Print this page Survival Home Strategies
Ruben A. Gomez, P.E.
Course Outline
In this course we present the objective conception of a residential unit as seen from the practical angle of mechanical and plumbing functions where both, the water supply and disposal of waste water are studied simultaneously and combined with the energetic solutions derived from already available alternative energy sources.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the participants will:
- Learn to recognize and identify the available water resources at his disposal;
- Become familiar with the prioritization of primary and secondary systems;
- Be introduced to the different components and their characteristics;
- Learn the basics on solar energy and photovoltaics; and
- Be exposed to innovative ideas on basic residential water recycling.
Intended Audience
This course was prepared and intended for architects and engineers.
Benefit for Attendee
Attendees of this course will find stimulation to create their own ideas conducive to a better and more effective residential self-sufficiency.
Course Introduction
A previous course by the same author taught how to build tornado resistant houses as the first step towards the survival strategy of the common head of household and his dependants. However, having a tornado resistant family home is just the first step towards the goals of safety, survival and independence. In addition to adequate and secured shelter, the family also needs potable water, adequate food and a reliable source of energy to survive in the aftermath of the calamity. In this course we cover those basic needs.
Course Content
The course content is contained in the following PDF file:
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
You may need to download Acrobat Reader to view and print the document.
Course Summary
An old cliché that has endured the test of time preaches that “a man’s home is his castle”, however, that home would hardly be his castle if it is going to be blown away by the first 100 mph wind gusts and fail on its mission to providing shelter for his family, and ultimately, also fail to provide for the essential basic elements of survival.
In this course and effort has been made to explain in very plain words of what can be done to anticipate and remediate the problems and how to provide for the true survival home strategies.
Related Links and References
The following reference books were used by the author in the preparation of this course:
Tornado Resistant Homes, a course available from this same source.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Bulletin #LAR-12134.
American Physical Society, Energy Unit Equivalences.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
