Bamboo House Built for Quake Victims
Yan Xiao, an expert in structural design and retrofit in the USC Viterbi School’s Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been experimenting with bamboo-based materials for highly demanding structural uses in China’s Hunan province and recently built the world’s first bamboo truck bridge there, in the city of Leiyang.
He went to nearby Sichuan province on May 13, the day after the earthquake, returned to the Chinese Ministry of Education Key Laboratory at Hunan University, where he has been serving as director, and immediately went to work on a housing solution.
The prototype bamboo quake relief house he built in less than two weeks adopted a modular design that can be adjusted according to specific family needs.
“The modular units are connected by bolts and are easy to manufacture and assemble,” Xiao said. “Four to six workers can assemble a 22.3 square meter (240 square foot) house in about four hours. The majority of the structural materials used are processed bamboo veneer sheets, a kind of bamboo fiber composite.”
Xiao said that interior detailing is similar to the wood frame houses in North America, noting that the design conforms to current U.S. building codes requirements for quake resistance.
“The relief house contains two windows, fans and locations for LPG stove or bath unit, satisfying basic needs for shelter for a family of up to four,” he said.
A first batch of 20 units donated by Hunan University will be sent to the affected area soon, Xiao said. A Chinese newspaper, the China Press, wrote a story about Xiao’s work, leading to contributions for further units.
The cost per square meter of the units as manufactured in China and based on local material costs is about 350 to 500 RMB, or $50-$70 U.S, he said.
Xiao ticked off the advantages of the structures: “Unlike tents, the bamboo quake relief house is insulated for heat and sound, is fireproof, allows residents to secure their possession and is more durable,” he said. “It is also inexpensive compared with temporary houses using other traditional materials, such as light-gauged steel. Finally, bamboo is a green and sustainable construction material, widely available in China and other Asian countries.”
The Chinese government estimated that more than one million relief temporary housing units are needed in Sichuan.
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The Wall Street Journal highlighted the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
KPCC-FM reported that this fall USC will offer Persian language courses for the first time. A $250,000 grant from the Farhang Foundation helped to establish the program. Bruce Zuckerman of the USC Dornsife College said he has many students interested in the Persian language, culture and region. “The Iranian region is one that has great impact on our lives today and has had great impact going back into ancient times,” he said. The story noted that USC and the Farhang Foundation hope to raise more money to create an Iranian studies minor. Payvand also featured the new courses.
American Songwriter ran a Q&A with Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about the school’s Popular Music program, which Sampson founded. He noted that the program has been available as a major in Songwriting since 2009, and has incorporated a diverse range of musical genres. “We have now established a consistent track record of students having professional success to know that the program gets results,” Sampson said. He also highlighted the achievements of Songwriting faculty members Lamont Dozier, Andrea Stolpe and David Poe of the Thornton School.
The Economist featured research by Valter Longo of the USC Davis School finding that short periods of fasting could help cancer patients better tolerate chemotherapy, and may even make treatment more effective. The Globe and Mail (Canada) reported that cancerous tumors are essentially energy hogs. “They need to burn lots of energy just to stay alive,” Longo said. The study was also covered by Irish Independent (Ireland), Magyar Tavirati Iroda (Hungary), Anadolu Ajansi (Turkey), Son Haber (Netherlands), Vietnam+ (Vietnam), Turkish Radio and Television (Turkey) and Romania Libera (Romania).
L.A. Weekly featured research by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, which has developed video games based around physical movement for people recovering from strokes or other injuries. The games develop strength in specific body parts. Traditional video games weren’t right for these patients, said the institute’s Belinda Lange. “Often, the fun parts of the game would only be unlocked after a series of other levels, which our patients often couldn’t achieve,” she said. The games are now being tested with physical therapists in three major clinics.
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