Cardboard disaster relief tents.

**Plastic Brick** · 11-07-2009, 06:22 PM

Many of you know me as the college student that occasionally asks product design questions. Well, here I am at it again- but this time I am attaching pics of the design right from the getgo, so those of you that help can see the progress.

Right now I'm doing a Thesis project on a cheap, quick, easy, and environmentally friendly way to make emergency housing for disaster-hit areas. The general idea is a cardboard "origami" tent that is water treated. It may last a few days, which isn't ideal, but its cheap and if the people have to abandon it it can decay naturally. Maybe it will be treated with wax....still working that detail out. However, without further delay, here are the pics. This is made out of a 13x17" sheet of paper, and the edges are fastened to the table. More files are to be attached in the next post.

**Plastic Brick** · 11-07-2009, 06:28 PM

The creases could be made with a cardboard press. Every surface channels water to the ground. Will it work? Thats what I intend to find out with a full-size prototype. If I sleep outside in it on a rainy night and catch pneumonia, it will then become evident that the design is a flop. However if I do not catch pneumonia, then we may have something here. As far as the wax idea- it may catch fire.....working on that solution too.

Thoughts? Is this a good idea or does it make you want to flee to the hills?

**Rick** · 11-07-2009, 06:30 PM

Actually, I think this is a great idea with all kinds of practical applications. Emergency shelters for small planes, boats or even backpacks. Most "lost" folks are found with a day or two so if it lasts a few days that would be fine. And if it can be abandoned in place because it is biodegradable that's one less thing for SAR to have to deal with. This is a great idea!!

I think a primary concern will be wind over water. Some way to anchor securely to the ground will be needed. Waterproof is important but I think wind will be a more frequent enemy.

**BENESSE** · 11-07-2009, 09:36 PM

I like the thinking behind it.
The biggest challenge would be making it stay in place. (anchored as Rick said)
Even if there's no wind, the least bit of movement could conceivably make it unstable. As a temporary solution you could try introducing another folding element that could become a floor so that a person could sit on it and his weight would serve as an anchor.
Second, if it's intended for people it might be nice to have a way to see out of it.

**Winnie** · 11-08-2009, 07:18 AM

I think you may be on to something here, don't know if it would work, but have you thought of guar gum otherwise known as gum arabic as a waterproofing material, in a previous life I used to work for a company that used it as a consituent for stabilising and waterproofing explosives in cold flares and HE detonators. It's completely biodegradable. It might be worth some research.

**Winnie** · 11-08-2009, 07:46 AM

My bad, Gum arabic is water soluble!

**Pict** · 11-08-2009, 08:14 AM

First impression is that it's too small for disaster relief, you're dealing with entire misplaced families. If there was some way to make it modular, with different ways to set it up with one, two, five sheets to make larger structures I'd say you'd have a winner.

The concept is worth pursuing. I'd say your main competition are the large blue plastic tarps which seem to be disaster chic the world over. Mac

**SARKY** · 11-08-2009, 01:36 PM

Brick, you really should go to Burning Man now and again. There were a coulpe of shelters made of treadted cardboard. I fact one was a geodesic dome, very cool!

**Plastic Brick** · 11-10-2009, 12:51 PM

Brick, you really should go to Burning Man now and again. There were a coulpe of shelters made of treadted cardboard. I fact one was a geodesic dome, very cool!

What's "burning man"? I've been to a website of that name but it didn't have to do with cardboard tents.

**mountain mama** · 11-10-2009, 01:11 PM

http://www.burningman.com/

**Plastic Brick** · 11-12-2009, 09:21 PM

Thanks for the link.

**Plastic Brick** · 11-12-2009, 09:26 PM

Two more designs. The next one will follow. This one is basically two single tents put together. It could hold 4 people.

**BENESSE** · 11-12-2009, 09:29 PM

Just in case you are not familiar with this site:

http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/12/li...ers-buildings/

**Plastic Brick** · 11-12-2009, 09:33 PM

These pics are of different ways of folding the same idea. It could have a door on one side. All 3 ideas are derived from the balloon base, which is the beginning step to making a paper balloon. These are just a more complex version of it.

By the way- thanks to everyone for their ideas. I don't expect anyone here to do my work for me, but every little suggestion is appreciated.

Thanks!

**exspooky** · 11-13-2009, 07:49 AM

like idea ; floor idea by benesee is good extra, maybe rescue orange color or logo printed on ;instuctions on assembly in pictures, matching #panels for illiterate or possible any language users, string wraparound fasteners like on mailing envelopes?

**Rick** · 11-13-2009, 07:57 AM

Welcome exspooky. Why not hop over to the Introductions section and tell us a bit about yourself? Here's a template you can use.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813

**Moirlend** · 11-19-2009, 08:56 PM

Plastic Brick have you thought about something to go on the ground underneath the shelter. You can loose a lot of body heat by sleeping directly on the ground.