The earthquake that struck northern Pakistan in October 2005 was one of the most devastating ever recorded, because the quake was centered at a shallow depth and therefore had greater destructive intensity.

Tens of thousands of people died and more than 3 million were left homeless.

While international aid agencies responded quickly, it was a local Pakistan company using FRAMECAD technology that was one of the first groups to provide emergency housing.

Here’s how it happened, according to New Zealand based FRAMECAD building consultant, Glen Tasker:

Fast response

“I received a phone call here in New Zealand in the middle of the night from a government minister in Pakistan seeking our urgent assistance.

“We had sold FRAMECAD equipment to a company in Pakistan, Metecno, and had been closely involved in training their people in the operation of the machinery and cold steel frame construction techniques.

“The company had been using our technology successfully for about a year or so when the earthquake struck.

“Fortunately, we had a technician on site in Pakistan, and after discussing the situation with him, we developed plans for a fast track barracks-style building, 33m x 12 metres, with a central corridor and five rooms off each side of the corridor.

“It was the most practical solution to an urgent problem to get some facilities up and running as quickly and simply as possible.

“I sent the plans the next day and they immediately went ahead and built quite a number of these units in a very short space of time.

“The barrack-style building was a temporary fix, but it lead to a more permanent, long term solution.

“Using the FRAMECAD system, Metecno developed a simple, fast-build 36 sq metre steel framed house which they were able to construct in large numbers quickly and economically.

“The FRAMECAD system was ideally suited because it’s simple, economical, quick, and most importantly, homes can be designed and engineered for earthquake conditions providing greater protection and safety should another seismic event occur.”

Quick Facts

• Northern Pakistan lies in the area of collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The geological activity created by this collision is also responsible for the birth of the Himalayan mountain range and is the cause of unstable seismicity in the region.
• Subsequent satellite analysis of the mountain parts directly above the epicenter of the 2005 quake have shown that the Himalayas have risen significantly, and continue to rise. Geological surveys suggest further seismic events are likely in the future.
• FRAMECAD has recently developed a mobile steel frame fabrication factory ideally suited for emergency relief and sustainable reconstruction following natural disasters.
• Housed in a modified 20ft-shipping container, the FRAMECAD™ Mobile Factory can quickly deployed into virtually any location and made operational within 24 hours.

Using FRAMECAD technology, Metecno developed a simple 32 sq metre house that could be built quickly, economically and in large numbers to provide urgent relief following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

Tags : disaster relief, earthquake, Pakistan, steel frame