Resilience and durability

Many regions and cities around the world are vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards. Due to climate change, extreme weather events and climate disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and floods will increase in frequency and intensity. Many regions suffer from changing rainy seasons, higher temperatures, sea level rise and earthquakes, and especially developing countries are disproportionately affected by climate change. Housing has to be climate-resilient and must be able to cope with the impact of climate change. Integrating climate smart building principles in sustainable affordable housing is crucial to provide climate resilience for households. 

Resilience to climate disasters

Easy Housing has taken several measures to make its building system resistant to natural disasters. Firstly, the choice of materials is very important. Timber has several qualities that make it resilient to such disasters. Trees are strong yet flexible and lightweight, enabling them to withstand the force of strong winds and extreme weather conditions. This means that timber has excellent engineering properties that cannot be matched by any other material (Naturally Wood, 2022). For example, timber is much more flexible than other building materials like concrete and steel, enabling it to withstand high loads for short periods of time and retain its elasticity and strength. This is especially important during earthquakes and extremely strong winds. In addition, timber construction frames weigh less than concrete and steel frames, reducing inertial seismic forces. 

Secondly, Easy Homes have been engineered to withstand natural disasters. For example, the repetitive framing structures improve the buildings’ ability to withstand strong winds, as it provides multiple load paths for such extreme forces. This reduces the chance that the structure will collapse if some connections fail. The technical design of the building systems makes Easy Houses resilient against hurricanes up to and including category 4. 

In addition, Easy Housing uses an elevated wooden floor, allowing water to flow beneath the house during floods. The height of the elevation can be adjusted to how flood prone the area is, ranging from 35 cm elevation (standard) to up to 80 cm elevation. The foundation is done by small concrete blocks, timber poles or screw foundations. The foundation can be reinforced depending on the soil type, so that it will not erode or sink during flood events. The foundation details can also be recalibrated in height to level out the building in case severe floods cause the foundation points to sink or move slightly.  

Durability

Many people believe that buildings made from concrete or steel have a longer durability than timber homes. However, this is not the case. Timber is one of the oldest building materials on earth and building with timber has a long and rich history. Many countries around the world have been using timber for construction for thousands of years. Today, more and more countries are again embracing the value, sustainability, living comfort and aesthetics of wooden homes. And in many countries, such as the United States and Sweden, most residential buildings are already made out of timber. Building with timber, when done right, provides homes that can last for centuries. There are many examples around the world of old timber buildings that are still in pristine stage despite their age, such as the Horyuji Temple in Japan that was built in 607 AD. Also in African climates, timber structures can easily last for more than a century. For example, Uganda has timber homes of more than 90 years old, located at the Makerere University Campus. Many more examples can be found on the continent. In general timber buildings can easily last for over a 100 years when properly maintained, even in tropical climates. Easy Housing uses high quality timber from Busoga Forestry Company, which is kiln-dried, planed and pressure treated against termites. This is a treatment that does not wear off, and indefinitely protects the timber against termite attack. 

Another important aspect for ensuring a long lifespan is using good technical details and good craftsmanship. The engineers at Easy Housing have developed our technical details in line with international standards and building codes. For example, all parts of the structure can ventilate, which ensures that the timber structure will not be affected by rot. The details around the windows are sealed off with silicone to prevent any rainwater ingress, and the roof eaves around the house ensure that rainwater is guided away from the structure. We use imported screws from Rotho Blaas to ensure high quality and strong structural connections. 

This way, Easy Homes are engineered and built to last longer than a lifetime! However, like with any building, regular inspection and maintenance of your home plays an important role in ensuring this long lifespan. The following information will guide you in that.

*Naturally Wood (2022, March 25). Durability. Retrieved on 21 September 2023, from https://www.naturallywood.com/wood-performance/durability/