Louise Westoby
Decision-making tools for reconstruction following earthquake.
Email: l.westoby@ncl.ac.uk
Supervisors
Project description
This research will learn lessons from the reconstruction of schools in rural Nepal following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake.
We are conducting interviews with a range of stakeholders. These include people from individual case study schools and those involved on a broader scale.
We will identify challenges affecting reconstruction. This will allow us to specify good practice and mitigation methods to overcome or reduce these challenges.
We will diagnose patterns in these items of good practice and the specific contexts in which they have been successful. This will allow us to produce decision-making tools to aid ongoing and future reconstruction work. These tools would make the reconstruction process more efficient and effective. They will match technologies and construction materials to suitable locations. This will decrease costs, reduce delays, and provide long term sustainability and longevity of projects.
Publications
- Westoby L, Dunn S, Wilkinson S. The road to recovery - understanding challenges affecting school reconstruction in Nepal. In: SECED 2019 Conference. 2019, London: Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics (SECED).
Interests
Earthquake reconstruction; resilience in developing countries, Nepal Gorkha earthquake.
Qualifications
- MEng 1st class: Civil and Structural Engineering, Newcastle University.