BAMBOO AS A

BUILDING MATERIAL
Introduction
• Bamboo as a building material has high compressive strength and low
weight has been one of the most used building material as support for
concrete, especially in those locations where it is found in abundance.
• Bamboo as a building material is used for the construction of scaffolding,
bridges and structures, houses.
• Due to a distinctive rhizome-dependent system, bamboos are one of the
fastest-growing plants in the world and their growth is three times faster
than most other species of plants.
• They are renewable and extremely versatile resource with multi-purpose
usage. Among many uses of bamboo, Housing is one of the major areas
applications especially in the wake of residential shortages around the
globe.
• Bamboo as a building material is conventionally associated with the region
of Southeast Asia and South America where climate is best suitable for its
cultivation.
• In many of the nations, bamboo is used to hold up suspension bridges or
simply make places of dwelling.
Various Structural Shapes of Bamboo as a Building Material
• Bamboos are treated in such a way that they assume desired shapes and
structures while they grow:

1. Squared cross-section can be obtained by compressing the growing stalk of

bamboo within a square section.

2. Arch shapes of bamboo can also be created by compressing the bamboo’s

growth into the desired shape. This would cost lesser than it would to get
the same form with normal timber.

3. Curved and Flat shapes of bamboo are achieved through traditional

techniques like applying heat and pressure.
WHY BAMBOO IS USED AS A BUILDING MATERIAL?
• Housing is a basic need for human being, and is now becoming a burden for
low and medium income group. Thus, we need cost effective housing and
bamboo is the best building material, result for that as:

1. It is fastest-growing renewable natural building material.

2. The material is easily available & Eco friendly.
3. Bamboo is a viable (if not better!) alternative for steel, concrete and
masonry as an independent building material.
4. It is cost effective and easy to work.
5. It can be easily bend, give desired shape and can provide joints to suit the
construction.
6. Its enormous elasticity makes it a very useful building material in areas with
very high risks of earthquakes.
7. Local available material to some areas, which tries to carry the local
tradition & vernacular Architecture of that place.
Bamboo is useful for different purposes at different ages as:
• <30 days it is good for eating.
• 6-9 months for baskets.
• 2-3 years for bamboo boards or laminations.
• 3-6 years for construction.
• >6 years bamboo gradually loses strength up to 12 years old.

Main properties of Bamboo:

1. Tensile strength
2. Compressive strength
3. Elastic modules
4. Anisotropic properties
5. Shrinkage
6. Fire resistance
Bamboo as a construction material
Bamboo Trusses:
The bamboo has strength
comparable to that of Teak and
Sal. A frame is made using bamboo
rafters, purlins etc for fixing the
roof.
Bamboo as a construction material
Bamboo Roofs Skeleton:
It consists of bamboo truss or rafters over which solid bamboo purlins are laid
and lashed to the rafter by means of G.I.wire. A mesh of halved bamboo is made
and is lashed to the purlins to cover the roof.
Bamboo as a construction material
Bamboo walling/ceiling:
As the bamboo material is light in weight it is beneficial for earthquake prone
areas as its chances of falling are very less due to flexibility and even if it falls it
can be re-erected easily with less human and property loss with least efforts and
minimum cost. Bamboo walls can be constructed in different ways like:

• Whole stem halved or strips of bamboo can nailed to one or both the sides
of the bamboo frame.
• Split bamboo mats can be fastened to the bamboo posts or mats can be
woven, mud can also be applied to both sides of such mats.
• Bamboo strips nailed to bamboo frame or posts for interior walling.
• Cement or lime plastering can be done on the mud covering for better
appearance and hygiene.

It has been found that the bamboo in the vertical position is more durable
than in horizontal direction. For partition walls only single layer of bamboo
strips are used.
Bamboo Doors and Windows:
Bamboo replace timber frames appropriate to
function. mat shutters fixed to bamboo frame
bamboo board fixed to the frame which wall can be
used as door. Small framed
to the top in the wall can serve as windows.

Bamboo Flooring:
Bamboo can be used material due to its better wear
and tear resistance resilience properties. Whole
culms act and the floor covering is done using
bamboo boards, mats etc by means of wire to the
frame.

Reed Boards:
Reed boards are made by flat pressing the reed at
high temperatures. These reed boards are used in
elements like flooring, walls, ceiling and roofing.
They can also be used for partitions, doors,
windows, etc.
Scaffolding:
Bamboo poles lashed together have been used as
scaffolding in high rise structures due to their
strength and resilience. The timber planks can be
replaced with bamboo culms and these can be
lashed to the vertical culms.

Foundations:
For use as foundation, the bamboo poles are directly
driven into the ground. They have to however, be
pre-treated for protection from rot and fungi. This
prolongs the life of the foundation beyond that of an
untreated bamboo pole.
Advantages of Bamboo as a Building Material
The various advantages of bamboo are as mentioned below:

1.Tensile strength: Bamboo has higher tensile strength than steel because its
fibers run axially.

2.Fire Resistance: Capability of bamboo to resist fire is very high and it can
withstand temperature up to 4000 C. This is due to the presence of high value
of silicate acid and water.

3.Elasticity: Bamboo is widely preferred in earthquake prone regions due to its

elastic features.

4.Weight of bamboo: Bamboos due to their low weight are easily displaced or
installed making it very easier for transportation and construction.

5.Unlike other building materials like cement and asbestos, bamboo poses no
danger to health.

6.They are cost effective and easy to use.

7.They are especially in great demand in earthquake prone areas.

Disadvantages of Bamboo
Bamboos come with their own set of drawbacks such as:

1.They require preservation

2.Shrinkage: Bamboo shrinks much greater than any other type of timber especially
when it loses water.

3.Durability: Bamboo should be sufficiently treated against insect or fungus attack

before being utilized for building purposes.

4.Jointing: Despite prevalence of various techniques of jointing, structural reliability of

bamboo is questionable.
Methods of Working on Bamboo
For a bamboo to be used as a building material, it must be worked on to
create desired shape, bend and length to be used for structural or other
purposes.
Following are the different works involved with use of bamboo:
1.Splitting
2.Shaping
3.Bending
Splitting of Bamboo
The bamboo canes are split into
halves or quarter sections using
a knife ideal for the job and
setting them apart by a wedge.
About four or eight segments
can be acquired which are used
as canes, strips or battens.
Canes can be peeled to make
strings and ropes up to the age
of 18 months.
Shaping of Bamboo
Even though bamboos are
naturally circular in form but if
they are grown in a box of
square shape they acquire a
shape as desired.
Bending of Bamboo
Bamboos can be bent while they are
freshly cut by heating them above
the temperature of 150° C. Bamboo
will retain this shape even after
cooling and drying off.