Miyamoto International

Returning to Port au Prince

and Soft-Story Failures

Journal Entry #5

January 23, 2010

Ground-floor damage: Here is a photo of the damage to ground-floor columns at the Customs Building.

Port au Prince, Haiti — I am back in Port au Prince and catching up on emails at 2 a.m. I have an appointment with the UN operations team at 7 a.m. So far, it's been a like our first visit: a hard, tiring day in the field and communication with the office in California after midnight.

I must admit that I'm torn about returning to Port au Prince. On one hand, it's a long distance and a long time apart from my family. (It is my birthday, after all.) On the other hand, it's exciting, adventurous work that can really make a difference in Haiti. We're also matching our firm's strategic vision with very rewarding work. They need our expertise desperately. We're helping save lives.

On the morning of our first damage assessment inspection tour we visit the Customs Administration building. It's an interesting case study. Our team met with Customs officials in front of the building. Right away I notice one of the ground-floor concrete columns has badly ruptured. Indicative of a classic soft-story failure, I know all the ground-floor columns will have similar damage.

The ground floor is high ceilinged and has a great deal of open space. This design caused the floor to be weak, so the major damage is concentrated here.

At first, the others think it's just a casual crack since the building is intact. One young official says, "We would like to move back into this building. It is very important for us." I reply, astonished, "It looks like minor damage, but it isn't. This is a severe case of collapse hazard. The columns have lost all gravity-carrying capacity and large aftershocks may bring this building down."

Everyone listens attentively. I don't think they'll return anytime soon.

Retrieving valuables: The first family
returned to the Presidential Palace to
get some of their belongings. I helped
uncover a suitcase that was buried
under a crumbled brick wall.

Later, a government official asks us to return to the Presidential Palace. (We inspected the Palace on a prior visit—noted in my previous journal entry.) Officials are starting to retrieve valuables from the damaged structure and they want us around to monitor the situation.

We meet a team of officials, similar to our last visit, except this time there are women in the group. Guilaine whispers in my ear, "These ladies are the president's family members... so don't screw up!"

Under my supervision, the first family begins to gather their important belongings. I help to dig out a suitcase that is under a collapsed brick wall. As we leave the Palace a woman says to me, "Today, you are my hero."

The hotel: Evidence of damage can be seen in the facade's lower columns

Next we drive to a recently constructed, four-story hotel, uptown. I meet the owners on the lush, peaceful grounds of the hotel. They offer me a Coke—a rare commodity—and I gladly accept.

The hotel: The extensive second-floor
damage is obvious.

On the inspection tour of the shattered hotel we notice that most of the second floor is badly damaged by a soft-story collapse. "I gave 10 years of my life to creating and building this hotel. We've been open for two years and now the earthquake has ruined everything," the owner says to me.

"Don't worry," I reply. "The damages are limited to the non-bearing concrete block walls. You should be able to fix this." He seems encouraged by the assessment.

The hotel is closed to the public, but some journalists are staying in the undamaged conference building and the restaurant is also open. The owner invites us all to lunch.

After a traditional Haitian goat-meat lunch I'm surprised with a birthday cake. Apparently Guilaine has spilled the beans. They even sing "Happy Birthday" to me.

Such a kind gesture from someone who has seen his decade-long dream come crumbling down. His smile is warm and he is doing his best to treat me—a foreigner—in the best way possible.

I'll forever remember this Port au Prince birthday.

End of Journal Entry #5