Publication Date
Spring 2017
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Douglas Chelson (Director), Daniel Jackson, and Fatemeh Orooji
Degree Program
Department of Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences
Degree Type
Master of Science
Abstract
The German government is experiencing difficulties housing and assimilating Syrian refugees in its borders. Erecting temporary shelters on location is one way to deal with the current crises. This thesis attempts to use Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the optimum combination of materials and construction methods to be used in the shelter’s walls in order to improve the living conditions of the refugees and to ensure that the cost is acceptable to the German government. This thesis compares six existing wall panel products from China, which have the lowest cost on the worldwide market. The R-value, strength, price, weight, durability, ease of assembly, assembly time, maintenance costs, comfort, resale value, and appearance were evaluated. Assumptions were made on what the German government would require and on standard building practices in Europe and America. The analysis indicates that the steel frame house from YONGYANG Steel best satisfies the needs in this situation. This thesis produced an AHP template, which is flexible. This model that was developed for the German scenario can be effectively applied to differing emergent situations in other parts of the world.
Disciplines
Architectural Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering | Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Recommended Citation
Jiadong, Zhu, "Wall Panel Optimization for Refugee Shelters in Germany: An AHP Study" (2017). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 1962.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1962
Included in
Architectural Engineering Commons, Materials Science and Engineering Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons