US-Tanzania Workshop: Advancing the Structural Use of Earth-based Bricks; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 20-21 May 2009

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This award is to provide funds to hold a two-day US-Tanzania workshop to discuss experiences and potential strategies for advancing the structural use of earth-based bricks, particularly in Africa. The workshop will benefit from the expertise of professionals championing the use of earth-based technologies in the US and in Africa. The workshop will formalize loosely coupled relationships the PIs have with different individuals/ groups in the US and Africa. The proposed workshop will result in the identification of fundamental research and development challenges, knowledge gaps, and research needs in the existing efforts directed at resolving significant variations in the performance of earth-based bricks depending on the soil conditions, brick manufacturing methods and climatic conditions.The workshop will provide both a national and international forum for researchers in earth-based technologies and experts from closely aligned disciplines to discuss the fundamental structural and durability performance of earth-based bricks. The workshop will take place in Tanzania, Africa and will help to establish research collaborations between US researchers and African university and building construction researchers. The US PI and co-PI are leaders in the field of earth structures and earth based brick technologies. This award is co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.