Alternative construction methods and materials
Hi Nana,
My name is Jorge and I am with you in the L4C workshop. I came to your user page as an exercise for Tutorial 8. I have just read your profile and your interests and I found this very interesting for me. I am a civil engineer and I have worked with common materials as concrete and steel, but I going to learn more about alternative materials and if I can help, take me into account for this.
Best regards,
Jorge
Good morning, Jorge,
Thank you so much for your message this morning. It was great to hear from you in Mexico, since that is a place that I always have wanted to visit.
I see that you work in the petrochemical industry. Perhaps you may wish to explore opportunities for work here in Ghana. Did you know that a large oil discovery was made last year offshore from Cape Three Points, which is just a few miles from where I am sitting just now? As a result, the country is experiencing the beginning of an "oil boom" and we are wondering how it will affect life here. No doubt Mexicans may have some experiences to share with Ghanaians on the potential for good and bad as a result of this unexpected potential wealth.
It is also interesting to me when you speak of working with "common" materials as concrete and steel. My wife and I acted as our own building contractors to build our hotel Web site. My experience with concrete and steel and cement block was limited to having cast concrete floors on my farm!!! Building a three story building resulted in a very steep learning curve for me. The entire building was built without the use of any mechanization. All of the concrete was mixed by hand with shovels on a mixing pad, and transported up with head pans. Blocks were all mixed by hand and formed in very simple manual block forms. Perhaps this type of construction is still practiced in rural areas of Mexico?
Well, let us keep in touch, Jorge. There seems to be great potential for many things coming out of this WikiEd project - I have been enjoying the experience a great deal. It is also a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and exchange ideas and experiences.
Best wishes,
Nana
