Demotech, design for self reliance


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On this page you can find photo series on how to construct certain applications as well as photo series of more genral nature. This section is still under construction, but feel free to look around.;

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Water Emergency Control


Precautions against the effects of often recurring floods need to be taken at a collective as well as at household level. Such measures should be within the reach of the local community, where governmental care is not to be expected.
The ideas, here presented give a general idea how they can be realized: a raised food storage, an emergency raft, safe access to water at one's yard and a raised pump platform.

  1. Existing open well or tube well, later to be modified
  2. Concrete rings, a brick ring, or a pipe extension.
  3. Compacted clay shapes a ring that must prevent dirty water from seeping in during a flood.
  4. Small rectangular platform accommodates only coming and going users. Three sides are steep enough to moor small boats or to come close enough with a truck.
  5. Steps in the access side prevents slipping in rainy or undulated conditions.
  6. People, waiting for their turn can stand in line, without hindering a person who takes the collected water home.
Two bamboo sticks give easy access to the bag to insert Fe. clothing.
One flat side of the bag extends to make attachments for lifting, attaching or carrying the bag.
Bag is made of a stiff strong grade of plastic sheet..
Rolling the open side makes firm and ( if done well) watertight closure.
A person can carry the bag on the bag. Content can be about 40 liters.
 
Dirt excavated from a 1.5 meter deep and 2 meter wide hole Sheet plastic tube, 0,6 m diameter and 1 m height is placed in the hole, suspended from two sticks (3)
Shallow hole is filled with the clean sand (5), in a way that the sand is added evenly inside and outside the sheet plastic tube Water enters when the area is flooded through the sand fill. It forms a reservoir in the plastic enclosure
Concrete slab makes a infiltration free connection with the sheet plastic tube
A standpipe is cast into the slab. Safe water can be collected in a suitable way from the reservoir, Through the standpipe the reservoir can be chlorided if needed.
Emergency Raft
In flood prone areas a family could prepare for a sudden upcoming flood by making well in advance the composing parts for an emergency raft. When inindation threatens, these part can quickly be assembled into a raft of sufficient size to carry furnarable belongings.
In a number of following up steps, a way to build such a raft is described at Costruction of an Emergency Raft
The storage space is build on top of four concrete pillars. Metal disks prevent rats from entering.