On it’s way to oil independence, the United States is in the midst of a housing crisis. Thousands of workers are rushing to a remote area of the Midwest to make it rich, drilling oil in the Baaken Oil Shale. These workers are drilling hundreds of hydraulic fracturing wells, but their jobs are only temporary. Once the drilling is done, most of these people will move back to their families in other parts of the country.

Because of the temporary relocation and the rush to complete the drilling, permanent housing is not constructed for the workers. Many of the miners work up to 16 hours each day and sleep in campers, trailers, or even their vehicles. The influx of residents has lead to many problems, including the danger of weather conditions that frequent the Midwest United States.

Recently, an EF-2 tornado with wind speeds up to 120 miles per hour devastated one of these temporary “man camps,” injuring 9 people and destroying many trailers.

Many of the future oil shales in the United States lie in an area where tornadoes frequently occur. In order to provide housing that better protects these workers now and at future oil shale locations, the team has proposed living units that are more resistant to tornado conditions. The proposed container homes are strong enough to protect inhabitants in tornado conditions, while also being easily moved to future shale fields.