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Dissertation
Engineering of rapidly deployable infrastructure for catastrophic recovery
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Jan 2008
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010645
Abstract
This dissertation modeled a process to design, construct, transport, and privately finance housing and medical facilities that can be rapidly deployed to developing countries around the globe where American engineering and management skills are at a premium. The intent is to provide a new paradigm for the delivery of infrastructure for emergency humanitarian and economic reconstruction. The research fust addressed the challenge of rapid deployment. The problem was solved by developing a strategy to pre-position assets in central locations around the globe in proximity to areas where the probability for potentially catastrophic events was high. This allowed for rapid deployment via traditional overland modes of transportation. A cataloging of catastrophic events in developing countries was performed to create a probability density to predict areas of high demand. The second challenge was to design a modular structure that could be transported via traditional ocean going vessels. This required the development of a configuration that met the frame dimensions of a standard shipping container. This objective was achieved by creating an eight foot base with a four foot cap that could be bundled using conventional stacking protocols. The modules were designed to accommodate normal live and dead loads with special emphasis on seismic and winds loads. The third challenge was to create a business model that would attract investors from the private sector. This required a business strategy that balanced the risks and return on investment. This dissertation encourages the use of public private partnerships (P3s). An overview of international business practices and project financing is provided. In addition, an in depth analysis of the risks to which the international practitioner will be exposed is presented with developed mitigation strategies. A model to quantify those risks is presented using a Beta distribution to calculate an expected value including uncertainty (EVnJ) and a standard deviation with the Central Limit Theorem supporting the creation of a Gaussian distribution to evaluate the potential impacts of the principal uncertainties through traditional Gaussian techniques.
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Details
- Title
- Engineering of rapidly deployable infrastructure for catastrophic recovery
- Creators
- Robert Forney Brehm - Drexel University, Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Contributors
- Joseph Paul Martin (Advisor) - Drexel University, Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xii, 125 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil (and Architectural) Engineering [Historical]; College of Engineering (1970-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021930810404721