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The Civil and Mechanical Engineering department at the United States Military Academy has teamed up with The Center for Earthquake Resistant Housing to work toward affordable, easily constructed earthquake resistant housing in developing countries. A series of independent study projects involving design, analysis and research are being developed as courses for small teams of cadets. Each course will focus on a specific piece of the large project, helping to move it along more quickly. These projects will provide opportunities for life-long learning and community service, while allowing undergraduates to take on a complex, real-world problem with social, political and economical aspects. The goals of the first project will be discussed and recommendations for achieving the most from this type of course format will be provided. Introduction Research has shown that experiential project-based learning provides context for material learned in the classroom and engages students in their own learning, resulting in enhanced understanding of technical material and its application. Allowing students to work together in teams and the opportunity to work closely with faculty and other professionals has also been shown to improve learning and the desire to continue learning. 1,2,3,4,5 With this in mind, the Civil and Mechanical Engineering department at the United States Military Academy (USMA) has developed a program of individual study projects that senior cadets may select as elective courses. The Civil Engineering (CE) independent study project provides an opportunity for cadets to work in small teams to tackle real-world engineering challenges. Cadets work with one or more faculty members who guide them through the project, but the cadets work independently and are responsible for the project. The independent study provides opportunities for cadets to apply what they have learned in the classroom, do self-directed learning, do research, and begin to see how social, political and economic issues tie into engineering problems. 6,7 “The CE independent study course objectives are to • Apply the engineering thought process to develop a creative solution to an open-ended engineering problem. • Produce a high-quality design/analysis/research report. • Present a high-quality oral briefing • Prepare for life-long intellectual growth, through self-directed learning” 6 The skills utilized in the Safe Housing project also tie in well with several skills outlined in ABET criterion 3: • an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs • an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems P ge 10042.1 Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society of Engineering Education • an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility • an ability to communicate effectively • ...understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context • a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning • a knowledge of contemporary issues • an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice 8 Service-based project learning is not always emphasized in engineering education, but has a long history at USMA where it is an integral part of the Academy’s mission: “ To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; professional growth throughout a career as an officer in the United States Army; and a lifetime of selfless service to the nation.” 9 Servicebased projects can provide a strong sense of technical accomplishment, along with a strong sense of social accomplishment in providing a needed service to a community or organization. The project discussed here builds on the cadets’ technical expertise and uses this special technical knowledge to help in the effort to provide safer housing in developing areas of the world, thus providing both a technical and social accomplishment for the cadets. The Center for Earthquake Resistant Housing was established by Dr. Elizabeth Hausler to reduce the deaths and injuries caused by housing failures during earthquakes by creating long-term practical change in developing countries. The high death tolls in the 2001 Bhuj, India and 2003 Bam, Iran earthquakes inspired the establishment of the center, which will focus on low-cost building methods using local materials and labor in each area. 10 The initial project undertaken in 2005 will focus on housing in the northern India states of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. Housing in Northern India Unreinforced masonry houses using adobe, mud bricks, rubble stone and dressed stone are common in many rural areas of India 11,12 where the population is generally poor. These are usually built by local unskilled masons using local materials, resulting in poor craftsmanship (See Figures 1 and 2). This type of building has performed poorly in past earthquakes, including the 2001 Bhuj, India earthquake which killed over 13,000 people 12,13 . One proposed solution is to add reinforced concrete bands at the plinth, sill and lintel levels of burnt brick and cement mortar houses with a concrete slab roof 12 . This solution is currently being used for reconstruction efforts in India after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake and is being discussed for use in rebuilding areas in 11 countries devastated by the 2005 Tsunami in Southeast Asia. However, it is not currently clear that this solution will be effective in reducing loss of life and home. The first CE independent study had 2 senior cadets investigate the effectiveness of this proposed solution applied to two different house layouts.

Providing Safe Housing Through Independent Study