PROJECTS
CURRENT PROJECTS
2022-2023 Alcona Bridge Project
The Alconá vehicular bridge project is a planned reinforced concrete bridge currently being designed to provide 15-20 families safe travel across a river to access necessary services during the rainy season in the community of Caserío Alconá Pajopop. The bridge will also increase economic activity between two adjacent municipalities and provide direct year-round transit access to the departmental capital.
PAST PROJECTS
2021-2022 Manantial Water Distribution Project
The Manantial Water Distribution Project will serve the Manantial community in El Quiche district of Municipio Joyabaj, Guatemala. EWB students are responsible for designing and assisting in the installation of a pump, water tank, and water distribution system to connect more than 100 households with a reliable source of clean water. By providing this community with a convenient and safe source of water, the women can spend more time crafting items to sell, the men can dedicate more time to local agriculture, and the children have more time to attend school, in addition to promoting the overall health of the community.
2020-2021 Chosavic Schoolhouse Project
The Chosavic School project is an addition to the existing school located within the municipality of Joyabaj, Guatemala. It includes a five-classroom building, hand washing station and toilet rooms. The goal of this project is to provide traditional classroom environments for the few classes that are currently located in alternative areas of the school, like the kitchen and the community area. The addition will also provide room for the 50+ students who do not attend school due to the lack of space.
2018-2022 Cardamom Dryer Project
The cardamom dryer project is a joint project between EWB-MSOE and Heifer International that aims to redesign and redefine the cardamom spice dryer utilized in Guatemala. As one of the country's largest exports, cardamom is essential to Guatemala's wealth and growth as a country. This project focuses on redesigning the largely inefficient heat exchanger of the cardamom dryer in hopes to enhance the cardamom drying process.
2019-2020 Chiaj Vehicular Bridge
The Chiaj vehicular bridge is a steel-reinforced concrete bridge located within the municipality of Joyabaj, Guatemala. The bridge is located within the community of Paraje Chiaj. The goal of this project is to provide year-round access to education, healthcare, and economic development for the residents of the surrounding villages, and to provide safe travel across the river during the rainy season.
2018-2019 Los Cerritos School
The Los Cerritos School project is a three classroom school with attached kitchen located within the municipality of Joyabaj, Guatemala. The school will service six grade levels, and will draw children from multiple communities within Joyabaj. The goal of this project is to provide a more formal learning environment for the children of the surrounding areas.
2017-2018 Aguacate II Vehicular Bridge
The Aguacate II vehicular bridge is a 60 foot long steel-reinforced concrete bridge located within the municipality of Joyabaj, Guatemala. The bridge spans the Rio Temal, and connects the villages of Aguacate, San Luis, and Limares to Joyabaj. The goal of this project was to provide reliable, year-round access to education, healthcare, and economic development for the residents of the villages, and provide safe travel across the river during a large storm.
2016-2017 El Temal Suspended Bridge
The El Temal suspended bridge is a 50 meter long bridge located within the municipality of Joyabaj, Guatemala. The bridge hangs over Rio Temal, and connects the community of El Temal and the surrounding area to the larger cities of Zacualpa and Chiche. Typically, this style of bridge can only accommodate pedestrians and motorcyclists, however, the bridge at El Temal was designed to be able to accommodate tuk-tuk traffic as well – the first of its kind to be built by an EWB chapter.
2015-2016 Chumisa Vehicular Bridge
This project is a 42-foot clear span reinforced concrete vehicular bridge with a 16-foot wide deck allowing for one lane of traffic. The clear height of the bridge varies from approximately 11’-9” to 12’-8” and has wingwalls of varying length extending both upstream and downstream to direct flow beneath the bridge. The goal of this project was to provide reliable year-round access to education, healthcare, and economic development for the residents of Chumisa and the surrounding municipalities of Joyabaj and Cubulco.
2014-2015 El Salitre Suspended Bridge
This project is a 70-meter long cable-suspended pedestrian bridge. The goal of the project is to provide the rural communities in the district with access to schools, markets, and health care during the rainy season when flooding makes crossing the river difficult and dangerous.
2014-2015 Chitom School
The Chitom School Project consists of a one-story confined masonry structure, a retaining wall consisting of confined masonry with tension ties, and an on-site wastewater system consisting of a septic tank with field lines. The goal of this project is to provide the community with a more formal learning environment for the students as well as improved sanitation.
2012-2013 Chortiz Water Project
The goal of this project was to provide a greater quantity of water to the village of Chortiz while improving the water quality as well. One spring was protected with a spring capture box and piped into a 10,000L tank; this water is piped into a washing station lavadero where community members can extract clean water out of a faucet. All piping is 2’’ PVC and the system operates by gravity.