Bamboo

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Bamboo

• A green building materials presentation
  by Hisa Kominami
  (CDAE170)

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What is bamboo?

• Bamboos are a diverse and primitive group of
  perennial plants in the true grass family
• They are widely distributed throughout parts of
  the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific
  region
• It grows primarily in tropical and subtropical
  areas but several species grow in temperate areas
• There are approximately 2000 species world wide,
  of which between 50 100 are being used by
  humans
• Bamboo species vary in height from 1 ft to over
  100 ft tall and have stem diameters ranging from
  1 mm to 30 cm
• Certain species can grow up to 1 ft/day!!

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Species Diversity
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Global Distribution of Bamboo
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Global Distribution of Bamboo
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Why is Bamboo important?

• Ecological Role
• - Is excellent at sequestering carbon and
  releasing oxygen (can sequester up to 12 tons of
  carbon dioxide from the air per hectare and
  release 35 more oxygen than equivalent stands of
  trees)
• - Prevents soil erosion and maintains watershed
  integrity and soil health
• - Provides habitats and food for a variety of
  species (Giant Panda, Mountain Bongo, lesser
  bamboo bat, etc)

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Why is Bamboo important?

• Economic Role
• - The current estimated trade in bamboo is 5
  billion U.S. dollars
• - Bamboo related industries provide food,
  income, and housing to over 2.2 billion people

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Multipurpose Crop For Humans

• Fuel
• Paper
• Fodder
• Furniture
• Food (shoots, wine)
• Musical Instruments
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Handicrafts (baskets, jewelry, pens, bicycles,
  fly rods)
• Construction (homes, scaffolding, bridges,
  reinforced concrete, boats, fences)

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Bamboo in Construction
Five story parking garage at the Leipzig Zoo
using bamboo for the buildings envelope
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Bamboo in Construction
Bridge by Jorg Stamm
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Bamboo in Construction
Bridge by Jorg Stamm
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Bamboo in Construction
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Bamboo in Construction
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Bamboo in Construction
Octagon Gazebo by Bamboo Technologies of Hawaii
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Benefits of Building with Bamboo

• Can be harvested in 3-5 yrs. versus in 10-50 yrs.
  for softwoods and hardwoods
• The yield (weight per acreage) for bamboo is 25
  greater than that of timber
• Has a tensile strength that rivals steel
  (withstands up to 52,000 psi)
• Has twice the compressive strength of concrete
• Resistant to earthquake damage and practical on
  steep slopes
• Bamboo structures can be built very quickly, are
  low cost, durable, and environmentally friendly
• The energy required in processing bamboo is less
  than for concrete, wood, and steel

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Benefits of Bamboo Flooring

• Is available with formaldehyde free glues and low
  voc finishes
• Aesthetically beautiful
• Is comparable if not stronger than oak in terms
  of hardness (Janka Ball Test 1320 PSI)
• Bamboo exhibits little dimensional change
  compared to other commonly used woods (2.5x more
  stable)

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Potential for Sustainability

• Renewable can be harvested without damaging the
  plant and grows extremely quickly
• Plentiful there is great potential for
  timber-quality bamboo to be produced in the U.S.
• Local can be grown locally in a small land area
• Waste-reducing sequesters carbon and leaves can
  be used as fodder or compost

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Drawbacks of Bamboo

• Untreated bamboo is susceptible to attack by
  fungi and insects
• May or may not be harvested, manufactured, and
  shipped in an environmentally friendly manner
• Exclusion from building codes and lack of
  standards