The Converting Mode of Large-space Public Construction Function against Disasters

National Natural Science Foundation 50778047 Kong Zhe, Su Ruipu, Bai Xiaopeng Published in the Proceedings of International Disaster and Risk Conference, IDRC DAVOS, 2010 Abstract: The article pays attention to the requirement of the injured and doctors in emergency medical assistance center from the view of functional transformation. Then it analyzes the converting mode of large-space pubic construction into medical space in emergency by probing into different environmental facility supporting and dissimilar medical care behavior. Finally, it proposes the possibilities of space formation and configuration assumption in order to re-comprehend the habitual design principle of temporary medical facilities. Thus by studying the characteristics of actual state and potential states of large-space pubic construction as well as the necessary condition of transformation of the two states, the article finds out the key to conversion and proposes the reasonable strategies of post-earthquake emergency medical space. Key words: Large-space Pubic Construction, Function Conversion, Disaster, Medical assistance, Temporary Refuge 1. Introduction Disasters often occur while people are catching off guard. Once it comes, the most urgent thing we should do is saving lives. Due to the basic properties of disaster such as paroxysmcomplexity chain-like as well as centrality, people could not construct the medical institution to rescue people efficiently in short time after the disaster. After a large-scale disaster, many buildings were damaged, municipal facilities were destroyed and urban infrastructure and transportation were palsied as well. Under these kinds of situation, the original medical establishment was unable to function therapeutically normally. So that numerous Military Field Hospital and temporary medical facility was set up to carry out the on-the-spot treatment. However, a secure and stable interior space for emergency treatment would be of great significance to victims and staff in the aspect of not only substance support but also mental comfort. Since the 1990s, due to the quick economic development and citizens raising demand for larger spatial construction, huge spatial communal construction represented by sports and exhibition buildings have developed rapidly. Moreover, they have the highest level in building structure and equipment among all the public buildings. Therefore, this type of construction could mostly remain intact and provide a guarantee serving as the medical rescue site. As the major social public property, large-space public buildings could be used directly and immediately right after the disaster. Taking the earthquake as an example, the article discusses the necessity and possibility of the transformation of large-space public construction into medical space and explores their potential characteristic. 2. The Characteristics of large-space public construction 2.1 The accessibility of large-space public construction Because of their dominant position in city and the highest construction rank, most large-public architecture is usually located in urban key. Moreover, there is peripheral balanced network topology formed around them. The main traffic artery arriving at large-scale public buildings provide convenient transportation. And the point that not only one or two roads leading to large-space public buildings guarantees the higher accessibility than other kinds of public buildings after disaster. Even if there were collapse construction on both sides of the road, urban trunk roads

with more that fifty meters boundary lines would offer space left to get through, which supplied the safe route to reach large-space communal construction. Therefore, a large spatial public building can easily become a disaster center. It is convenient not only for supplies and manpower support but also the victim to arrive. 2.2 The attribute of internal and external space of large-space public construction 2.2.1 The sufficient external space of large-space public construction The large-space public architecture has sufficient room outdoor to satisfy a series of earthquake relief action. There is consistently a suitable scale of square for people collection and distribution near its main entry, which could rapidly become people centralizing location. The square could provide enough space for the taking off and landing of the helicopters, and also the conveying and the on-site installation of the medical equipment. Whats more, the Field Hospital and Shelter Hospital operation could rely on the adequate exterior space in particular. 2.2.2 The flexibility of interior space of large-space public construction The large-space public structure has open and flexible internal space which could contribute to the coordination work of doctors and nurses. Doctors could complete a serious of treatment from diagnosis to surgery in one large room. Meanwhile, nurses could take care of many patients simultaneously in the same room, without shuttling among tents, each of which could only hold less than ten patients. On the assumption of medical staffs long-time and heavy load, a large-space public building could provide appropriate room to reduce unnecessary work, which would be helpful for medical staff to preserve physical strength in order to improve the efficiency of disaster relief work. Another equally important aspect is that this type of architecture with bigger span and fewer pillars in total are easier to part flexibly. According to function demand, the space could be divided into outpatient department admitting office operating theatre and so on. Moreover, the distance and contact between each department could be decided by medical staff rather than limited by the tent. The simple room of large-space public construction is possible to support the unpredictable challenges of disaster relief jobs with strong plastic room. 2.2.3 The security and stability of interior room of large-space public construction The big spatial public buildings certify the stability and safety of internal room. After an earthquake, the disaster victims need a shelter to prevent wind and rain out. Unfortunately, it is often the case that victims have to temporarily reside in simple tents. The Fig.1 and Fig.2 illustrate the miserable situation the victims confronted after Wen Chuan Earthquake in Si Chuan. It is obvious Fig.1: In-patient Department in Tents that large-space public construction could supply much better interior environment that tents could. First of all, large-space public construction could isolate the tragic noise and scene after the earthquake, to offer victims a relatively quiet and peaceful environment to soothe their hearts. Secondly, big spatial communal buildings could supply stable internal light ambient. Even if night falls, the bright light could not only console victims but also assist medical staff to provide accurate treatment. Last but not least, large-space public architecture may also

Fig2: Temporary Residence in Tents

offer stable indoor thermal environment to insure the suitable temperature for victims temporary residence and the smooth operation. All the advantages mentioned above could not be guaranteed by tents but large-space public construction. Furthermore, large-space public buildings generally have multi-spatial combination shape with high flexibility and variability, such as storage room and basement. As a result, the room could be momentarily convenient to reserve living necessitiesmedicine and medical instrument. 3. The demand of functional conversion of large-space public construction after earthquake After earthquake, victims could rely on large-space public buildings for protection in certain aspects. 3.1 The refuge function of large-space public construction The refuge function of large-space public construction transfers from potential state into actual state. Large-space public construction could stand erect safely in the collapse rather than other types of buildings after shake. Having stable interior room, it could prevent the victims, who had just lost their home, from terrible weather and tragic collapse with the six-enclosed space. Generally there is a series of other disasters occurrence because of the chain-like characteristic. For instance, if the earthquake happened in a mountain city, a landslide would occur afterwards. If the earthquake happened in a coastal city, there would be temperature-rising rainstormtsunami and other kinds of abominable climatic conditions. Thus under the condition that people cannot transfer timely, they call for a strong and secure interior space to avoid bad weather and chain disasters. 3.2 The medical rescue function of large-space public construction The medical rescue function of large-space communal construction converts from potential state into actual state. With the emergence of a large number of earthquake victims, medical rescue conversion of the architecture could not only reduce the burden of the surrounding hospitals greatly, but also promptly treat the wounded in time. If the hospital in the vicinity of the disaster was unable to play its role, the medical rescue station of large-space communal buildings could take the vital effect and compensate for the accident. To illustrate the point, one needs look no further than Wen Chuan Earthquake. After the shake, three second A-grade hospitals suffered heavily into basic paralysis. Meanwhile, the only one that radiated 250,000 victims in Du Jiangyan was the temporarily founded China and Germany Field hospital. Another example is Jiu Zhou Gymnasium in Mian Yang, which became the largest encampment for local victim resettlement (Fig.3). Whats more, the high accessibility of large spatial public architecture could ensure the wounded arrival as well as medicine and medical equipment. As a result, the large-space communal construction conversion of refuge and medical rescue Fig3: Function Distribution after the Shake in assistance could be responsible for saving Jiu Zhou Gymnasium victims lives. 4. Technical equipment Support of function conversion of large-space public construction Being the highest architecture rank, large-space public construction possess self-contained Water systemheating systemelectric system and special equipment than general construction do.

4.1 Large-space public construction possession of self-contained electric generation system Equipped with self-contained electric generation system, large-space communal buildings could generate electricity themselves whenever the city electric system failed. Besides the interior space mentioned above, the electricity supply is the prerequisite condition during medical assistance. Big spatial communal buildings with independent electricity generation equipment would ensure the treatment by alimenting medical equipment from X-ray machine to disinfection cabinet, from detecting instrument to surgical lamp. If the electricity generation system was damaged partly after the earthquake, it cost much lower in maintenance than constructing a temporary new one. As a consequence, the independent electricity generation station is the essential factor of converting medical assistance centre. 4.2 Large-space public construction possession of self-contained water storage and drainage system The sophisticated water storage and drainage system in this kind of architecture are also beneficial for medical assistance station. The independent reservoir is supposed to serve as fire protection. However, the limit stored water would play a significant role in the urgent condition after disasters. The water would serve victims for drinking and daily-use as well as medical assistance. The independent resource system would support victims temporary use even though the external support could not arrive right after the shake. The government spent substantive manpower and material resources in constructing one hundred squatting toilet for victim use after Wen Chuan Earthquake. Since large-space communal buildings are in abundant supply of toilets, they could eliminate the inconvenience and save the trouble of constructing new ones. Additionally, the drainage system, such as septic tank and sewage pool, would also provide convenience for medical assistance by disposing medical feculence. 5. The process of function conversion of large-space public construction After disasters, the number of injuries would increase dramatically in city. In order to take full advantage of urban medical resources and collect casualty data timely, it is extremely necessary to mobilize rescue forces reasonably to improve the treatment efficiency and suitably formulate urban medical assistance system against disasters. Better to formulate the correspondence, large-space public buildings are supposed to be integrated in urban disaster response system and form the network integral. Besides the perfect network system with peripheral hospitals, the paths around them should be able to support heavy vehicles running and the plaza nearby could be used for helicopters and heavy vehicle parking. In that case the government could mobilize the rescue system at the first time and minimize losses as much as possible. Large-space public architecture brought into the calamity-dealing system has two conditions: the actual state and the potential state. There is only a few actual state and resources left for rapid reaction entity resource storage and routine management entity: Firstly, Fig4: Routine Exhibition Plan the rapid-reaction

entity is composed of regularized organization form staff form and equipment all of which are supposed to be assembled quickly and put into use right after the disaster. Secondly, resource storage entity stands for the proper amount Fig5: Disaster response function plan of calamity-dealing resource medical equipment medicine funds stored water and so on. Also there should be special workers that are responsible for maintaining and updating the resource regularly to ensure immediate use. Thirdly, the routine management entity indicates that large-space public buildings should take the integrated management of potential function like refuge function and medical assistance to coordinate relations and organize training activities. If the disaster occurred, the calamity-dealing system of large-space communal construction would change from potential state into actual state and play a positive role in saving peoples lives. The following picturesFig.4, Fig.5elucidate the contrast function plan between routine exhibition and calamity-dealing state of Harbin International Convention Center. It is obvious that the public construction could work as key factor in calamity-dealing by reducing the cost of resource and manpower as well as offering the stable interior room with necessary equipment in time. 6. Conclusion When disasters inevitably take place, effective calamity-dealing movements become the only powerful measure to withstand disasters and mitigate the consequences. As a result, it is necessary to pre-establish the sophisticated aid systemmake elaborate rescue plan and take proper action before events for the sake of saving lives and protecting belongings. Since large-space public construction are the positive helpful potency both used as temporary refuge and medical assistant conversion centre. This research would help to establish and perfect the capability of large spatial communal architecture in dealing emergency and groping for the social responsibility of architecture. In addition, it also devotes to preventing and controlling emergency events, guarantying peoples lives security and contributing to the establishment of resource-saving society. References [1] Zeng Qiang. Exploration of Public Building Safety Design Strategies on Quickly Responding to Emergency in the Chongqing City. Chongqing Chongqing University Press 2007. [2] Chen Qian, Ma Yuqin. Construction of Field Hospital for Medical Relief of Unexpected Great Disaster. Hospital Administration Journal of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, 2009, 11(11):1055-1056 [3] Han Jianwu. Research of Emergency Response Mechanism. Journal of Beijing Institute of Technology (Social Sciences Edition), 2004, 8(6):06-08 [4] Guan Xiaofeng, Li Weidong, Zhao Pengfei. Discussion on the Related Problems after the First Actual Application of Field Medical Cabin. Hospital Administration Journal of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, 2008, 6(15):510

Author Information [1] Kong Zhe. Graduate Student. School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology. Harbin, China. Telephone:86-13704805097; E-mail: tsljtg@163.com [2] Su Ruipu. Graduate Student. School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology. Harbin, China. Telephone:86-13796071081; E-mail: 282823403@qq.com [3] Bai Xiaopeng. Professor. School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology. Harbin, China. Telephone: 86-13684511295; E-mail: baixiaopeng98@126.com