Project Summary | Project Information |
---|---|
Background: Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Overall, 46.2 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. The 4walls project is a nonprofit organization that helps impoverished families obtain their own home by building them 20x20 houses with brick walls. Currently, the roofs of these homes are made of sheets of corrugated zinc or tin. However, this brings unwanted heat into the house, is very loud during rainstorms, and costs more than $400 per house. The goal of this project is to develop a cheaper, cooler, and quieter solution that uses local materials in order to support the local economy. Problem Statement: The corrugated zinc roofs cost too much and provide poor heat and sound insulation. Last year’s iteration of this project improved on the first iteration by proposing a wavy, overlapping tile design made of a mixture of biochar and concrete. They also developed a process for manufacturing these tiles. However, biochar is not as easily available as other potential building materials, most notably pumice. Our goal is to optimize a pumice-concrete mix that will results in cooler, lighter, and more affordable tiles. We also aim to design a tile for the very top of the roof, and to streamline and standardize the manufacturing process for both types of tiles, so that the design can be easily constructed by 4Walls and the citizens of El Sauce. |
Kellan Morgan, EnLace Project Bonnie Yannie, Project 4 Walls Sally Kuehl, Project 4 Walls Robert Boxer, Project 4 Walls
Mike Hess Jr., Hess Pumice (jrmike@hesspumice.com) |
Team Members
Member | Role | Contact |
---|---|---|
Derick Kowalczyk | Project Manager, Sustainability Lead | dgk6477@rit.edu |
Matt Kardach | Structural - Mechanical Lead | mfk2386@rit.edu |
Connor Radel | Manufacturing Lead | csr1231@rit.edu |
Daniel Zinobile | Customer Communications & Design Lead | dxz3942@rit.edu |
Work Breakdown: By Phase
MSD I & II | MSD I | MSD II |
---|---|---|
Integrated System Build & Test Customer Handoff & Final Project Documentation (Verification & Validation) |
Work Breakdown: By Topic
Project Management | Design Tools | Design Documentation | Implementation | Validation | Miscellaneous | Presentation & Dissemination |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all listed for help and support throughout the project:- Sarah Brownell, Project Guide
- Teresa Wolcott, Concrete Lab Manager
- Ricardo Cruz, Sustainable Technologies Consultant
- Kellan Morgan, Director of Enlace Project
- Mike Buffalin, Construct Manager
- Hess Pumice, Pumice Provider
- Thomas Higgins, Saunders Capstone Team
- Karina Alexandra Penaloza, Saunders Capstone Team
- Camila Mota Oliveira, Saunders Capstone Team