Bamboo Construction
Bamboo construction makes use of the wide variety of building products now available that are made from one of the most versatile and sustainable building materials. Bamboos are remarkably fast growing plants that thrive in a range of different climates including northern Australia to East Asia, from India to the USA, Europe and Africa... and even Antarctica. . Because it is so strong it can be used as a structural material, and it's beauty provides an aethetically pleasing finish.
In many parts of the world, particularly tropical climates where giant bamboos grow as forests, there is a tradition to using bamboos for constructing buildings and other structures such as the bridge shown above. These traditional methods can be particularly informative to the industry in other parts of the world where these products are becoming more widely used as we become more dependant on alternative and renewable materials. The techniques can be used as a guide and our own methods of joinery adapted to suit the use of these materials in our climates. As wood becomes more scarce bamboo construction will hold more and more value outside of the tropical climates where the benefits of its use have been known for centuries.
Environmentally Friendly
Any buildings that are constructed through the use of natural materials, as opposed to man made materials, can be classified as natural buildings. Classifying a structure as environmentally friendly would include the use of materials that do not have a detrimental effect on the global environment and that are renewable in a short period of time.
Bamboo construction falls into the category of being environmentally friendly as the plants are extremely fast growing in comparison to trees. Bamboos have a high leaf surface area that makes it very efficient at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generating oxygen in its place. Being such an extremely fast growing grass means that harvesting takes place every 3-5 years as opposed to more than 25 years for softwoods and over 50 years for many hardwoods to mature.
Of course, account should be taken of any manufacturing processes and travel to final destination when assessing the environmental impact of any resource if it is to be classified as environmentally friendly.
Increasing concern over our environment and movement to using more renewable resources has led to an increased popularity in more naturally constructed buildings that fit, or blend, in with the environment in an aesthetically appealing way. The construction industry is taking note of this and far more building products are now available that are made from bamboos and they can now often be found reasonably locally.
Building Design
For some examples of innovative building designs using bamboos take a look at the International Bamboo Building Design Competition for ideas and inspiration on use of this most versatile material.
Harvesting
Bamboos are useful for different things at different ages. The recommended age to harvest for bamboo construction is 3-6 years. To select culms that have the greatest strength for building purposes it is important that the culms are at the right age. If the culms are older than 6 years they may have been subjected to insect damage on the interior of the plant but it will be difficult to assess.
When harvesting it is best to cut just above the node at the base and to carry out the harvest immediately after new shoots have started to grow. At this time the plant will have given all it's starch to production of the new culms leaving less in the harvested culms.
To create special shapes or effects, bamboos can be bent or straightened through a process of heating and clamping until cool.
Products
There are many building products made from these plants available and I aim to provide access to a wide range of resources and guides. This is a new section of the site and further related topics to be covered in the near future are; bamboo decking, bamboo thatch, bamboo lumber, bamboo scaffolding, bamboo walls, bamboo panels, bamboo tiles, bamboo ply sheeting, and more... Existing related sections of this site are linked below.
Books
More...
From your interest in bamboo construction you will also find useful information throughout this site. Some of the main topics are linked below and on the navigation at the top of this page.
- Site Map
- Bamboo Building Products
- Bamboo Flooring
- Bamboo Fence Panels
- Bamboo Garden
- Bamboo Plants
- Bamboo Clothing
- Bamboo Sheets
- Bamboo Furniture
- Bamboo Fishing Rods
- Bamboo Blinds
- Chinese Bamboo Products
