The project to build a small destacamento (police outpost) in the community of Las Malvinas was decided upon by members of the community as a priority for the Practivistas program to assist in during the months of May-July 2014. By working with the community to construct this destacamento, the community of Las Malvinas, which is far from the urban center and impoverished, will be provided police officers by the government, which will hopefully increase community safety.
Background[edit | edit source]
The project to build a small destacamento has been at minimum several years in the making in the community of Las Malvinas. It had been brought up by residents of the community prior to 2014, but other projects, such as the construction of a small pharmacy, had taken priority. In the months of May through July, 2014 the destacamento was on the list of projects to be started by members of the community and the Practivistas. During a community meeting, the criteria (which are displayed below) were formulated and the search began for a suitable spot to begin construction. This spot was found along a section of one of the main roads through town. This area provides a great deal of accessibility. The destacamento will be built using some relatively environmentally friendly fibercrete blocks (also discussed below), but the idea of using an old shipping container was also evaluated. The minimum goal for the project in 2014 is to build the foundation and the platform on which the rest of the destacamento can be built. This goal was to be met by July 5, 2014.
Objective[edit | edit source]
The community of Las Malvinas is looking to decrease crime by constructing a destacamento. The objective of this project was to design and construct a destacamento using alternative blocks created by the block team. The block team created alternative cement blocks by using coconut husks, sawdust, rice ash, and newspaper mixed with cement.
Criteria[edit | edit source]
This section includes the aspects that the group and community members decided to use for the project. The criteria and constraints were chosen based on how the project will be planned and evaluated. The criteria and weight ranking help determine how much effort will be invested for each different aspect.
Criteria | Constraints | Weight (0-10) |
---|---|---|
Aesthetics | Must be aesthetically pleasing | 8 |
Comfort | Structure is able to withstand high temperatures without becoming excessively hot | 9 |
Economical | Must be within program budget range | 4 |
Replicable | Community members must be able to replicate design | 7 |
Durable | Must be long lasting and able to withstand potential natural disasters | 10 |
Security | Must be secure from potential burglary | 8 |
Sustainable | Materials used are environmentally friendly and sustainable | 10 |
Literature Review[edit | edit source]
See our Literature Review for relevant research completed for this project.
Final Design[edit | edit source]
The final design was created with guidance from local police officers, community members, and traditional destacamento designs. The foundation was dug three feet deep all the way around and filled with rebar before being filled with concrete. The middle trench is used as support for the middle wall. The first room was designed to be bigger than the back room as it will serve as an entry and lobby for police officers stationed in Las Malvinas. The smaller back room will contain a holding cell as well as a bathroom.
Budget[edit | edit source]
This is the cost of materials for the foundation of the destacamento and the first layers of blocks for the walls. Prices are listed in Dominican Pesos.
Material | Quantity | Unit price (RD$) | Total (RD$) |
---|---|---|---|
Rebar | 30 bars (20ft each) | 280 | 8,400 |
Cement bags | 25 | 280 | 7,000 |
Gravel | 10m3 | 200 | 2,000 |
Sand | 10m3 | 280 | 2,800 |
Traditional cement blocks | 315 | 16 | 5,040 |
Total Cost | $25,240.00 |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
Here is a timeline of events associated with the research, design, and construction of the Las Malvinas destacamento.
Task | Date Proposed | Date Completed |
---|---|---|
Complete literature review | 06/06/14 | 06/07/14 |
Establish site location | 06/06/14 | 06/13/14 |
Start digging foundation | 06/06/14 | 06/14/14 |
Design destacamento | 06/13/14 | 06/15/14 |
Finish budget | 06/13/14 | 06/15/14 |
Locate supplies | 06/13/14 | 06/15/14 |
Purchase supplies | 06/15/14 | 06/20/14 |
Finish digging foundation | 06/20/14 | 06/20/14 |
Level ground | 06/20/14 | 06/21/14 |
Finish tying rebar | 06/22/14 | 06/24/14 |
Pour concrete for foundation | 06/21/14 | 06/24/14 |
Lay brick | 06/22/14 | 07/01/14 |
Finish foundation | 06/23/14 | 07/01/14 |
Lay bricks for walls | 06/25/14 | 07/01/14 |
Construction[edit | edit source]
Team[edit | edit source]
