Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Changes

The first day of tire construction exceeded expectations of all involved. Ten workers packed over 30 tires on the first work day while we had predicted that the first few days would be a bit slower. The next morning an unexpected puddle was discovered in one of the trenches. Construction was put on hold until a geologist and an engineer could visit the site. We had to find out if the water would pose a problem for the project.

Through asking these questions we were informed that the bigger problem was the Polochic fault which incidentally runs through San Lucas. Experts anticipate a large quake on this fault which would lead to a catastrophic collapse of the tire wall. Needless to say, we will not build a wall. The workers immediately started removing the tires while new plans were engineered.
The pooling water turned out to be a spring. Pressure from the waterlogged upper hill is causing the lower hill to collapse. Therefore, we are in the process of digging a well and connecting it to a house while also building extensive drainage. These modifications will extend the life of the existing hills and reduce the risk of collapse.

Without the generous donations I received from the United States, we wouldn’t have had enough funds to make these changes. So, I thank all the donors again for supporting this project. With over 700 tires waiting to be used, trained masons are eager to use this simple technology in San Lucas. Plans are underway to use some of the tires to build 1 meter tall retaining walls along the main road in town to prevent dirt from washing into the street during the raining season. This will serve as a visual reminder of what is possible to do with the remaining tires and used tires that can be collected in the future from surrounding urban areas.

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