Hi everyone!
First off, more pictures of the completion of our latrine project will be posted shortly. Also, our group is excited to announce that we have a new phase for our program within Kukra River. We are now going ahead with a schoolhouse construction project in the community of Las Brenas. This schoolhouse will have with it a water catchment system (and possibly another composting latrine if resources permit it). Further details will be developed in the weeks to come.
-Julia P.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Step-by-step construction process for Composting Latrines in the San Sebastian of Kukra River in Nicaragua:
1) Leveling the ground for our foundation
2) Cutting rebar for reinforcements on top and base slabs as well as vertical corner reinforcement for vaults. Wood was also cut for base slab's form at this stage of the process.
3) Arranging rebar and tying with wire to measured dimensions
4) Hammering together the form for the bottom slab, filling it with rocks to approximately half the height, then placing the rebar frame on top
5) Using the volcanoe method for mixing concrete (aggregate was added after water, cement, and sand were mixed)
6) Layering on concrete for bottom slab
7) Once dry enough (approximately a day), prefabricated blocks shipped in from Bluefields were stacked layer by layer while being cemented together. Rebar propped up at the corners. Note how two gaps were left in the back. These will provide access into the vaults. Separate concrete slabs with handle bars on them will be cemented into place with a 1" clearance that is to be filled in by paper or plastic bags and is chissled out at the time of removal.
8) Wooden planks were hammered into concrete to cover the tops of both chambers in order to provide a backing for the top slab's concrete form. Toilet holes made from sheets of zinc and nailed in around the outside into the planks. Rebar reinforcement was also used for this slab.
9) Top slab being filled in with concrete
10) Once base is completed, a wooden superstructure was built. This process took longer than expected so beware! We started out with a frame made of 2x4's and used planks placed in the horizontal direction. The corrugated Zinc was attached using roofing nails
11) The steps were (unfortunately) made after the concrete vault was created, as we were unsure at the time on how much concrete would be left over. In the future, the concrete steps would be taken into account when designing the base slab.
12) Fly ventilation was placed on the side. We had initially designed for the vent to be placed along the backwall which would have been designed to have access into both chambers, however lack of communication led to a modified design by the mason, where the top row of blocks in the divider is spaced approximately 1/2" between each block to allow for ventilation and fly passage from the vault that is not directly connected to the vent. We will see the effectiveness when we return to the area. Another issue we had was the fact that gray vent pipes were provided for us instead of white. This may end up having an effect on the number of flies able to be effectively removed from the latrine.
The end result. Due to a scarcity in toilet casts, the toilets for these latrines were unable to come in time. In addition to this, we also ran out of time for the assembly of the door. We anticipate receiving photos and updates from our onsite NGO affiliates, FUNCOS, who will inform us whether or not all has been completed. In the mean time, here is a photo of us and all those who helped (including the entire family):
1) Leveling the ground for our foundation
2) Cutting rebar for reinforcements on top and base slabs as well as vertical corner reinforcement for vaults. Wood was also cut for base slab's form at this stage of the process.
3) Arranging rebar and tying with wire to measured dimensions
4) Hammering together the form for the bottom slab, filling it with rocks to approximately half the height, then placing the rebar frame on top
5) Using the volcanoe method for mixing concrete (aggregate was added after water, cement, and sand were mixed)
6) Layering on concrete for bottom slab
7) Once dry enough (approximately a day), prefabricated blocks shipped in from Bluefields were stacked layer by layer while being cemented together. Rebar propped up at the corners. Note how two gaps were left in the back. These will provide access into the vaults. Separate concrete slabs with handle bars on them will be cemented into place with a 1" clearance that is to be filled in by paper or plastic bags and is chissled out at the time of removal.
8) Wooden planks were hammered into concrete to cover the tops of both chambers in order to provide a backing for the top slab's concrete form. Toilet holes made from sheets of zinc and nailed in around the outside into the planks. Rebar reinforcement was also used for this slab.
9) Top slab being filled in with concrete
10) Once base is completed, a wooden superstructure was built. This process took longer than expected so beware! We started out with a frame made of 2x4's and used planks placed in the horizontal direction. The corrugated Zinc was attached using roofing nails
11) The steps were (unfortunately) made after the concrete vault was created, as we were unsure at the time on how much concrete would be left over. In the future, the concrete steps would be taken into account when designing the base slab.
12) Fly ventilation was placed on the side. We had initially designed for the vent to be placed along the backwall which would have been designed to have access into both chambers, however lack of communication led to a modified design by the mason, where the top row of blocks in the divider is spaced approximately 1/2" between each block to allow for ventilation and fly passage from the vault that is not directly connected to the vent. We will see the effectiveness when we return to the area. Another issue we had was the fact that gray vent pipes were provided for us instead of white. This may end up having an effect on the number of flies able to be effectively removed from the latrine.
The end result. Due to a scarcity in toilet casts, the toilets for these latrines were unable to come in time. In addition to this, we also ran out of time for the assembly of the door. We anticipate receiving photos and updates from our onsite NGO affiliates, FUNCOS, who will inform us whether or not all has been completed. In the mean time, here is a photo of us and all those who helped (including the entire family):
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hello from Bluefields!
We have finally received approval from the Technical Advisory Committee and tomorrow, September 9th, we shall venture in to the kukra river region to begin the implementation phase of our project. Designs have changed dramatically over the months but we have finally sorted out a lot of the confusion. we will be using a ´T´pvc piece for the top part of the ventilation (as that was what was available at the hardware store) and there will be no separated urinal diverter. All three of the latrines will be quite similar in structure, except for one which will include a pvc ventilation system. Additionally, one or two of the latrines´staircases will be made of wood so as to cut down on costs (and because wood is quite abundant within the area).
Materials have already been gathered and a mason has also been hired so as to ensure the success of this project. Also, as a side note, the toilets are being purchased ahead of time as opposed to being made from a cast. this will cut down on time and cost. Pictures of the construction and final results will be posted in a few weeks!
We have finally received approval from the Technical Advisory Committee and tomorrow, September 9th, we shall venture in to the kukra river region to begin the implementation phase of our project. Designs have changed dramatically over the months but we have finally sorted out a lot of the confusion. we will be using a ´T´pvc piece for the top part of the ventilation (as that was what was available at the hardware store) and there will be no separated urinal diverter. All three of the latrines will be quite similar in structure, except for one which will include a pvc ventilation system. Additionally, one or two of the latrines´staircases will be made of wood so as to cut down on costs (and because wood is quite abundant within the area).
Materials have already been gathered and a mason has also been hired so as to ensure the success of this project. Also, as a side note, the toilets are being purchased ahead of time as opposed to being made from a cast. this will cut down on time and cost. Pictures of the construction and final results will be posted in a few weeks!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
After an intense interview with the Technical Advisory Committee, we were told that in order to be approved for our pilot phase trip in September, we will need to produce a safety and health plan, a site plan (which shows the relative distances of our latrines to any water sources), and a foundation plan. On top of this, we were told to perform a concrete construction lab, which we completed last Thursday with Warren and I, along with the help of Chelsea from ASCE and my friend, Shannon. We will also be performing this lab again tomorrow with our Mentor, Tim, Karen, and possibly Amanda and Bart.
Also, one big thing that was suggested by the committee was that we may want to consider clear or light colored plastic roofing as opposed to the traditional zinc. Though this may considerably detract from the overall task of fly removal (by not being able to provide an appropriate gradient in brightness for which the flies can follow), it will (perhaps more importantly) increase the user friendliness as well as provide visibility that may prove highly desirable from a health standpoint in certain circumstances. If we do not go with this alternative, it is suggested that the recipients will be more likely to transform their latrine into a storage unit or some other form of alternative usage.
Also, one big thing that was suggested by the committee was that we may want to consider clear or light colored plastic roofing as opposed to the traditional zinc. Though this may considerably detract from the overall task of fly removal (by not being able to provide an appropriate gradient in brightness for which the flies can follow), it will (perhaps more importantly) increase the user friendliness as well as provide visibility that may prove highly desirable from a health standpoint in certain circumstances. If we do not go with this alternative, it is suggested that the recipients will be more likely to transform their latrine into a storage unit or some other form of alternative usage.
Monday, June 22, 2009
So we had our interview with Tiffany from the National Chapter of EWB on wednesday and discussed our site assessment trip back in March. One of the key things to take from this interview was the necessity for having a written agreement between our group and the recipient families of the composting latrines. This serves both as a means of solidifying a commitment from the families and also as a clarification for them on what our scope is for this project.
Our pre-implementation papers have been sent in and we will be expecting a TAC review within the next few weeks to discuss our trip, which is scheduled for mid September.
Our pre-implementation papers have been sent in and we will be expecting a TAC review within the next few weeks to discuss our trip, which is scheduled for mid September.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
During our assessment trip back in March, Tim, Warren, and I had a conversation with Leonel Luna, The president of FUNCOS. He told us that in addition to the obvious need for sanitation improvement within the area, there was also the potential for hydroelectric dam construction that would be used to power Kukra River, which currently has no source of electricity. Since then, Hannah Lawrence, Hagan O'Connor, and myself (Julia Pasternack) have performed a fairly detailed analysis on the feasibility of such an undertaking for our UCLA senior design project. The outcomes revealed that for optimum efficiency and under the fairly low head and flow conditions, a kaplan turbine with a synchronous AC generator mounted via a directly coupling shaft would be the optimum choice. Our resultant poster is provided below. However, it should be noted that further analysis will indeed be pursued by both UCLA students as well as correspondents in Nicaragua.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in updates. Currently we still need to hear back from the national chapter for their review of our assessment trip. If all goes well, we will be able to perform a pilot phase implementation trip in September, where we will be installing three (possibly four)composting latrines of varying designs in the Kukra River community of San Sebastian. These designs will help us in figuring out the optimum cost, and reliability, output product (fertilizer) among many other factors. Here are some rough designs that that we have come up with thus far. Many modifications will take place between now and September.
courtesy of James Chen
our trip will serve both as an assessment trip for the possible installation of roof water-catchment systems and as a pilot phase for our sanitation latrine construction project. For the pilot phase, we will be constructing three (possibly four, depending on the amount of funding that we acquire) composting latrines within the community of San Sebastian and along the outskirts of Las Brenas. All designs will be double-vault composting latrines of relatively similar size. Design #1 will be a simple, minimal cost design that is similar to the nearby composting latrines in the Kukra River Region. The main difference, however, lies in having a wooden staircase as opposed to cement.
The second design will be built partially in ground, utilizing the structural support provided by the earth in order to maximize the given volume. This latrine will have a cement staircase with a cement slab along one of the steps that can open up and serve as an opening for weekly stirring of the mixture as well as the annual removal of the compost. Such a design will essentially eliminate the issue of fecal contamination around the toilet seat area that could pose a potential problem during the typical practice of stirring through the toilet hole. This model will also be equipped with a zinc superstructure, which isn’t as widespread of a material choice as wood, however it has been used with a few of the latrines in the region.
The third design will implement an added section in the back that, again, seeks to maximize the volume below the latrine while still seeking to maintain both cost and effectiveness in the composting process. The area will have a slanted top face that contains a metal door which can open and close to allow for easy stirring and removal of fecal matter. The choice of metal is an attempt to speed up the anaerobic breakdown of the fecal matter through heating while also serving as a structurally robust moving component in our design. The staircase for this design will be wooden. This design will be constructed for one of our larger selected families that live on the outskirts of Las Brenas.
The potential fourth design will be quite similar to that of the third design with the exception of a more permanent, cement staircase and an additional ventilation system via PVC piping. Such a feature has the potential for helping to facilitate the anaerobic process within the fecal matter as well as reducing the instances of flies and negative odors. Ideally, this design will be constructed for the new schoolhouse that is to be constructed in San Sebastian (via financial support from the Catholic Church). Since such construction is still underway, this design is likewise still up in the air. During the assessment trip, we were assured by one of the teachers at the preexisting school that there would be members of the community that would be willing to take on the task of compost upkeep and removal, as ownership of a latrine in such an environment is quite different than with families.
courtesy of James Chen
our trip will serve both as an assessment trip for the possible installation of roof water-catchment systems and as a pilot phase for our sanitation latrine construction project. For the pilot phase, we will be constructing three (possibly four, depending on the amount of funding that we acquire) composting latrines within the community of San Sebastian and along the outskirts of Las Brenas. All designs will be double-vault composting latrines of relatively similar size. Design #1 will be a simple, minimal cost design that is similar to the nearby composting latrines in the Kukra River Region. The main difference, however, lies in having a wooden staircase as opposed to cement.
The second design will be built partially in ground, utilizing the structural support provided by the earth in order to maximize the given volume. This latrine will have a cement staircase with a cement slab along one of the steps that can open up and serve as an opening for weekly stirring of the mixture as well as the annual removal of the compost. Such a design will essentially eliminate the issue of fecal contamination around the toilet seat area that could pose a potential problem during the typical practice of stirring through the toilet hole. This model will also be equipped with a zinc superstructure, which isn’t as widespread of a material choice as wood, however it has been used with a few of the latrines in the region.
The third design will implement an added section in the back that, again, seeks to maximize the volume below the latrine while still seeking to maintain both cost and effectiveness in the composting process. The area will have a slanted top face that contains a metal door which can open and close to allow for easy stirring and removal of fecal matter. The choice of metal is an attempt to speed up the anaerobic breakdown of the fecal matter through heating while also serving as a structurally robust moving component in our design. The staircase for this design will be wooden. This design will be constructed for one of our larger selected families that live on the outskirts of Las Brenas.
The potential fourth design will be quite similar to that of the third design with the exception of a more permanent, cement staircase and an additional ventilation system via PVC piping. Such a feature has the potential for helping to facilitate the anaerobic process within the fecal matter as well as reducing the instances of flies and negative odors. Ideally, this design will be constructed for the new schoolhouse that is to be constructed in San Sebastian (via financial support from the Catholic Church). Since such construction is still underway, this design is likewise still up in the air. During the assessment trip, we were assured by one of the teachers at the preexisting school that there would be members of the community that would be willing to take on the task of compost upkeep and removal, as ownership of a latrine in such an environment is quite different than with families.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Here are some photographs back from kid's day for Engineers Week (EWeek) at UCLA(taken April 8th). This event was a water relay race where children would race to carry buckets to an area where they would fish out the 'contaminents' and then return back to the finish line. The event was meant to essentially simulate the process that many children and corresponding family members in developing countries must go to in order to obtain usable water on a daily basis.
Friday, April 17, 2009
So our planned trip for return to Nicaragua was scheduled for early June, however, because of new policies imposed by the EWB national chapter, there now needs to be at least a 3 month leeway period between when we submit our pre-implementation forms and when we travel. Currently, we still have to complete the following before implementation travel: submission of post-assessment report (includes baseline health assessment as well as budget from the travel), TAC review to discuss our assessment trip, a 523 (alternative design) form, a 524 (preliminary design) form, and finally a 525 (pre-implementation) form. Our group will be working on all of these tasks in a joint effort.
As for now, here are some more photographs from our trip:
As for now, here are some more photographs from our trip:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Today Engineers without Borders-UCLA participated in kid's day for Engineer's Week at UCLA. We held a relay race that involved kids carrying buckets of water with 'contaminants' and then having them remove the 'contaminants' with nets and returning back with the buckets of 'purified' water. This was the second time we've hosted this race and it was again a success. Tomorrow there will be club tabling with trivia challenge questions for people passing by. There will also be club tabling on Thursday.
In regards to the Nicaragua Sanitation Project, we are in the midst of the funding process and have a couple small school grants that we've been applying for.
Our group has also begun the design phase of this project and we have made a couple of alternative suggestions to the preexisting latrines in the area.
First off, as of now we wish to have piped ventilation for the benefits of odor reduction, fly removal, and quickening of drying time of the compost (due to the sunlight from the top of the pipe as well as the air ventilation that will be imposed (via bernoulli effect for a velocity/pressure gradient). This ventilation system will be modified so as to have the top of the pvc pipe caped with a piece of glass that will let sunlight through but not rain. To accomodate for the flies and air circulation, we will also have (attached to the main structure) a downwards pointing elbow joint along with fly paper.
Another important feature that is different from most dry latrines in the area is a completely separate urinal for the men. This can easily be constructed out of a large plastic bottle cut in half and some rubber tubing. The reason behind having a separate urinal is ease for the men as well as preventing any moisture getting into the vault.
Regardless of whether or not a separate urinal is built for the men, we will still have to deal with the issue of urine for women, which is why the current design (as pictured below) should still be implemented. The only difference we wish to have would be to shape the toilet seat in a manner that renders it compatable for having a conventional plastic toilet seat placed on top of it. This reduces the need for cleaning and allows for the families to better see and clean this unit (without the use of water, which often times drips into the vault.
The latrine design will also incorporate the use of wood wedging between the zinc roofing and the wooden structure. This wedging would serve the purpose of reducing any sideways rain from entering the unit.
We are still looking into the possibility of a "solar latrine" design. Further research is much needed on the subject matter.
Alternative designs/considerations: here is a link to a fiberglass latrine design (cost est. $500):
http://www.edusc.org/Forms/HaitiDryLatrineProject.pdf
-Julia
In regards to the Nicaragua Sanitation Project, we are in the midst of the funding process and have a couple small school grants that we've been applying for.
Our group has also begun the design phase of this project and we have made a couple of alternative suggestions to the preexisting latrines in the area.
First off, as of now we wish to have piped ventilation for the benefits of odor reduction, fly removal, and quickening of drying time of the compost (due to the sunlight from the top of the pipe as well as the air ventilation that will be imposed (via bernoulli effect for a velocity/pressure gradient). This ventilation system will be modified so as to have the top of the pvc pipe caped with a piece of glass that will let sunlight through but not rain. To accomodate for the flies and air circulation, we will also have (attached to the main structure) a downwards pointing elbow joint along with fly paper.
Another important feature that is different from most dry latrines in the area is a completely separate urinal for the men. This can easily be constructed out of a large plastic bottle cut in half and some rubber tubing. The reason behind having a separate urinal is ease for the men as well as preventing any moisture getting into the vault.
Regardless of whether or not a separate urinal is built for the men, we will still have to deal with the issue of urine for women, which is why the current design (as pictured below) should still be implemented. The only difference we wish to have would be to shape the toilet seat in a manner that renders it compatable for having a conventional plastic toilet seat placed on top of it. This reduces the need for cleaning and allows for the families to better see and clean this unit (without the use of water, which often times drips into the vault.
The latrine design will also incorporate the use of wood wedging between the zinc roofing and the wooden structure. This wedging would serve the purpose of reducing any sideways rain from entering the unit.
We are still looking into the possibility of a "solar latrine" design. Further research is much needed on the subject matter.
Alternative designs/considerations: here is a link to a fiberglass latrine design (cost est. $500):
http://www.edusc.org/Forms/HaitiDryLatrineProject.pdf
-Julia
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Alright everyone. So our goal right now is to shoot for constructing three composting latrines in the community of San Sebastian (and possibly as well as a house in between San Sebastian and Las Brenas). This will serve as our pilot project trip and will take place sometime in early summer (possibly between June 12-22 if not longer). During this trip we will also be conducting an additional in-depth site assessment for a potential water catchment system in the communities of Las Brenas and San Sebastian. We have already submitted water samples from the two communities for testing to be done by the university in Bluefields. We are currently awaiting the results.
-Julia
-Julia
Here are some additional photographs from our trip:
This is a photograph of a typical separated dry latrine (taken from the FUNCOS building in Aurora). They used lime as their additive so the latrine not only did not smell bad, but it actually smelled good!
A woman washing her clothing in the river. For the people living in Kukra River, they use the river for washing clothing and for bathing. According to one of the doctors in Aurora, it is common to see women receiving vaginal infections due to bathing in this water.
The minihotel we stayed at in the central area. It had a good location, personal bathrooms in each room which included a shower with running water (though the water is cold and is actually quite contaminated in Bluefields), cable television with some really great channels, and there is a restaurant in the hotel to eat at (slightly overpriced).
Tim and I about to board the FUNCOS boat to travel up the Kukra River
Our plane from Managua to Bluefields
This is a photograph of a typical separated dry latrine (taken from the FUNCOS building in Aurora). They used lime as their additive so the latrine not only did not smell bad, but it actually smelled good!
A woman washing her clothing in the river. For the people living in Kukra River, they use the river for washing clothing and for bathing. According to one of the doctors in Aurora, it is common to see women receiving vaginal infections due to bathing in this water.
The minihotel we stayed at in the central area. It had a good location, personal bathrooms in each room which included a shower with running water (though the water is cold and is actually quite contaminated in Bluefields), cable television with some really great channels, and there is a restaurant in the hotel to eat at (slightly overpriced).
Tim and I about to board the FUNCOS boat to travel up the Kukra River
Our plane from Managua to Bluefields
Saturday, March 28, 2009
hey guys! We´re back in Managua after an exhausting journey to Kukra River. A lot of information has been discovered and gathered! First off, there actually already exists a strong presence of composting latrines in the communities! This makes our project a whole lot easier, but also leaves a lot more room for additional projects in these communities! We found quite a few possible areas for future projects, but it actually seems like water is the biggest issue (contrary to what Marvin had mentioned). We paid $40 to have water samples tested for the water quality in san sebastian as well as las breñas (the communities that had the biggest water issues). While in Kukra River, we hosted community meetings in each of the three communities and also interviews with family members. San Sebastian was the only community that did not already have composting latrines. Both Caño Azul and Las Breñas had composting, or ´dry´, latrines installed for a fair portion of families thanks to the accion medica christian group. We rode mules a fair portion of the time but due to liability issues, I think our future plans should not encompass this mode of transportation (as one of our team members had fallen off of the mule due to muddy conditions and could easily have been stepped on and severely injured if not killed). We also were able to acquire lots of information on material prices in bluefields (for both the dry latrines as well as a potential water catchment system). Anyways, like I said, a lot of information has been discovered and Warren, Tim, and I plan to discuss it all in detail at this next meeting. Photos will be uploaded shortly.
-Julia
-Julia
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hey everyone! We made it to Bluefields after a very loud domestic plane ride! Bluefields is a really colorful and vibrant town and we love it! We met up with Marvin, who took us on a 2 hour nature walk into the foresty area where they are to build their future office. We leave tomorrow to travel up Kukra River. We have gathered quite a bit of interesting information regarding comosting latrines in this area. Warren has been taking very good notes and we will fill everyone in when more time permits. Here are a few photos from our trip so far. One is of the patio at the Backpackers Inn. The other is a group picture with Arturo from FUNCOS. He works primarily on the west coast for FUNCOS and is a very nice man who showed us around Managua. The last few are from the outskirts of bluefields and the FUNCOS office in bluefields.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Preparing for site assessment trip
Okay so we recently lost one of our anticipated traveling members, Nick #2 (the Mark Wahlberg Nick) due to personal issues. However, Warren, Tim (one of our mentors), and I are still more than ready to tackle this trip! We have all the forms printed and the medical equipment gathered. Our flight leaves Friday night at Midnight and we will be back on Sunday of the next week. I purchased 3-way walkie talkies and we will hopefully have some money left over from the Alumni Grant to go towards fuel for our motor boat. That's about it for right now.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Beginning!
Aaaahhh! The UCLA- Engineers Without Borders' blog has been created.
It's gonna feature awesome updates from our project in Bluefields, Nicaragua. More specifically, Kukra River & Kukra Hill.
Here are some links and pictures about the region and Engineers Without Borders, so you can get to know us and our project better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluefields
http://www.vianica.com/visit/bluefields
http://www.ewb-usa.org/
http://sites.google.com/site/ewbucla/
And here's a video about the area. Its in Spanish, but its the best we found! ;D
It's gonna feature awesome updates from our project in Bluefields, Nicaragua. More specifically, Kukra River & Kukra Hill.
Here are some links and pictures about the region and Engineers Without Borders, so you can get to know us and our project better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluefields
http://www.vianica.com/visit/bluefields
http://www.ewb-usa.org/
http://sites.google.com/site/ewbucla/
And here's a video about the area. Its in Spanish, but its the best we found! ;D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
