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Jacob’s Ladder A
S U S TA I N A B L E C O M M U N I T Y F O R D I S A B L E D I N D I V I D U A L S O F
JAMAICA
Shipping Container Library
Penn State students travel to Jamaica for one week to begin construction on a library for residents and visitors of Jacob’s Ladder
From November 22nd-30th, five Penn State students accompanied Dr. Neil Brown to Jamaica to begin construction of a library at Jacob’s Ladder. Two Penn State senior engineering students, Spud Marshall and Eric Sauder, worked on the design of the library as a part of their undergraduate honors research thesis. The two projects investigated the sustainable design and construction of the library as well as the design of a solar and wind powered charging station for an electric vehicle on site. The team of Penn State students and faculty spent the week transforming a recycled shipping container into a functional library for both the residents of the site as well as future visitors. The library will house 2,000+ children’s books which were collected during a book drive in Pennsylvania,
Penn State plans on holding a weekend-long development conference for Jamaican businesses and individuals at Jacob’s Ladder
As the site continues to grow, the need to create a comprehensive planning and implementation team is critical. In an effort to bring strategic partners together across the island, Penn State is organizing a Development Conference at Jacob’s Ladder. This event will bring together individuals
New Website The Jacob’s Ladder website has recently been completely redesigned to provide easier to find and more up-to-date information about the Jacob’s Ladder project.
PSU student Spud Marshall and faculty member Neil Brown work on installing the window frames into the library
along with educational and informational material about the various research projects occurring at Jacob’s Ladder. The finished library will eventually have an outdoor reading -continued on page 2 with unique expertise; such as hotel managers, permaculture experts, and solar business men and women, to Jacob’s Ladder to discuss options in which to use their skills at the site. Final dates for the conference are yet to be decided, but it will most likely take place during the summer of 2009. As interest in the project grows at Penn State, it is imperative that we keep the same momentum going for individuals on the island. The Development Conference will be a venue in which Penn State will present their plans for future -continued on page 3 You will now be able to find the latest developments about new research initiatives at Jacob’s Ladder by accessing a regularly updated newsfeed with thoughts from the development team. Make sure to check it out!
WWW.ENGR.PSU.EDU/JACOBSLADDER April 2009
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Current Research Initiatives Soil Mapping
PSU student Andrew Grim records GPS information about soil samples taken on site at Jacob’s Ladder.
During the November trip in which the shipping container library was constructed, Penn State students also took soil samples from multiple locations throughout the Demonstration Village. The Demonstration Village is the 15 acre location in which Penn State will perform research projects over the upcoming years. These samples will help determine which portions of the site are most suitable for agricultural production and will help determine the effect of reclaimed bauxite mines have on the soil. On a broader scale, the soil samples will be used as part of a larger soil mapping research project throughout the entire Caribbean. This research is compiling useful geological maps of the Caribbean islands.
Library (continued from page 1) garden which will be used by the residents during the day as a source of sensory stimulation. As visitors come to the site, they will also be taken to the library where they can look at 3D physical models of the site alongside informational display boards about Penn State’s involvement. Because the library will serve as the showcase building for those coming to learn about the sustainable initiatives taking place at Jacob’s Ladder, it was important that the library itself promoted sustainability. Some of the key design features of the building include a green roof, solar array, passive cooling, and recycled building materials. Because the library was built from a recycled shipping container, the green roof will act as an insulating material to cool the interior. In addition, strategic placement of windows and air vents maximized natural breezes on site to circulate air through the library. Furthermore, the solar array located on the roof will not only charge an electric vehicle, but also help shade the roof of the library. A small attic fan will also be charged by the solar panels to help cool the inside.
High Tunnels In December, the Canadian Embassy generously provided funding for the construction of four high tunnels at Jacob’s Ladder. High tunnels (similar to greenhouses) are used to control growing environments such as rain, wind, and pests. These high tunnels will grow crops for on site use as well as for sale. Penn State will be working on research projects within the high tunnels to help maximize the use of the structures on site.
During the build week, the Penn State team was able to begin priming and painting of the shipping container and finished installation of custom shelving on the inside. The windows and door were also installed after cutting holes into the sides of the shipping container. However, due to heavy rains prior to and during the trip, the finished foundation was unable to be poured. Therefore, the green roof and solar panels were unable to be attached to the roof in fear that the temporary foundation would be unable to support the additional weight. A second trip is being scheduled in the upcoming months to complete these unfinished tasks. If you are interested in finding out more behind the detailed research efforts behind this project, visit the Jacob’s Ladder website and download the two individual thesis reports.
Left: PSU student Eric Sauder caulks an opening on the air vents to the library; Middle: Computerized rendering of finished library interior; Right: While PSU students Andrew McLean and Vaughn Climenhaga work on the roof of the library, student Spud Marshall and faculty member Neil Brown discuss Penn State’s future plans with MSC head Father Gregory Ramkissoon. 2
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Research Components
Biodiesel / Composting Production In an effort to provide a source of income for Jacob’s Ladder, site developers are currently creating a business plan which will target onsite biodiesel and compost production. Working in collaboration with the Penn State Biodiesel Research Group, Penn State will be designing a small-scale, appropriate biodiesel production plant to be operated off of used cooking oil. The system will merge cutting-edge technology with local knowledge while training individuals at the site. Water and energy demands will be obtained from renewable sources such as a nearby water catchment and solar panels. To find a constant source of used cooking oil, Penn State will be pursuing hotels in the Ocho Rios tourist district. Sustainable tourism is quickly becoming a larger priority for hotel owners in the Caribbean. By teaming up with these hotels, the biodiesel system will be able to market Jacob’s Ladder and spread interest about the research projects taking place on site. The biodiesel produced can easily be used to fuel a truck which will then be used to collect the cooking oil from Ocho Rios. In addition, the biofuel can be used in generators and pumps on site. Having such a fuel source will allow other business opportunities to succeed -one such option is composting. Alongside the biodiesel production plant, Penn State is designing a composting and mulching business model for Jacob’s Ladder. Working with hotels from Ocho Rios once again, waste food scraps will be obtained from their restaurants and combined with food scraps from the site and turned into compost. The food waste will be transported with the biofuelpowered truck and will be taken to an in-vessel composting system on site. Relying upon manual power, the system will create compost and mulch which can then be sold to local farmers as a replacement to chemical fertilizers. Additionally, the compost can be used in the Computerized rendering of in-vessel high tunnels which will be built at composting design for site Jacob’s Ladder in the near future. In addition, mushrooms will be grown during the composting process and later harvested. The mushrooms can be sold in local markets and used by MSC staff to feed the residents.
One of the biodiesel processing plants designed by the Penn State Biodiesel Research Group. A simpler and easier to operate plant will be designed for the Jacob’s Ladder project.
Creating an Educational Development Center Penn State is working alongside Jackson State University to investigate geological research projects at Jacob’s Ladder. In collaboration with the Earth System Science program at Jackson State University, students from both schools will be traveling to Jacob’s Ladder to perform various research projects, such as conducting petrographical analysis of the rocks found on site which can then be used to generate geological maps of the site. These projects will be the first of many towards creating an international educational development center at Jacob’s Ladder. Collaboration among multiple universities will provide students with international and interdisciplinary experiences. Such a center will allow students to research projects which ultimately lead to peer-reviewed publications.
Development Conference (continued from page 1) development to determine how to best tie individuals on the island into the project. If you are interested in being a part of the conference, please contact Dr. Neil Brown at neb131@psu.edu.
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Get Involved...
WWW.ENGR.PSU.EDU/JACOBSLADDER There are multiple opportunities for individuals to get further involved with Jacob’s Ladder. Students have the ability to take classes geared at the project or work on individual research projects. Depending on the project, there may be opportunities available for you to travel to the site as well. Faculty can contribute their specific expertise to the project by overseeing a component of the project or involving Jacob’s Ladder into their classes. And there are a growing number of opportunities for businesses to support and benefit the project. For more information, refer to the Jacob’s Ladder website or contact Dr. Neil Brown.
NEIL BROWN, PH.D Research Associate Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Development in Africa (AESEDA) The Pennsylvania State University 220 Walker Building University Park, PA 16802 neb141@psu.edu 814.865.0333 (office) 814.863.3518 (fax)
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