Bamboo as a Building Material

BAMBOOGreen Building Material of the Future

Bamboo Bamboo  Is a group of perennial evergreens in the 

true grass family. In bamboo, the intermodal regions of the stem are hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross section are scattered throughout the stem instead of in a cylindrical arrangement.

Bamboos are some of the fastest growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product.

Uses of Bamboo writing surface food source for thousands of years building material recently been discovered as an

alternative to unsustainable raw materials such as hard wood. 

USES OF BAMBOO

TRIVIA Deforestation of hardwoods declines

biodiversity, creating higher risks for plant diseases, and requiring more pesticides.

Trees contribute greatly to the health of the water cycle through evaporation, without them, our healthy water cycle would come to a screeching halt.

Soil loss and erosion is a common effect of cutting down large expanses of trees, while undisturbed forests have a very low rate of soil loss.

Why is Bamboo Eco-friendly? Hard wood takes 30-50 years to mature, while

bamboo reaches maturity in 3-5 years. The same square footage of bamboo produces

more oxygen than many tree varieties. Bamboo can grow and prosper in several different

climates across the world. All species of bamboo grow at a rapid speed, and

several species grow up to four feet in a single day. Due to the durability of bamboo plants, no

pesticides or chemicals are needed to encourage the maturation process, and they require much less water than trees.

Bamboo products decompose into a completely reusable and nutrient-rich composted soil.

FACTS ABOUT BAMBOOS Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on earth. It is

edible for animals and humans, is an excellent source of vital nutrients, and has been used in Chinese recipes for centuries.

Bamboo can help eliminate global warming. The plants produce a great deal of oxygen, and can process large quantities of carbon dioxide emissions. Since it grows in diverse climates, it can be planted in strategic areas to control emissions and reduce carbon dioxide gas from other sources.

Bamboo can restore lands that suffer from degradation. It is able to grow in such diverse climates that it can actually restore lands that were over-farmed, overgrazed, or poorly treated. As a durable plant, most harvesting methods do not kill it, so the topsoil is held in place and further nourished by the falling leaves, protecting agricultural lands for generations of plants to come.

BAMBOO AS BUILDING MATERIAL

-The first group is called monopodial bamboos. They form long and thin extensions.

-The sympodial bamboos constitute the second group. They have short, thick rootstocks the tips of which produce the canes.

-The third group is called climbing bamboos. They can grow very irregularly and may form Bamboo as a building material.

PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO

Tensile strength: The fibers of the bamboo run axial. In the outer zone are highly elastic vascular bundle, that have a high tensile strength. The tensile strength of these fibers is higher than that of steel, but its

not possible to construct connections that can

transfer these tensile strengths.

PROPERTIES OF BAMBOOShrinking: Bamboo shrinks more than wood when

it loses water. The canes can tear apart at the

nodes. Bamboo shrinks in the cross section

capacity 10-16 %, in the wall thickness capacity 15-17 %.

PROPERTIES OF BAMBOOFire resistance: The fire resistance is very good because

of the high content of silicate acid. Filled up

with water, it can stand a temperature of 400° C while

the water Can be used as a cooking material

PROPERTIES OF BAMBOOElasticity: The enormous elasticity of bamboo makes it

to a very good building material for earth-

quakeendangered areas. Another advantage of bamboo is its low

weight. It can be transported and worked easily, the

use of cranes is mostly unnecessary.

METHODS OF PROCESSING BAMBOO

Recommendable methods: SplittingCuttingSawing Scorch drilling

METHODS OF PROCESSING BAMBOOShaping: Bamboo which grows in a box gets a square

shape. So it can be better used for connections.

Bending: Freshly cut bamboos can be bent and will

keep this shape after drying. When heated above. 150° C, bamboo keeps its shape after it goes cold.

BAMBOO AS STRUCTURAL MATERIALS

ROOFING-The simplest roof covering is formed by bamboo shingles which are as long as the rafters. To produce the shingles the bamboo canes are halved along their length and the diaphragms are removed. They are threaded to the ridge and placed in Roman tile fashion. These shingles are nit fixed at the eaves. They are held in position by their own weight.

BAMBOO AS STRUCTURAL MATERIALS

Scaffoldings-Bamboo canes used for scaffoldings Because of the favorable relationship between load-bearing capacity and weight, bamboo can be used for the construction of save scaffoldings even for very tall buildings.

Bamboo: Green Building Material of the Future Unlike trees that yield timber, bamboo is not

a tree at all, it's a kind of grass. This means that it grows a lot faster than trees that may take decades to become a renewable or profitable source of building material. Bamboo can grow 60 cm (24 in.) or more per day due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. It has even been measured to grow 100 cm (39 inches) in 24 hours. The growth rate is dependent on local soil and climatic conditions.

http://www.bambooki.com/blog/welcome-to-bambooki/

http://bambus.rwth-aachen.de/eng/PDF-Files/Bamboo%20as%20a%20building%20material.pdf

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/green/article/bamboo-green-building-material-of-the/

4 AR 4 DELA CRUZ, ANA RUTH MARINAS, ROVI NINA NEO, KRISTINE ANNE OLALIA, ALYSSA MARIE