Term Assignment Report on:

BAMBOO

For the course of SUSTAINABLE BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

Prepared by:
Aakash Bhavsar(13bcl001)
Pankil Lad(13bcl044)
Parth Patel(13bcl080)
Kashish Sonpal(13bcl112)

Civil Engineering Department

Institute of Techmology,
Nirma University
Ahmedabad 382481 (India)

CONTENTS

Sr. No.

Title

Page No.

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Selection of Bamboo and its preparation for

construction

Construction details and casting

Mechanical properties of bamboo

reinforcement

12

13
Uses of Bamboo in Construction

13
Examples of Bamboo used in Construction
around the Globe

18
Conclusoin

18
References

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank our respected faculties for giving us this opportunity
to study such an interesting topic in depth and research about it. We would
also like to thank them for explaining the concepts of the subject so well,
that we faced very less difficulty in understanding the topic ourselves.

Introduction
In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally
associated with the cultures of South Asia, East Asia and the South Pacific, to
some extent in Central and South America, and by extension in the aesthetic
of Tiki culture. In China and India, bamboo was used to hold up simple
suspension bridges, either by making cables of split bamboo or twisting
whole culms of sufficiently pliable bamboo together. One such bridge in the
area of Qian-Xian is referenced in writings dating back to 960 AD and may
have stood since as far back as the third century BC, due largely to
continuous maintenance.
Bamboo has also long been used as scaffolding; the practice has been
banned in China for buildings over six stories, but is still in continuous use for
skyscrapers in Hong Kong. In the Philippines, the nipa hut is a fairly typical
example of the most basic sort of housing where bamboo is used; the walls
are split and woven bamboo, and bamboo slats and poles may be used as its
support. In Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a
supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing,
fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality
timber.

The central government had cleared the establishment of NECTAR (North

East Centre for Technology Application and Reach) at Shillong, Meghalaya
under Department of Science and Technology with a total expenditure of Rs
292
crore
during
12th
Plan
period
in
2012.
Earlier, the NECTAR was only a research wing which did not have lab-to-land
connection, but later, its innovations, in particular with bamboo, became
popular and useful. The lab grew different hybrids of bamboo and tested
them for change to climate and quakes. The 'Reinforcement Compact
Bamboo Material' was found to be one of the most resilient bamboo, which
could be used in construction in places prone to quakes.
Architects from various parts confirmed that the material provides shock
cover to the structure due to which life of the building is prolonged and the
technique and the material will prove to be a good alternative to concrete
houses in the hill state.
Since bamboo is the prime material used in construction of such buildings, it
is safe for hill districts instead of concrete structures. A report in TOI stated
that more than 15% of buildings in the urban areas of Nainital and
Mussoorie can collapse and create huge damage if an earthquake strikes the
two popular hill stations. The fact was revealed in a study carried out by the
Dehradun-based Disaster Management Mitigation Centre (DMMC) which
surveyed 3,344 structures in Mussoorie and 2,865 buildings in Nainital.

The report also revealed that people in the Uttarakhand hills, which fall in the

high-risk seismic zones IV & V, are dismantling their traditional wood and
stone roofed houses, which were earthquake-safe, and replacing them with
modern cement and concrete structures which were more vulnerable in case
of seismic activity.
In recent times, the high cost and general shortage of reinforcing steel in
many parts of the world has led to increasing interest in the possible use of
alternative locally available materials for the reinforcement of concrete. This
is the case especially in the developing countries where about 80% of the
population live in villages. This has led to research on several non-ferrous
reinforcing materials in structural concrete.
One natural material which has great appeal in terms of availability and ease
of use in the rural and farming communities in the developing world is
bamboo. Bamboos occur mostly in tropical and subtropical areas, from sea
level to snow-capped mountain peaks, with a few species reaching into
temperate areas. They are most abundant in south-eastern Asia, with some
species in the Americas and Africa and none in Australia. A single bamboo
that grows in clumps can produce up to 15km useable pole (up to 30cm in
diameter) in its lifetime.
The plant sways easily and snaps rarely due to the nodes and hollow stems.
One of the major applications of bamboo is for construction and housing. It is
estimated that one billion people live in bamboo houses. For ages bamboo
has been used in construction and currently they are used as props,
foundations, framing, scaffolding flooring, walls, roofs and trusses. Bamboos
are tied together to make grid reinforcement and placed in soft clay to solve
deformation problems in embankments. It is encouraged that bamboo be
used as reinforcement material for construction of walls in place of mud walls
since they have quite higher strength and they are environmentally
sustainable.
There are about seven species of bamboo in Ghana. These are; Bambusa
arundinacea, Bambusa bambus, Bambusa multiplex, Bambusa pervariabilis,
Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa vulgaris var vitata, and Dendrocalamus strictus.
Only Bambusa vulgaris is indigenous to Ghana while the others were
introduced into the country from Asia. Bambusa vulgaris is the predominant
bamboo species in southern Ghana constituting 95% of the stocks in this
area. In Ghana, the annual deficit in the building industry is about 200,000
housing units. The cost of building keeps increasing as inflation and material
costs especially steel reinforcement increase. This limitation has adversely
affected the provision of housing units in the rural and farming communities
where adobe and mud house constructions are common.
Selection of Bamboo and its preparation for construction

The following factors should be considered in the selection of bamboo for use
as reinforcement in concrete structures:
1. Use only bamboo showing a pronounced brown color. This will insure
that the plant is at least three years old.
2. Select the longest large diameter culms available.
3. Do not use whole culms of green, unseasoned bamboo.
4. Avoid bamboo cut in spring or early summer. These culms are
generally weaker due to increased fiber moisture content.
Sizing. Splints (split culms) are generally more desirable than whole culms as
reinforcement. Larger culms should be split into splints approximately 3/4
inch wide. Whole culms less than 3/4 inch in diameter can be used without
splitting.
Splitting the bamboo can be done by separating the base with a sharp knife
and then pulling a dulled blade through the culm. The dull blade will force
the stem to split open; this is more desirable than cutting the bamboo since
splitting will result in continuous fibers and a nearly straight section.
Seasoning. When possible, the bamboo should be cut and allowed to dry and
season for three to four weeks before using. The culms must be supported at
regular spacings to reduce warping.
Bending. Bamboo can be permanently bent if heat, either dry or wet, is
applied while applying pressure. This procedure can be used for forming
splints into C-shaped stirrups and for putting hooks on reinforcement for
additional anchorage.
Waterproof Coatings. When seasoned bamboo, either split or whole, is used
as reinforcement, it should receive a waterproof coating to reduce swelling
when in contact with concrete. Without some type of coating, bamboo will
swell before the concrete has developed sufficient strength to prevent
cracking and the member may be damaged, especially if more than 4
percent bamboo is used. The type of coating will depend on the materials
available. A brush coat or dip coat of asphalt emulsion is preferable. Native
latex, coal tar, paint, dilute varnish, and water-glass (sodium silicate) are
other suitable coatings. In any case, only a thin coating should be applied; a
thick coating will lubricate the surface and weaken the bond with the
concrete.
Construction details and casting

In general, techniques used in conventional reinforced concrete construction

need not he changed when bamboo is to be used for reinforcement.
The same mix designs can be used as would normally be used with steel
reinforced concrete. Concrete slump should be as low as workability will
allow. Excess water causes swelling of the bamboo. High early-strength
cement is preferred to minimize cracks caused by swelling of bamboo when
seasoned bamboo cannot be waterproofed.

Bamboo reinforcement should not be placed less than 1-1/2 inches from the
face of the concrete surface. When using whole culms, the top and bottom of
the stems should be alternated in every row and the nodes or collars, should
be staggered. This will insure a fairly uniform cross section of the bamboo
throughout the length of the member, and the wedging effect obtained at
the nodes will materially increase the bond between concrete and bamboo.
The clear spacing between bamboo rods or splints should not be less than
the maximum size aggregate plus 1/4 inch. Reinforcement should be evenly
spaced and lashed together on short sticks placed at right angles to the main
reinforcement. When more than one layer is required, the layers should also
be tied together. Ties should preferably be made with wire in important
members. For secondary members, ties can be made with vegetation strips.
Bamboo must be securely tied down before placing the concrete. It should be
fixed at regular intervals of 3 to 4 feet to prevent it from floating up in the
concrete during placement and vibration. In flexural members continuous,
one-half to two-thirds of the bottom longitudinal reinforcement should be
bent up near the supports. This is especially recommended in members
continuous over several supports. Additional diagonal tension reinforcement
in the form of stirrups must be used near the supports. The vertical stirrups
can be made from wire or packing case straps when available; they can also
be improvised from split sections of bamboo bent into U-shape, and tied
securely to both bottom longitudinal reinforcement and bent-up
reinforcement. Spacing of the stirrups should not exceed 6 inches.

Dowels in the footings for column and wall reinforcement should be

imbedded in the concrete to such a depth that the bond between bamboo
and concrete will resist the allowable tensile force in the dowel. This
imbedded depth is approximately 10 times the diameter of whole culms or
25 times the thickness of 3/4 inch wide splints. In many cases the footings
will not be this deep; therefore, the dowels will have to be bent into an Lshape. These dowels should be either hooked around the footing
reinforcement or tied securely to the reinforcement to insure complete
anchorage. The dowels should extend above the footings and be cut so that
not more than 30 percent of the splices will occur at the same height. All
such splices should be overlapped at least 25 inches and be well tied.
Splicing reinforcement in any member should be overlapped at least 25
inches. Splices should never occur in highly stressed areas and in no case
should more than 30 percent of the reinforcement be spliced in any one
location.
Bamboo reinforced concrete design is similar to steel reinforcing design.
Bamboo reinforcement can be assumed to have the following mechanical
properties:

Mechanical properties of bamboo reinforcement

Mechanical Property

Symbol

Ultimate compressive strength

Allowable compressive stress

Value (psi)
8,000

Ultimate tensile strength

4,000
18,000

Allowable tensile stress

4,000

Allowable bond stress

50

Modulus of elasticity

2.5x106

When design handbooks are available for steel reinforced concrete, the
equations and design procedures can be used to design bamboo reinforced
concrete if the above mechanical properties are substituted for the
reinforcement.
Due to the low modulus of elasticity of bamboo, flexural members will nearly
always develop some cracking under normal service loads. If cracking cannot
be tolerated, steel reinforced designs or designs based on unreinforced
sections are required.
Experience has shown that split bamboo performs better than whole culms
when used as reinforcing. Better bond develops between bamboo and
concrete when the reinforcement is-split in addition to providing more
compact reinforcement layers. Large-diameter culms split into 3/4-inch- wide
splints are recommended.

Uses of Bamboo in Construction

Bamboo construction goes back to medieval times. Since then it has been an
important building material. Bamboo provides an economical structure and it
becomes accessible even to the unskilled and young labourers. Bamboo
materials are also have wide usage. Except for fireplaces and chimneys,
bamboo finds it usage in all parts of house construction. They are as follows:
1. Foundation: Bamboo is not much used in foundation, owing to the fact
that wood gets decayed when it comes in contact with water. They
need to be treated with preservatives. However, bamboo are still used
as foundation material or supporting posts for houses built on
platforms in spite of their short life.
2. Flooring: Floors which are made up of bamboo can be raised above the
ground creating a stilt type of construction. This will improve hygiene
and comfort and will also provide a small storage area between the
floor and ground.
3. Walls: Bamboo used as walls and partitions is the most expensive use
of bamboo in construction. They are created to carry the loads acting
on the building. An infill is provided between the layers for safety and
privacy functions.
4. Roofing: Bamboo is a perfect roofing material as it is light weighted,
strong and resilient. Purlins, trusses and rafters can be part of a
bamboo structure of a roof.
5. Scaffolding: Bamboo can be used for the construction of save
scaffolding even for tall structures. The canes used for scaffolding are
exclusively joined using soft lashing.

Examples of Bamboo used in Construction around the Globe

Bamboo Car
Amsterdam

Park,

It is located at the
Slotervaart
Medical
Center. It has 5 levels
and space for 1200
cars
Bamboo
Parking
Garage, The Hague

It is the first of
several
upcoming
projects
in
the
Netherlands. It has 7
levels
and
can
accommodate nearly
250 vehicles.

Bamboo
Atrevida

Vacation

Home,

Casa

Casa Atrevida is a luxurious vacation home made up of bamboo. It is located

on Preciosa Beach in Costa Rica. It is earthquake and flood resistant.

Bamboo Courtyard Treehouse, Yangzhou

It is a floating tea house located in

Yangzhou. It is organized in
asymmetric cubes that sit on a
lake.

Kontum Indochine Caf

It is a waterside caf with striking bamboo columns. The shape of the topheavy columns in this restaurant are designed as a reference to traditional
fishing baskets used in the region.

Salon in Bangkok by NKDW

To give an effect of
natural divisions in a
cave, the architect
has used thousands
of
bamboo
rods
hanging from ceiling
in different lengths to
separate coloring and
shampooing areas.

Wind and Water Bar, Vietnam

Several bamboo rods are bound together and bent into the form of an arch to
create a supporting structure for the thatched dome, which is present in the
middle of a lake. It is used as a venue for local meetings, music
performances and other events.

Indian
Pavilion,
Shanghai
It is the worlds
largest
bamboo
dome of nearly
35m
diameter.
The dome was
created at the
World
2010,
Shanghai.

West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre,

Hong Kong
It is designed like the traditional theatres of the 1950s. It is a pop-up bamboo
building in Hong Kongs new West Kowloon Cultural District.

Madrid
Barajas
International Airport,
Madrid, Spain
The ceiling at the
airport consists of
200000m2
of
laminated
bamboo
laths
which
are
gently curved. This
makes the airport
the largest bamboo
structure
of
the
world.

Conclusion
Since the ancient times, bamboo has been a vital part of building structures.
It has the properties of a top grade building material and its easy availability
makes it a great building material. Also bamboo is economic to use and has a
high productivity rate. Bamboo being easily workable, doesnt require skilled
labour and thus reduces the overall cost. Bamboo has a wide range of
everyday use, as a woody material and as food too.

References
http://civil-resources.blogspot.in/2010/06/use-of-bamboo-as-constructionmaterial.html
http://www.ripublication.com/ijcer_spl/ijcerv5n3spl_08.pdf
http://www.guaduabamboo.com/construction/
http://openbuildings.com/collections/bamboo-architecture-collection-102929
http://www.sanjayprakash.co.in/indianpavillion.html

http://www.archello.com/en/project/barajas-international-airport-madrid
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/07/19/dezeen-top-10-bamboo-architectureprojects/