JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #71 - March 2012 - 20

emergency

interview

Dr Seiji Okamura PhD Dir. engineering

earthquake that killed over 5,000 Japanese near Osaka in January 1995, I was so shocked to see the terrible living conditions, with no privacy and heavy stress in the public accommodations. Afterward, I tried to design an emergency house offering the maximum possible comfort to victims.
JCM: Are you working in the humanitarian field?

any national disaster at any time. I am also a member of the Blue Sea & Greenland Foundation, YMO21 ( Japanese NPO), Forest & Ocean School ( Japanese NPO), etc.
JCM: How did you come to composites?

house was based on the yacht cabin with a fully equipped kitchen, toilet, bed, water and electric supply system.
JCM: Was your project received favourably by the authorities and the industry?

JEC Composites Magazine: What is behind this project?

Dr S. Okamura: When I visited a place of refuge after the Hanshin-Awaji
solar panels, and refrigerator, among other things. The designer made use of composite materials to build his house, due to their many advantages and easy implementation. The different parts are made of FRP, SMC and sandwich panels. The Quick Cabin house can be reused, of course, and once cleaned, is easily stored until the next time it is needed.

Dr S. O.: Yes, I am working in the humanitarian field as a proactive volunteer for
trophe. Named “Encourage” by its designers, the sanitation unit is transportable and can be assembled in less than an hour. Over and above the hygiene aspect, the sanitation unit is designed to meet the logistic issues that are raised in such situations. Logistics are indeed essential, and low-weight, corrosion-proof composites help to overcome some of the constraints. The lightweight structure is more easily handled, and because it is corrosion proof and easy to assemble, it can be stored in nearly all conditions and anywhere in rainy regions. The shower basin is shared for two showers. It is made of

Dr S. O.: When I was 23 years old, I built my own sailing yacht with composite materials. I sailed alone from Japan to the USA, crossing the Pacific Ocean. The design of my emergency
SMC, with glass sandwich panels for walls and doors. The sanitation unit comes in kit form, with all equipment needed for its operation. It just needs to be connected to a water source – network, tank or tank truck. Both of these examples show that composite materials are well-adapted for this type of situation, not to mention their processability, easy assembly, and strength.

Dr S. O.: Yes. For example, I received the 6th Japanese Manifest Award - Excellence Prize (30 persons out of 1,670 candidates) in November 2011 and a 4,000,000-yen (40,000 euros) prize from the Yamaguchi University for my R&D work in December 2011.

Access to hygiene for all
A solution for a transportable sanitation unit was presented at the November 2011 FRP Con-Ex in Osaka. According to Tanimoto, the company behind the project, the solution can meet hygiene requirements after any catas-

Family sphere for two persons

Emergency evacuation
A specific emergency solution

was also presented for the first time during the 2011 FRP Con-Ex. The NCP Company came up with the solution after the 11 March 2011 events at Fukushima, a catastrophe resulting from a magnitude 9 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku

The solution can meet hygiene requirements after any catastrophe

20 jec composites magazine / No71 March 2012

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #71 - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #71 - March 2012