INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

CENTRAL CAMPUS

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

PULCHOWK

MSc Thesis Proposal

On

“Mechanical Properties of Some Species of Bamboo found in

Nepal and its Suitability in Temporary Structures”

Submitted By:
Anjana Ghimire (071/MSTIM/151)

Submitted To:
Department of Mechanical Engineering

29 May, 2016
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Research gap .................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Scope ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.4 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................... 2
1.5 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 2
1.6 Rationale........................................................................................................................... 4
1.7 Research Objective ........................................................................................................... 5
1.7.1 Main Objective................................................................................................................. 5
1.7.2 Specific Objective ............................................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................................... 6
CHAPTER THREE: EXPECTED OUTCOMES ........................................................................... 7
TENTATIVE WORK SCHEDULE ............................................................................................... 7
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 8
 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background

Bamboo is a fast growing, renewable, widespread, low cost, environment enhancing

resource with great potential to improve poverty alleviation and environment conservation
Bamboo can be utilized at all levels of industrial activity from small craft based industries
to modern highly integrated plants. Bamboo industry is making important contribution in
providing food, housing and income generation for 2.2 billion people in the world. Half of
the world’s population is involved in the use and trade of bamboo products. As the market
for environment friendly green bamboo is growing, it is estimated that the world bamboo
market will grow from its present size of USD10 billion to over 20 billion by 2015 (Xuhe,
2003).

Around 92 genera and 5,000 species of bamboo are found in the world. There is 81 species
(5.2% of the world species) of 23 genera (24% of the world genera) bamboo are found in
Nepal (Poudyal, 2006). Nepal has both tropical bamboos found in the South-East Asia and
temperate bamboos found in Tibet and Bhutan (Karki, 1998). Bamboo has been used for
construction work like scaffolding, shoring, formwork and temporary structures for many
years. However, there have been few studies in its exact mechanical properties in context
of Nepal.

1.2 Research gap

Various researches have been done on importance of bamboo for economic development
of Nepal. However only few research has been done on mechanical properties of only
some species found in Nepal. So further research incorporating other species not covered
in other researches can be done.

1.3 Scope

The main scope of my work will be as follows:

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i) Study of various types of bamboos found in Nepal
ii) Mechanical Properties of bamboos found in Nepal
iii) Suitability of bamboo for scaffolding, formwork, shoring and temporary structures.

1.4 Problem Statement

Recent earthquake of 2015 has severely damaged settlements in many parts of Nepal. So,
bamboo could be used as temporary construction material. However, there is no adequate
research studying mechanical properties of bamboo for its suitability in construction work.
International codes for the bamboo building has been provided by ISO. But, due to lack of
national codes of bamboo building in many countries including Nepal, it is difficult to build
bamboo houses with raw bamboo. So studying its properties is need for today and a step to
develop in the field of bamboo.

1.5 Literature Review

Use of Bamboo as Building Material Worldwide Bamboo is a plant that has been used as
building material in many parts of the world. Bamboo is widely distributed in tropical,
subtropical and some temperate regions. In these regions, bamboo is used for various
applications, including its use as building material. Using bamboo as building material has
already been practiced for centuries since it can be found easily and abundantly around
human settlements and because bamboo can be handled easily by one person without any
sophisticated tools (Jayanetti & Follett, 2008). The research and investigations reported in
International Network for Bamboo & Rattan (A Projeect on Bamboo Structures at The
Technical University of Eindhoven, 2002) had revealed bamboo's advantages and
disadvantages as a construction material. The advantages of bamboo are ecological value,
competitive mechanical properties, social and economic value and low energy
consumption. On the contrary part, disadvantages of bamboo are requirement of
preservation and fire safety ( Kumar & Deepankar , 2015).

Bamboo intended for use in construction should be treated to resist insects and rot. The
most common solution for this purpose is a mixture of borax and boric acid. In its natural

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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.
Bamboos are used to hold up simple suspension bridges, either by making cables of split
Bamboo or twisting whole culms of sufficiently pliable Bamboo together. Bamboo has also
long been used as scaffolding all over the world. 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. In the
eastern Terai of Nepal, Bamboos are traditionally used to construct almost all parts of a
house except the fireplace. Bamboo houses are widely prevalent in the rural areas of eastern
Nepal (Karki, Sherchan, & Karki, 1998).

Bamboos are widely distributed throughout Nepal, but they are more common in the
eastern half of the country, from Dhaulagiri to the Sikkim border. In higher rainfall areas
such as those around Pokhara and Illam, a wider variety of genera and species can be
found, as well as larger numbers of bamboo clumps. Temperate and subalpine genera
which are more common in Tibet and Bhutan can be found at altitudes of up to 4,000m in
eastern Nepal. Tropical species from Malaysia and Burma extend into the Nepalese Terai
(Stapleton, 1994).

There is 81 species (5.2% of the world species) of 23 genera (24% of the world genera)
bamboo are found in Nepal (Poudyal, 2006). According to a Nepali bamboo research
institute Abari, with a little bit of enhancements almost all the components of a house (like
walls, floors, roof, doors, windows, and stairs) can be built with bamboo. Bamboo is lighter
in density then steel, but it can be as strong as mild steel in terms of strength. In the last 10
years, there has been emerging interest in the field of bamboo housing in many parts of the
globe. Nepal can enhance its existing skill so that it can materialize on the growing global
material for this versatile material.

Mr. Shyam Poudel from International Networks for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) indicates
that bamboo could largely replace timber uses in the construction sector. Market analysis
have reveal big potential and economic benefits from the development of bamboo panel
based housing, but some issues do exist such as using raw bamboos for the construction of

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houses have many advantages and disadvantages. Use of raw bamboos is generally cheap,
easy and does not require high tech machineries and capital investments.

Om Shah (2015) and Rabin Chaulagain (2015) of IOE Pulchowk Campus has done
research in bamboo focused on only three species found in Nepal.

1.6 Rationale

Bamboo has a great potential to solve the scarcity of sustainable building materials for
high-end and affordable buildings in both urban as well as rural areas. The modern days
building materials, which mainly constitute wood, concrete and steel are not consider
sustainable materials because they are associated with high-embodied energy.
Additionally, bamboo matures in three years, and if they are not used within 10 years, they
lose their utility. Hence, bamboo has a great potential to substitute these current materials
largely. The recent examples from Europe, South-America and Asia have shown that
bamboo can be used to make modern bridges, airports, and even luxury condominiums in
addition to affordable, culturally sensitive and earthquake resistant small family homes
(Pokharel).

To make temporary structures the use of local sustainable material is need of present. So,
bamboo could be the viable solution as it can be grown faster. Bamboo has been used in
Nepal from centuries for house construction. Bamboo mixed with wood and other materials
like adobe, stone has been use in constructing many houses in Nepal to build houses as
high as four storied. Some informal sources estimate that around 35% of the houses
constructed in eastern part of Nepal especially in Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang and
Jhapa Districts some twenty to thirty years before were made out the bamboo, wood and
mud. Even in Kathmandu, many of the structural elements of ancient houses were built
with bamboo. Such traditional style of construction still prevails in the Eastern Terai and
other parts of Nepal but unfortunately, these traditional methods of house construction has
been replaced by concrete structures.

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1.7 Research Objective

1.7.1 Main Objective

The main objective of this research is finding mechanical properties of some bamboo
species found in Nepal and analyzing its suitability for temporary structure.

1.7.2 Specific Objective

 Determine the mechanical properties of some bamboo species found in Nepal.
 Analyze properties of bamboo for its suitability for temporary structure.

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 CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The physical properties of various bamboo available in Nepal will be studied based on
experimental set up. And then it will be compared with the properties of available wood. So
the methodology will be experimental and comparative analysis to examine the potential of
bamboo to substitute wood for construction. Further, during collection of bamboo, interview
survey will be done to know the local name of various bamboo found in different part of
Nepal.

Sample Collection of Different Type of Bamboo

Preparation of Specimen for Lab Test

Lab Test to Determine Mechanical Properties

like Compression, Tensile, Moisture Content,
Modulus of Elasticity, Bending of Bamboo
Species

Properties Evaluation of Some Bamboo Species

Analysis of Mechanical Properties for Temporary

Structures

Figure 1 Methodology

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 CHAPTER THREE: EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The expected outcome of this study is series of analysis of mechanical properties of some
bamboo species found in Nepal and its suitability for temporary structure.

TENTATIVE WORK SCHEDULE

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 REFERENCES
Kanel, K. R., Shrestha, K., Tuladhar, A. R., & Regmi, M. R. (2012). A Study on The
Demand and Supply of Wood Products in Different Regions of Nepal. Kathmandu:
Forestry Climate Change Cell.
Kumar, G., & Deepankar , A. K. (2015). Review on Feasibility of Bamboo in Modern
Construction. SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering.
(2002). A Projeect on Bamboo Structures at The Technical University of Eindhoven.
International Network for Bamboo & Rattan.
Jayanetti, D., & Follett, P. (2008). Bamboo in construction.
Karki, M., Sherchan, G., & Karki, J. (1998). Extensive Bamboo Production and. Beijing:
INBAR.
Pokharel, U. R. (n.d.). Challenges and Oppurtunities For Bamboo Engineered
(Prefabricated) Housing in NEPAL.
Poudyal, P. (2006). Bamboos of India,Bhutan and Nepal. New Hira Books Enterprises.
Stapleton, C. (1994). Bamboos of Nepal:An Illustrated Guide. The Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew.
Xuhe, C. (2003). Promotion of Bamboo for Poverty alleviation and economic
Development. Journal of Bamboo and Rattan, 345-350.