Post Natural Disaster Reconstruction: An Analysis of Sandwich Panel Tilt-Up Construction with Debris Reuse

Within the last decade alone, the world has witnessed several devastating natural disasters. Namely, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the 2011 earthquake in Japan, have each rallied the world behind the common goal of reconstructing affected communities. All redevelopment efforts share the common goal of rebuilding societies stronger, affordably, and in as little time as possible. Unfortunately, most accepted reconstruction techniques do not encompass all of these traits and those that do, such as bamboo housing, only offer these benefits in select regions where materials are locally extracted. Although it has been around for over a century, tilt-up construction offers the characteristics mentioned above in nearly all regions and should be used globally as the primary reconstruction method.;Tilt-up construction's principal ingredients can all be found locally and, in many cases, can be extracted from disaster caused construction debris. This construction method's ability to quickly erect homes while also costing up to 25% less than other building techniques makes it an ideal reconstruction tool. The use of sandwich panel tilt-up construction will only benefit affected regions further by creating a thermal barrier, which will serve to reduce temperature related energy consumption. Notably, national testing facilities have determined that energy savings of up to 50% from a base case can be realized. With relatively little retrofits, sandwich panel tilt-up construction can even be designed to withstand powerful hurricanes and earthquakes. The inherent characteristics of tilt-up construction will provide the ability for areas damaged by natural disasters to recover quickly and be more prepared for the future.