ISSN: 2643-6876 DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.

000754

Current Trends in
Civil & Structural Engineering

Research Article Copyright © All rights are reserved by Juan Pérez Valcárcel

Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Countries:

CODEMOSCH Project

Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón
ETS Architecture, Universidade da Coruña, Campus da Zapateira, Spain

*Corresponding author: Juan Pérez-Valcárcel, Emeritus Professor, ETS Received Date: May 28, 2024
Architecture, Campus da Zapateira, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
Published Date: June 06, 2024

Abstract
The objective of this research is the development of temporary buildings that can be available for an emergency situation and be implemented
quickly and efficiently in the area affected by the emergency. The methodology adopted consists of the development of a system of pre-storable
modules that take up as little space as possible, can be used immediately and, when they are no longer needed, can be repaired, stored and reused
in other in other situations requiring their use. When the emergency occurs, they are transported in compact blocks and installed wherever they
are needed, with minimal site preparation and using reduced auxiliary means. The basic idea is a container that can be resolved in various ways, of
which this study has focused on three: modules assembled in a workshop and transported directly to the emergency site, modules built in pieces
and assembled on site, and folding modules in which the facades, side walls and interior partitions are folded into a very compact package that
allows for easy transport and particularly rapid assembly. In all cases, innovative solutions are presented which considerably improve on previous
proposals. The three modules mentioned have been built at the ETS of Architecture of A Coruña (Spain), which has allowed us to analyse their
viability in practice and to detect points of improvement for further research in this field. Finally, a critical review is made of the results and the
possible improvements detected.
Keywords: Temporary housing; Shelter; Post-disaster housing; Modular building; Sustainability; Disaster relief; Emergency; Refugees; Transitional
Abbreviations: UNHCR: United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees; IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent; OCHA:
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; OXFAM: Oxford Committee for Famine Relief; FEMA: Federal Emergency
Management Agency; UNDRO: United Nations Disaster Relief Office; IDMC: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre; IOM: International Organization
for Migration; CODEMOSCH: Deployable and modular constructions for humanitarian disasters

Introduction
Day after day, the media show images of displaced people in these people are usually hosted in refugee camps. UNHCR defines
dramatic situations, resulting from natural disasters, war or oth- them as “human settlements with an anatomy and characteristics
er human conflicts. According to the Global Trends report of the designed to care for those fleeing war or armed conflict. They are
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, in mid- generally located in border territories, not far from conflict zones.
2021, the number of displaced people in the world reached 89.3 They must be designed to meet the basic needs of the people they
million, the highest number since the Second World War [1]. All of accommodate: shelter, food, education, health, among others. Al-

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License CTCSE.MS.ID.000754. Page 1 of 17
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

though a refugee camp is designed to house the population on a dispersed settlements, mass settlements and camps [4]. In the
temporary basis, reality shows that the vast majority of the host first, refugees settle with relatives or in inhabited areas that host
population spends several years in them, so that the camps often them. It is quick to implement and low-cost, although it will pres-
turn into cities of hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, with all the ent social and management problems with the displaced popula-
consequences that this implies. A significant example is Dadaab, the tion. Mass settlement will consist of seeking shelter in pre-existing
largest refugee camp in the world according to UNHCR, created for facilities such as sports halls or schools as a temporary or transit
victims fleeing the war in Somalia, with more than 240,000 refu- situation. The advantages are immediacy and the fact that urban
gees, and in operation for more than 20 years) services are often available. The problem is that these services are
overloaded; facilities are damaged and lost for their original use [5].
https://eacnur.org/es/actualidad/noticias/emergencias/da-
Finally, camps are places built ex-process to accommodate a partic-
daab-el-1o-de-los-8-campos-de-refugiados- mas-del-mundo
ular group of refugees. UNHCR points out that they are the worst
The management of these camps will have complex logistics. possible option, but often the only viable one. They usually occupy
There are various publications and guides, which compile the dif- undeveloped areas, which means that all the logistical problems in-
ferent experiences that have taken place, normally published by volved in occupying a site for a large number of people have to be
international agencies and non-governmental organisations. For solved. One advantage of this system is that services can be central-
obvious reasons, many of these recommendations refer to non- de- ized in a more efficient way, as well as facilitating the management
veloped countries, which makes them very useful in that environ- of the refugee population. There are many disadvantages, such as
ment, but less suitable for camps located in developed countries, overcrowding and the often unhealthy and inhumane conditions.
although the problem has reached these countries as shown by
However, many of these documents refer to spontaneous, transi-
the experiences of Moria in Lesbos (Greece) or Calais (France) [2].
tional and temporary refugee camps that have arisen on the ground
In addition to the serious refugee problem, many other situations
due to conflicts. In recent years, however, displacement camps of
may make emergency buildings necessary. Firstly, migratory move-
the permanent type on European soil, such as those on the island
ments, which is an increasingly pressing problem, especially in the
of Lesbos in Greece, have gained in importance. These new camps
countries of southern Europe and the USA. However, natural di-
are medium- and long-term resettlements, and now more than ever
sasters such as earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, etc. should
they need to be planned and designed to offer not just simple ac-
not be forgotten either. In all these cases, solutions must be simple,
commodation but some technical and human dignity [6,7]. Both
cheap and reusable in order to optimise their cost and have them
international agency and NGO staff often lack the practical knowl-
available as quickly as necessary. All indications are that the current
edge to address technical issues that are extremely complex and
climate change situation will make weather phenomena increasing-
potentially controversial. The SPHERE Handbook, a crosscutting
ly damaging.
document from several NGOs, sets out recommendations for camp
This article analyses various solutions proposed during the design and management, which it calls the Design Norm [8]. These
development of a research project carried out by the authors [3]. standards, many of whose parameters and guidelines we include in
In this project, two types of buildings have been analysed. On the this paper are the result of the collective experience of many indi-
one hand, buildings intended for accommodation, for which vari- viduals and organizations and therefore do not represent the views
ous proposals based on transportable and reusable modules have of any particular government body or agency (Table 1). They start
been studied. On the other hand, buildings for community services from the following units of development, always from the bottom
such as canteens, medical services, religious services, meeting cen- up (starting with housing and ending with the countryside). The
tres, etc. were studied. For these buildings, the use of deployable conditions for the establishment of a camp can be reduced to the
structures was proposed, a type of solution in which our team has need for a reasonably flat terrain, with a suitable climate, security
extensive experience. Given the scope of the project developed, this and access conditions [9]. As the area allocated to each family/per-
article will analyse the proposals designed and built for emergency son, the standards are established in the Table 2.
modular buildings, leaving the buildings for community services to
For camps, an estimated minimum area of 45 m² per person,
be developed in subsequent publications.
including the family land, can be assumed. This land includes gener-
Study of the Basic Requirements and Parameters of al services, communal areas and administrative and storage build-
Refugee Camps ings. In any case, UNHCR (2016) recommends not going below 35
m² per person [10]. The organization should be done by districts or
To analyse this aspect, it is useful to use the recommendations sectors (1 per 5,000 persons), neighbourhood units (4 per district
of intergovernmental organisations that have been studying the is- < 1,250 persons c.u.), cluster (10 per neighbourhood < 80 persons
sue for a long time, such as the UNHCR Emergency Handbook, Shel- c.u.) and households (16 per cluster < 4-6 persons c.u.). A cluster
ter after disaster, Sphere Handbook, etc., which provide a wealth is understood as a unit of dwellings and services: latrines, dining
of information. Thus, UNHCR establishes three types of settlement: room and a communal space (15m2).

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 2 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Table 1: Development units for the design of a refugee camp.

Module Composition Approximate number of persons

Family 1 family 4-6 persons
Community 16 families 80 persons
Block 16 communities 1,250 persons
Sector 4 blocks 5,000 persons
Camp 4 sectors 20,000 persons

Table 2: Generic indicators for the establishment of refugee camp areas. UNHCR 1996.

Geographical environment Area

Europe or Asia (cold winters) 5.00-6.00 m²
Africa (hot climate) 3.50 m²
Allocated area per person Area
Minimum covered area per person 3.50-4.50 m²
Minimum total area per person 30-45 m²

This starts by analysing the family unit, which, logically, will influence the design of dwellings and clusters. This is extensible to
depend on cultural and ethnic criteria. Distance to water supply the concept of “family”: groups of women, children only, families
and latrines is analysed; the relationship with other members of that have been divided and all the possible social casuistry.
the community and the type of habitual dwelling of the affected
Emergency Shelter for Populations in Emergency
population. The so-called Transit Camps deserve special mention.
These are designed to temporarily re-house refugees during their Situations
displacement and to be able to transfer the occupants to their final The issue has attracted the attention of numerous international
location. It has been a model that has worked quite well in Germany agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Ref-
[11]. They are temporary facilities with short-term stays, in the or- ugees, UNHCR, IFRC and NGOs such as Shelter Centre and Oxfam
der of 2-5 days, with a very high turnover of people. Their size will International, which have produced a series of response manu-
depend on the population to be managed. It has been a model that als [12-16]. In these manuals, the shelter solution after a disaster
has worked quite well in Germany. Modules with a surface area of is differentiated according to the time that has elapsed since the
3 m²/person are used. For sanitation, 20 people per latrine and 50 event. For example, the IFRC Shelter after Disaster manual distin-
per shower. For kitchen, the needs of 100 m² per 500 persons are guishes between a three-phase strategy (emergency shelter, tran-
assumed. Settlement access, road infrastructure and proximity to sitional shelter and permanent shelter) and a two-phase strategy
humanitarian transport hubs need to be evaluated. Site risks and (protracted emergency shelter and transitional-definitive shelter),
site security should be analysed. Primary storage and food distri- establishing differentiated strategies and solutions for each phase
bution points should be accessible by heavy trucks throughout the [14]. Quarantelli proposes a four-phase model (emergency shelter,
year. All other facilities can be accessible by light vehicles. Inland temporary shelter, transitional housing and permanent housing)
roads and tracks must allow safe movement through the camp that has been considered more appropriate to the technological sit-
throughout the year. The layout of paths should avoid isolated and uation in developed countries [17]. After the emergency, the first
hidden areas, as they present risks to the personal safety of users. action is phase 1, which provides immediate shelter for those af-
The settlement is to be provided with appropriate accessibility fected, the so-called ‘emergency shelter’. Tents or similar systems
measures for people with reduced mobility. are most effective for this purpose. They are easy to erect, easy to
In order to meet these objectives, two types of buildings are transport and inexpensive, but they deteriorate quickly. Their lifes-
necessary. On the one hand, it is necessary to resolve the accom- pan is usually limited to one year and often does not exceed six
modation, preferably at family level or at least in a small group with months [18].
previous links, which avoids possible conflicts. On the other hand, it Subsequently, temporary shelters (phase 2) or temporary
is necessary to resolve community services with buildings capable housing (phase 3) are set up. Temporary shelter is defined as an
of adapting to different uses in order to reduce costs. This is very enclosure where a family or group can reside immediately after the
important, as available resources are often scarce and cost contain- disaster for a short period and which serves only as accommoda-
ment makes it possible to help a larger number of people. Neither tion: the provision of food and other basic services are dealt with on
can it be forgotten that we are dealing with very varipsional situa- a communal basis. Temporary shelter’ is defined as housing, usually
tions where the cultural or religious environment must necessarily minimal, but which allows the occupants to resume domestic and

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 3 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

possibly work activities. Figure 1 shows three examples of these enda mediagua) from Chile, which is a type of prefabricated social
three phases: A standard tent (phase 1), an emergency shelter de- housing designed for people who are homeless or have lost their
signed by Shigeru Ban (phase 2) and a temporary dwelling (vivi- homes due to natural disasters (phase 3) [19].

Figure 1: Types of emergency buildings. Emergency shelter, temporary shelter and temporary housing.

For the first phase, the tent solution is undoubtedly the most not mean discarding solutions that may be interesting.
effective, but due to the short lifespan of the tents, it is not suit-
The tent system is not suitable in developed countries beyond
able for subsequent phases. For shelters or temporary housing, the
the first moment of emergency, which should not exceed days or
solutions point to reconstruction and self-build processes, as the
weeks. It is possible to establish settlements, urban and town-plan-
manuals are often oriented towards developing countries.
ning facilities and prefabricated buildings of sufficient quality, both
Moreover, current migrations have shifted the conflict over the in terms of habitability and construction quality. The still common
housing of displaced populations to developed countries, so that view that prefabricated construction is an “under-construction”
the strategies traditionally proposed by the manuals, such as hous- is today very erroneous and does not correspond to reality [20].
ing with relatives or self-construction, are of very limited effective- Nor does self-build construction seem to be an option in developed
ness as the conditions that make them viable do not exist. It should countries: there are technicians, specialists, administrative pro-
also be added that much of the accommodation demanded is only cesses, etc. that can be adapted to the situation, but which cannot
temporary, given that the desired destination is another country. be avoided beyond an initial emergency. Agencies also point out
Notwithstanding the above, some authors have stressed the impor- that prefabricated housing is expensive. The tent is much cheap-
tance of prefabrication in these situations as well [20]. er. However, of course, that is in unit cost. If you look at the bigger
picture, over 5 years several tents will be needed, which increases
Prefabricated construction, or at least technically up-to-date
the cost and affects the quality of life. On the other hand, tent camps
prefabricated construction, has been avoided in emergencies. This
are not acceptable in developed countries, where there are suffi-
may be logical in situations in underdeveloped countries due to
cient resources [23]. A prefabricated building can be a home, as the
lack of technology, transport difficulties, etc., but often the conse-
Fukushima case has shown, but a tent will never be. A case in point
quence is that refugees in camps may stay in tents for years or in
is the transitional housing built at the initiative of the British gov-
very flimsy constructions made of plastic, self-built, etc., with the
ernment at the end of World War II. This initiative involved the cre-
resulting lack of comfort and dehumanization. This reasoning must
ation of more than 150,000 houses. The cost at the time was around
be reversed in developed countries with construction technology
£1,400, more expensive than a traditional brick building, which
in the rise, means of transport, implementation, speed, etc. This
would be around £1,000. However, many of these houses have re-
will mean adequate standards of quality and comfort. Agencies are
mained in use for more than 65 years, although they were not origi-
suspicious of this type of construction, partly because of cultural
nally expected to have a lifespan of more than 10 years [24].
inertia and partly because of oversupply: there are innumerable
designs, whether from private technicians, universities, agencies, In situations of natural disaster, where the majority of the pop-
etc. It is common to find activists criticizing these prototypes, often ulation remains in the area, the tent solution does not seem rea-
from ideological and non-technical positions. The large container sonable either, beyond the first instance. This call for prefabrica-
and modular construction companies are often used, as they are tion has a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, it involves the
practically the only ones capable of responding quickly to a situa- pre-fabrication of construction elements that will be assembled
tion that arises. This response has its consequences: lack of adapta- to a greater or lesser degree at the destination (partial or compo-
tion of the solutions to the displaced populations, possible corrup- nent prefabrication), which is currently unavoidable in developed
tion, etc. [21,22]. If there are dysfunctions, it will be necessary to countries. In addition, the pre- fabrication of shelters that remain
look for weaknesses in the process and improve them, but this does stockpiled until their use becomes necessary (total or overall pre-

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 4 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

fabrication). This second approach proposes the creation of a bank IFRC, among other agencies, points out that shelters must be adapt-
of temporary shelters per country, region or supranational entity ed to each specific implementation, and that the necessary charac-
that can be easily transferred to the emergency sites. This shelter teristics cannot be extrapolated [14]. However, it does seem inter-
pool needs to be complemented by other complementary/alterna- esting that these shelters can be relocated, upgraded and reused
tive systems and buildings for common services as necessary. The either in whole or in parts. Moreover, in these aspects’ construction
need for such systems became evident in the crisis on the island of technology opens new doors.
La Palma [25].
Modular Emergency Buildings Proposed in the
Temporary shelters have been the subject of numerous designs CODEMOSCH Project
using a variety of systems and materials. There are numerous pro-
posals based on the use of panels [26,27], deployable bar structures In the CODEMOSCH research project, various solutions have
[28-30], cardboard tube structures [31], and other solutions. Emer- been studied focusing on phases 2 and 3 according to the Quar-
gency shelters are designed for temporary accommodation in the antelli classification, the so-called T-shelters, that is, temporary
first period after the tent phase has passed, but can also be useful shelters and temporary housing. Six homes have been analysed for
for accommodation of different groups needed in an emergency emergencies, half of which were built. The three that were left at
situation such as health workers, military, fire-fighters, etc. who in the project level are included in the type of variable geometry shel-
many cases are initially housed in tents. Transitional housing de- ters according to the classification of Tosum and Maden [36]. They
signs have generally been developed along two lines of research. are the Octógono housing [37], a solution with deployable bar yurts
The first type of proposals is based on easily transportable rect- [38] and an emergency shelter with deployable modules of simple
angular modules that can be grouped together to achieve larger scissors [39]. In addition to these proposals, prototypes of the oth-
dwellings to accommodate larger groups or families [32]. A very er three have been built (transportable modules assembled in the
common type of proposal is based on the reuse of containers. Due workshop, transportable modules in pieces and modules with de-
to the large number of existing proposals and the storage difficul- ployable panels) that fall into the group of ‘Structures with variable
ties they pose, no research has been carried out in our study. Other mobility’ of the previous authors. Specifically, the first type is clas-
researchers have focused on proposals for small modules that can sified as “Portable partially relocatable”, the second as “Demount-
be assembled on site and that allow groupings with flexible designs. able” and the third as “Relocatable”.
They have the disadvantage that on-site assembly is more compli- In the study of emergency shelters, the Octagon shelter has
cated and therefore does not allow immediate action as in other been considered most significant, as the other two are deployable
cases [33]. The materials are also very diverse, as are the construc- bar structures that have been analysed in other articles. This is a
tion approaches. In some cases, the module is designed from simple 32 m2 deployable octagonal module capable of accommodating five
elements that are assembled on site, such as the self-built shelter people. Its folded dimensions are 2.25x 2.25x2.25x2.25 m with an
in wood and agglomerated cork panels [34]. Interesting solutions approximate weight of 704 kg, which allows five units to be trans-
have also been proposed with panels that fold around a central core ported per standard sea container, reducing transport and storage
containing the toilets and unfold to form a complete dwelling [35]. costs. It includes in the package itself the necessary furnishings,
In most of the cases analysed, the modules are designed to be such as a table, bunks, cupboard panels, stools, shelves, sink and
built on a single floor. The difficulties of finding free land with suit- cooker. Also, rainwater harvesting tanks with a capacity of 250 l
able conditions in developed countries have already been pointed (Figure 2). The outer cladding is a double layer of 0.5 mm polypro-
out, which is why solutions that allow groupings in height are al- pylene. The interior enclosures are separated by folding curtains of
ways an advantage. This is one of the aspects that has been tak- the same material, including a dressing room for women with an in-
en into account in the development of the project and most of the terior safety lock (Figure 3). Despite the undoubted interest of the
solutions used allow for multi-storey buildings. For practical use, proposal, the budgetary constraints of the project have prevented
it is considered that the most advantageous groupings are those of the construction of a prototype.
two or three levels. Another important aspect that has been taken Most of the research has focused on transitional housing, for
into account in the project is the design of easily storable and reus- which specific conditions have been set that are considered reason-
able modules. It is an important advantage that the modules can be able in the context of emergencies in developed countries. In what
manufactured prior to the disaster and properly stored in order to follows, the study will focus on the three modules built as part of
be able to respond immediately to the shelter needs of the affect- the research. The modules designed are in all cases transportable
ed population. Moreover, once the emergency situation is over, the and reusable. A stock of prefabricated dwellings is available, ready
modules should be able to be stored again and reused in similar to be used as transitional housing in the event of an emergency.
situations that may occur at a later date. The proposed modules can be transported to the emergency area
Another possibility is rapid manufacturing solutions for pre- and assembled with simple means. Their dimensions allow them
viously developed dwellings: BIM technologies being used in con- to be transported without the need for special vehicles and in some
struction, together with numerical control machinery, can signifi- cases, they can be transported fully assembled, in others in easily
cantly reduce design and construction times, so that there does not assembled pieces and in others folded for transport and unfolded
even have to be a specific stock of units stored for later use. The once they are in the camp. Although it is not essential, it is very con-

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 5 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

venient that the modules can be grouped horizontally and vertically out the need to use special vehicles. These modules can be attached
in compact units and preferably on several levels for the reasons to form larger groupings of various types. Figure 4 shows some of
indicated above. Of the three proposed modules, two of them can be the distributions made with simple modules and Figure 5 shows
stacked on several levels and the third is transported with the cover various groupings of modules that allow for homes with greater ac-
folded, which allows two useful levels to be available. To achieve commodation. In the CODEMOSCH project, three types of modules
these objectives, the basic unit is considered to be a rectangle with have been designed and built in response to three different manu-
a maximum width of 2.80 m, which allows its transportation with- facturing strategies, the characteristics of which are set out below.

Figure 2: Shelter deployment: plan and section views.

Figure 3: Interior view of the module (Joel Cotardo).

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 6 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Figure 4: Solutions with simple modules (Francesca Cetta).

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 7 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Figure 5: Solutions with grouped modules (Francesca Cetta).

Transportable modules assembled in the workshop The company Emsamble, a collaborator in this project, self-
lessly built an experimental building with the characteristics of an
(complete prefabrication, but with volume reduction)
emergency building (Figure 6). It is made up of two modules that
First, the possibility of using modules prefabricated entirely were assembled in the workshop with the cover folded to allow it
in the workshop, capable of being easily transported to the place to be transported without the need to use a special vehicle and its
where they are needed, was studied. This strategy allows a very design sought to overcome the tube appearance that usually accom-
quick response so that the houses can be ready for use in a few panies this type of housing, allowing greater interior space (Figure
days: the house leaves the workshop fully assembled and equipped 7). Due to budgetary limitations, furniture was not included, leav-
and only needs to be connected to the supply networks. Its main ing the module for use as a display. However, an important aspect
disadvantage is that it requires ample space for storage and that of the research was to analyse the hygrothermal behaviour in vari-
transport needs require maximum dimensions fixed by the permit- ous real radiation incidences, which gives it its unique shape, which
ted gauges. Generally, these modules are made up of a dwelling or may seem whimsical. This shape also made it possible to analyse
part of it developed at ground level, which is a strong limitation as the problems of resolving knots and encounters beyond a mere
it occupies a lot of land. The proposed model is based on a module prismatic construction, which is probably the most logical and
with a folding roof, so that it can be transported in a more compact economical shape. This research concluded in 2021 and its results
form and adjusted to the maximum gauges set by the regulations. were published in 2024. The building was installed on September
By unfolding the roof in its final location, a living space can be cre- 17, 2018 on the A Zapateira campus of the University of A Coruña
ated on the upper floor, which increases the housing capacity of the and its deployment was carried out in one day [40].
house.

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 8 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Figure 6: Current status of the built prototype and planned accommodation distribution.

Figure 7: Module installation phases.

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 9 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

With the experience obtained in this building, an improved people to be accommodated in a single module (Figure 8) and up
model is proposed that allows better use for emergencies. It is im- to twelve in a set of two attached modules (Figure 9). In the pro-
portant in the case of transitional housing that the building can ac- posed model, the lighting comes from the front and rear facades
commodate a significant number of people, since the needs usually and the roof. The party walls are blind, which allows the modules to
exceed the response capacity. The designed module allows up to six be grouped in a compact way.

Figure 8: Proposal with simple modules.

Figure 9: Proposal with two attached modules, forming a house.

Transportable modules in pieces (prefabrication of For this purpose, a module has been designed and built for a
minimum emergency housing consisting of a module 2.86 m wide
component elements)
and 6.38 meters long. It has a bedroom with capacity for four peo-
The second type of modules that has been analysed is the case ple in two bunk beds, a small bathroom and a kitchen area and a
of modules that can be decomposed into pieces that can be trans- living room in which a folding bed can be arranged for another two
ported and assembled on site. In this case, for the modules to be people, so the total capacity of the module could reach up to the
useful as emergency housing, it is necessary that they can be as- six people (Figure 10). As the module is transported in pieces, it
sembled on site in a simple way, with reduced auxiliary means and does not have the clearance limitations of the other two modules
by personnel who do not have prior training. This system is espe- analysed, so larger homes can be designed. The small dimensions
cially useful when it can be assembled by the users themselves. of this prototype are due to the budgetary limitations of the project.

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 10 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Figure 10: Module plan.

Its construction was carried out through an industrialized sys- two days, although the most desirable thing is to have four peo-
tem, the UBUILD [41]. The system is based on the use of prefab- ple who could assemble it in one day. It does not require auxilia-
ricated wooden pieces made using a numerical control machine ry means for assembly, except for a small scaffolding that must be
and assembled on site. The system solves joints with direct splices, provided for safety and that can be reused for other modules. The
without using hardware. The only tool necessary is a screwdriver, assembly is transported by lorry and it is convenient that it has a
preferably an electric one, which can be supplied with the pieces. small crane to unload the packages of parts, which are of the appro-
The building is assembled by direct fitting of parts and screwing priate size to be handled by two people.
them together, so the module can be assembled by two people in

Figure 11: Module assembly phases.

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 11 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

The main advantage of this system is that the manufacturing The prototype includes several envelope configurations, allowing
instructions can be used in all types of numerical control machines. for a suitable adaptation to the climate of the site.
In an emergency situation, factories close to the affected area could
receive manufacturing instructions and proceed as quickly as possi- Deployable panel modules (complete prefabrication)
ble. By having the pieces available, the affected people could assem- The third type of modules analysed is a system of deployable
ble the emergency building themselves. The built module was made buildings. Our team has carried out extensive research into deploy-
in this way [42]. The manufacturing of the parts was carried out able bar structures, but we have also studied deployable systems
on numerical control machines in accordance with the instructions made up of rigid sheets, which in this case have resulted in the de-
provided by the UBUILD Company. The pieces were transported sign of a module for emergency housing. This system has several
by lorry to their location and the building was installed on January advantages. It can be manufactured in the workshop, which allows
24, 2020 on the A Zapateira campus of the University of A Coruña. a more precise construction, as it is foldable it can be transported
In this case, it was installed on an existing slab so the foundation in a very compact way and its installation and use can be carried
was not necessary, which in any case is very shallow, given its low out very quickly. The basic idea is a container in which the facades
weight. Its construction was carried out in one day, although some are folded towards the roof, the side walls are folded in the form
finishes had to be completed the next day (Figure 11). This finishing of a gusset and the interior partitions are folded towards the floor,
phase allows thermal adjustment and customization of solutions. where a space is left to contain them (Figure 12).

Figure 12: Plan and section of the module with the deployment system of the internal partitions.

The building can consist of two or three modules that are de- As indicated, groups of two and even three modules can be de-
ployed successively forming groups of several floors, which in turn ployed. Figure 14 shows the deployment system. First, the module
can be grouped to have common access to the upper floors. Access package is placed on the foundation and fixed to it. Lifting with the
to the house is through a corridor with a railing that is initially fold- crane, the upper module is deployed at ground level, including the
ed and is deployed after unfolding the upper module. Each module corridor and railing area of the upper floor. At this moment and at
is transported with its section of corridor, which is screwed togeth- ground level, the interior partitions are deployed, the furniture is
er when coupling them. The module is arranged on the previous- placed and the facilities of said floor are connected. Next, the lower
ly levelled foundation. Once seated, the cover is hoisted. Then the floor is deployed and the connection to the facilities is subsequently
end walls are deployed from the inside. The building was installed concluded. The most operational thing is the joint lifting of three
on September 29, 2020 on the same A Zapateira campus and the modules joined horizontally which, when separated from the adja-
deployment process lasted about two hours (Figure 13). On Octo- cent groups by means of stairs, allow easy access and adapt to the
ber 2, 2020, Hurricane “Alex” entered in Galicia with winds of up to ground levels. Given the lightness of the modules, a normal crane is
88 km/h, and since then there have been several episodes of even capable of lifting a set of up to three groups of modules at the same
stronger winds. In all cases, the module resisted perfectly without time, simplifying assembly tasks. A similar lifting system, but using
any damage. jacks instead of a crane, was successfully developed in a previous
research project [43,44].

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 12 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Figure 13: Module deployment phases.

Clustering of modules others, forming more compact clustering. In the first case studied,
the modules have an inclined roof, not allowing their grouping in
In all cases, it has been planned that the modules can be
height (Figure 15). On the other hand, in the other two cases the
grouped. The importance of reducing the space necessary for the
modules can be grouped into two or even three levels (Figures 16
installation of emergency housing in the expected environment of
& 17). The studies carried out advice that the grouping be limit-
developed countries has already been discussed, where there are
ed to three levels, since greater heights would be difficult to access
always serious problems in obtaining adequate land for the instal-
without elevators and on the other hand, the effects of wind would
lation of a camp. In all cases, systems based on rectangular mod-
seriously penalize the foundations. It is considered that the most
ules have been used in which the lighting and ventilation openings
appropriate would be clustering on two levels.
are located on both sides to allow the modules to be attached to

Figure 14: Deployment scheme of a set of two modules stacked vertically.

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 13 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

Figure 15: Clustering of type 1 modules (Joel Cotardo).

Figure 16: Clustering of type 2 modules (Joel Cotardo).

Results and Discussion teristics. The enclosures are formed in all cases by trans ventilated
facades with an interior wall of OSB board with an intermediate
The main result of the research carried out was to demonstrate
insulator and an exterior sheet that differs in the three prototypes.
the viability of the proposed solutions (Figure 18). In all cases, the
In the first case, it is solved with plastic sheets, in the second with
prototypes were installed very quickly and with reduced auxilia-
a 20mm marine-type phenolic plywood board, with external Viroc
ry means. In fact, the cranes used were those of the trucks used in
sheets, a panel made up of a mixture of wood particles and cement,
transportation. The designed modules have some common charac-
called Cement Bonded Particle Board (CBPB).) and in the third with

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 14 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

ribbed metal sheets. Thermal analyses have been carried out in all possibility of using other lightweight materials, but more resistant
cases that indicate that sufficient insulation can be achieved for the to wear and easier to clean. One option that is being evaluated is
intended use and location. The floor in the first module was made in the use of Superpan Tech, a structural board from the commercial
the workshop with a concrete slab, which added significant weight. FINSA, composed of wood fibber faces and an interior of agglomer-
To avoid this, in the other two cases, the flooring was made with an ated wood particles that allows the application of different wear-
OSB board, but it was found that it was not suitable due to its dif- resistant coatings.
ficulty in cleaning. Because of this, future research is analysing the

Figure 17: Clustering of type 3 modules (Joel Cotardo).

Figure 18: Set of built modules.

In the first module, the inclined roof was made with the same high rainfall. In all cases, the foundations were very small, except
materials as the enclosure, adding a waterproofing textile sheet. In for the wooden prototype that was installed on an already existing
the other two prototypes, the flat roof was resolved with a 5 mm slab. In the other two modules, the installation was carried out on
thick polybutylene PVC textile sheet reinforced with fiberglass small concrete cubes, which were made by making small excava-
stretched over a rigid frame. In all three cases, the system has tions and filling them with concrete. In reality, the only work that
worked correctly considering that they are located in a city with had to be done carefully was the levelling of the supports. During

Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 15 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
 Current Trends in Civil & Structural Engineering Volume 11-Issue 1

the course of the research, various studies were carried out on bal- their use in the anticipated emergencies. While it is considered that
last anchors that are sufficient for the actions transmitted by the the modules designed can be an appropriate response to emergen-
designed modules. cy situations, it is clear that they can by no means be unique and
exclusive solutions. What is really important, is to have a stock of
Conclusions ready-to-use modules that can and must respond to various types.
Modular transitional housing, partially or completely prefab- This is necessary both to avoid settlement monotony and to be able
ricated, constitutes a valid solution for accommodation needs in to respond to a wider range of situations of the affected population.
emergency situations in developed countries, but to do so they The ability to respond with a wide variety of shelter types is the
must meet a series of conditions. It is necessary that they be cheap, most desirable option.
since in general, the available resources are usually scarce and it is
Acknowledgements
necessary in an emergency to care for the largest number of vic-
tims possible. It is also necessary that they be easily transportable This work was supported by the Ministry of the Economy and
without the need for special vehicles and they can be installed very Competitiveness of the Kingdom of Spain [grant number BIA2016-
quickly. One of the critical points of the fields is usually the layout 79459-R]. This study is a part of the research project “Expandable
of the facilities, which for reasons of efficiency and speed it is advis- and modular constructions for humanitarian disasters”. The au-
able that they be superficial or, where appropriate, very shallowly thors thank Joel Cotardo, Francesca Cetta and Félix Suarez-Riestra
buried. Therefore, the modules must be designed to be separated for their collaboration in the renders and plans indicated in this
from the ground, which allows the passage of said facilities. In gen- article.
eral, this type of modules may have higher costs than other solu-
tions, but if storage and reuse problems are adequately resolved,
Conflict of Interest
the module can be used in successive emergencies, allowing for There is no financial interest or conflict of interest.
rapid amortization of the initial costs. The results obtained allow us
to affirm that the designed modules meet these conditions. References
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Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.
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Citation: Juan Pérez Valcárcel*, Manuel Freire Tellado, Santiago Muñiz, Jorge Aragón. Emergency Modular Buildings in Developed Page 17 of 17
Countries: CODEMOSCH Project. Cur Trends Civil & Struct Eng. 11(1): 2024. CTCSE.MS.ID.000754.
DOI: 10.33552/CTCSE.2024.11.000754.