DORCE: Providing emergency modular housing in Turkey

This article from MBI explores DORCE Prefabricated Building and Construction’s journey as a provider of emergency modular housing in Turkey

On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southern and central Turkey, killing over 2,300 people and injuring 10,000 more. In the immediate aftermath, one company stepped up to provide emergency modular housing for those affected by the damage – DORCE Prefabricated Building and Construction.

The company is currently producing 320 temporary modular units daily for the continuing relief effort, and even six months later, those units are going to the victims in the form of permanent housing.

DORCE dedicated its abilities to producing emergency houses for civilians

DORCE responded with the force of its huge production capacity, dedicating all its abilities to producing emergency houses for those displaced by the disaster with help from AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkish Republic).

They also sent equipment such as excavators and cranes to help with search and rescue efforts, redirected their construction teams to the area, and provided winter clothing such as coats, boots, and sweaters.

Thanks to the company’s administrative staff, workers, subcontractors, subcontractor workers, and material suppliers they were able to respond at this critical time.

Benefits and qualities of the DORCE modular unit

Their current modular unit is 21 square meters and includes a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and toilet/shower area.

The specialized construction of the base and roof contributes to the unit’s strength.

Trapezoidal sheet metal protects the inside from outdoor conditions, while the base keeps the unit stable on the ground. Units used for temporary housing can be dismantled and shipped to other locations to provide housing for other projects.

Not only are the modular units strong, but they’re green as well. They are designed to be energy efficient, and since they are made of non-combustible materials, they’re fire resistant, too.

Units are transported by land, rail, or air and are designed to be “plug and play” with the site utilities (currently supplied by AFAD). Unit construction includes the electrical, telecommunications, plumbing, and heating/cooling systems. They can be assembled in 24 hours after arrival at the assembly yard.

DORCE has a history of responding to emergencies

DORCE has a rich history of responding to disasters in the area, almost from its inception in the early 1980s.

Due to its proximity to one of the most active earthquake zones in the world, they have invested a lot of time into the design and production of earthquake-resistant modular structures.

Emergency modular housing for 20,000 people was manufactured in three months

Geldimurat Annageldiyev, who has worked for DORCE since 2003 and is their current Deputy General Manager responsible for Global Business Development, says the company’s first involvement in earthquake relief missions came in 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude quake hit the city of İzmit, Kocaeli Province of Turkey.

In 2003, DORCE responded to a quake in the city of Bam, Iran, providing temporary emergency accommodation units that were later transferred to different regions of the country to be used as dormitory housing for students.

In 2011, 3,000 modules were provided over a 45-day period to house more victims in Ercis and Van, Turkey.

The 2023 earthquake affected some of the most densely populated cities in the country: Hatay, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş and Malatya.

The most affected people were those living in substandard housing in informal settlements. It also greatly affected several industries in the country, including textiles, automotive, technology, manufacturing, and construction.

650,000 new homes will be constructed over the next five years

The Turkish government recently announced a new housing development program to help those affected by this year’s event. It involves the construction of 650,000 new homes in the next five years in the affected areas. All homes will be built to the highest earthquake safety standards and located in safer areas of each city.

The company has gained a reputation for providing a quick response with many emergency modular structures to accommodate and house people, either temporarily or permanently.

With units specially designed for easy transportation and assembly, they are being looked to as a resource for emergency responses worldwide.

This article was written by freelance construction writer Dawn Killough on the MBI website. Read the full article about DORCE’s success here.