Planning for remote regions
They also focused on building to better resist future
hazards. For example, a raised plinth mitigated flood
hazards, while earthquakes were mitigated through
seismic bracing on alternate walls, the ceiling and the
roof. These braces allowed the steel frame to bend
under seismic force, but not collapse.
Community-based school construction projects in
remote communities pose unique challenges compared
to projects in urban centres or accessible rural areas.
Often, remote areas are more affected by disasters
because immediate relief is more difficult and slower to
deliver.
Four skilled workers – a mason, an electrician, a
carpenter and a steel fixer – as well as four unskilled
workers were needed to construct each school. Most
teams comprised workers with previous experience,
but CRS trained workers if no skilled workers were
available. Although CRS provided both trained
engineers and site supervisors, the villagers executed
the bulk of the construction work.
IN CONTEXT
Keywords: remote, design, planning, earthquake,
winter, steel frame, humanitarian response
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) built 104 schools over
seven years in the Khy ber Pakhtoonkhwa and the
Pakistan-Administered Kashmir provinces of Pakistan
following an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6. During
the earthquake, community infrastructure crumbled and
many villagers were buried beneath stone and earth.
Overall, 4,500 schools were partially destroyed and 500
schools were completely destroyed.
SECTION III: PLANNING
In this project, many communities were remote, some
located at an elevation of 5,000 feet. Narrow mountain
paths, unfit for vehicles, were the only routes to reach
these communities. Compounding the difficulty, the
disaster struck in autumn just before the harsh winter,
and CRS was pressured to erect the schools before the
paths became impassable and concrete became unpourable. Although the project continued for six more
years, the winter always constrained the amount of time
for construction.
After schools were completed, CRS ran operations
and maintenance training for the PTCs to learn how to
maintain and, when necessary, renovate the schools.
CRS supported the PTCs in developing a maintenance
plan, complete with assigned roles and responsibilities
and the dates and durations of those activities. The
buildings have an estimated lifespan of 20 years but are
expected to function longer.
To overcome these challenges, CRS worked with
villagers to help with transportation. Since cars or
trucks were not an option, the villagers had to transport
building materials as they always have – by foot or by
donkey. However, using labour or livestock curtailed the
viable materials and, in turn, the design options.
Key takeaways
In response to the transportation restrictions,
CRS adopted a light, steel-based design that was
prefabricated. It could be delivered in manageable
pieces and assembled on site. Materials were locally
sourced through a bidding process, even though the
structures were prefabricated. Timber was not a viable
option, as the Forest Department restricted logging at
that time.
• Light materials decrease the burden of labourintensive transportation.
Site selection was challenging in the mountainous
terrain. CRS aimed to avoid building alongside banks,
sloping areas and under the heavy electric lines
that route electricity from micro-hydroelectric power
plants to remote communities. To avoid and mitigate
these dangers, CRS looked to the Parent-Teacher
Committees (PTC) for their intimate knowledge of the
landscape.
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Engineers and site supervisors inspected materials and
trained skilled workers on how to inspect materials for
future construction projects. Key structural elements
were very consistent, making quality control easier. As
part of their in-kind contribution, community members
donated gravel. But there were construction challenges
too. In the beginning, water systems in the remote
areas had been damaged and were not available
to contractors who needed to mix concrete, which
delayed construction time.
• Remote schools can and should be reached by safe
school construction projects.
• Seasonal climate patterns can hold up remote
construction projects.
• Modular, repeatable designs can make quality
control more efficient.
• A well-defined maintenance plan is necessary for
inaccessible communities where constant interaction
is impossible.