for liability has a considerable economic corollary. The use of

green materials, particularly materials considered green because they are natural, organic, or
nontoxic, can help reduce claims made by MCS individuals under the ADA. The costs
associated with potential liability are directly proportional to the size, location, type, and function
of the building, and they can be pretty hefty. Anyone caught in the situation, with the clarity of
hindsight, can appreciate the wisdom of the old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure.

Green building materials are those that use the Earth’s resources in an environmentally
responsible way. Green building materials respect the limitations of nonrenewable resources
such as coal and metal ores. They work within the pattern of nature’s cycles and the
interrelationships of ecosystems. Green building materials are nontoxic. They are made from
recycled materials and are themselves recyclable. They are energy-efficient and waterefficient.
They are green in the way they are manufactured, the way they are used, and the way they are
reclaimed after use. Green building materials are those that earn high marks for resource
management, impact on indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and performance (energy
efficiency, water efficiency, etc.).

It is important to recognize the overwhelming societal prejudice in this country against

environmental aesthetics. Environmental enthusiasts often overlook this. The resistance is
reflexive—a fear of being different. And more, of being odd, and perhaps a little low class. The
stereotypical image of environmentalists is that they live off the grid and build with aluminum
cans, tires, and straw bales. They wear unwashed jeans and tie-dyed shirts. They have long
hair and shaggy beards and eat obscure vegetables.

The first generation of green building projects was not particularly representative of the majority
of the building industry. Some projects involved high-end facilities (private residences or high-
end services) that had the accompanying high-end budget. Other projects were sponsored and
subsidized by interested nonprofit groups or governmental agencies and had flexible schedules
and even more flexible allowances. Then, there were the projects developed by people who live
“off the grid” and built their own residences rather cheaply, and without benefit of a building
inspector, using old tires, bottles, straw bales, wind or solar power, and various unique
collectibles.