See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/350121662

Bamboo Housing Construction for Sustainable Development: In the case of

Sidama House, Ethiopian.

Poster · June 2018

CITATIONS READS

0 1,160

2 authors:

Leule M. Hailemariam Ezra K. Hailemariam

Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa University
11 PUBLICATIONS 19 CITATIONS 6 PUBLICATIONS 20 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Leule M. Hailemariam on 17 March 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

Bamboo Housing Construction for Sustainable Development: In the case

of Sidama House, Ethiopian
a*
Leule Hailemariam, b Ezra Hailemariam

a
Msc, Lecturer, Addis Ababa University (AAU), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;

b
Msc student, Addis Ababa University (AAU), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;

ABSTRACT

It is argued that quality of housing is one of the principal elements to increase health and economic
productivity over long-term development transitions. This signifies the role of providing quality
and affordable houses in meeting sustainable development targets in rural areas and emerging
towns of developing countries. According to researches, more than 80% of Ethiopia’s urban
population lives in houses in a poor condition and the majority of this population cannot afford to
have their own houses. Therefore, the need for an affordable and habitable housing solution is
substantial. This research attempts to expound both technically and theoretically the possible
contribution of the traditional Sidama bamboo house construction technique towards sustainable
development of bamboo growing areas in Ethiopia. According to Brundtland, sustainable
development is defined as “meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In light of this definition, this research
employed a qualitative research approach to investigate the social, economic and environmental
significance of Sidama house towards sustainable development of the region. Findings of the
research indicate that this traditional housing technique can greatly contribute in achieving
sustainable development in the area.

Keywords: Affordability, Bamboo, Housing construction, Sidama housing, Sustainable

development.

*Corresponding Author: leule.mebratie@aau.edu.et

P a g e 1 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

INTRODUCTION

Housing is one of the priority items in the present time. Sensing the current shortage of the dwelling
units, administrative leaders around the world find it tough to hit upon a solution. The search for
an efficient economical and replicable housing solution based on the contextual needs is the need
of the hour. Apart from the other substances already in practice, bamboo appears to be the most
promising material.

Bamboo is one of the oldest traditional building materials used by mankind. Its uses are broad and
plentiful. The bamboo Column, or stem, has been made into an extended diversity of products
ranging from domestic household products to industrial applications. Examples of bamboo
products are food containers, handicrafts, toys, furniture, flooring, pulp and paper, boats, charcoal,
musical instruments, and weapons. Bamboo is quite common for bridges, scaffolding, and
housing, but it is usually used as a temporary exterior structural material.

In many overly populated regions of the tropics, certain bamboos supply the one suitable material
that is sufficiently cheap and plentiful to meet the extensive need for economical housing (Nitin,
et al., 2017). It has been used in bicycles, windmills, scales etc.

With regard to construction, the majority of bamboo construction relates to the rural community
needs in developing countries. As such domestic housing predominates and in accordance with
their rural origins, these buildings are often simple in design and construction relying on a living
tradition of local skills and methods. Other common types of construction include farm and school
building and bridges.

In the role of providing quality and affordable houses, the possible contribution of bamboo house
construction can be regarded. Ethiopia has an estimated one million hectares of natural bamboo
forest, the largest in the African continent (Zenebe, et al., 2014). Despite the versatile resource
base and advanced bamboo utilization at a global scale, its great potential to enhance socio-
economic and ecological development remains unrealized in Ethiopia.

With this regard, the Sidama bamboo house is a typical traditional split bamboo plaited roundhouse
by the people of Ethiopia. The dome, with its pointy top, is designed to shed heavy rainfall where
a circular dome would have a flat region prone to leaks. It’s roof, wall, door, window, the ceiling
is all from the Bamboo tree- native to tropical and semitropical areas. The beauty of the house
P a g e 2 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

from the outside and inside reflects the skill and talent of the local Sidama engineers (Anon., 2017).
In this particular paper; the social, economic and environmental significance of Sidama house
toward sustainable development of the region is taken into perspective.

LITERATURE REVIEW

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BAMBOO

Bamboo belongs to the grass family “Poaceae” and it possesses the characteristics of wood
(Naman P. , Akshay M., Mayank D., 2016). Bamboo is a very light material which;

• has a higher strength to weight ratio,

• releases oxygen,
• grows rapidly,
• has great structural properties,
• is available in abundance and
• Is very economical and grows on less fertile soils.

Hence, once cut, bamboo doesn’t die but grows back on the same stem as grass. It grows about
30-100 cm a day with the world record being 91 cm in a day. It attains maximum size in 60-90
days after it starts sprouting and can be commercially used after 3 to 6 years.

Moreover, bamboo can also grow on less fertile soils. Hence it is very unlikely that bamboo will
become scarce in a very short time. In a particular area, a larger number of bamboo plantations are
possible compared to other wooden plantations in the same area. And also, bamboo houses stay
warm in winters and cool in summers. Only mature bamboo between 3 to 5 years is used for
construction purposes.

In addition, Bamboo has very convincing structural properties. It has a high strength to weight
ratio which shall facilitate lighter constructions. It has a tensile strength comparable to steel.
Bamboo composites can be produced to enhance the required properties. Bamboo has very good
earthquake resistant properties. Using bamboo as a structural material may reduce the cost of
construction to about 40%. Thus, owing to the current scenario bamboo is the ideal choice for
construction.

P a g e 3 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

SUSTAINABLE 1 FEATURES OF BAMBOO

Why the concern with building with Bamboo in this age when there are so many new modern
materials like steel, glass, aluminum and so on? Because bamboo is a versatile and highly
renewable resource; it is a very good example of sustainability. With respect to both the plant itself
and also its use as building material, its impact on the environment is nil.

At every stage of growth, bamboo could be used. Because it could grow everywhere there is no
transportation cost. The yield per year is almost 25 times that of timber because it grows very fast.
Bamboo is self-generating raw material and it is used as a shelter belt near the river bank and
agricultural field (Rao, 2014).

On another account, the diminishing wood resource and restrictions imposed on felling in natural
forests, particularly in the tropics, have focused world attention on the need to identify a substitute
building material that should be renewable, environment-friendly and widely available (Nitin, et
al., 2017). In view of its rapid growth, a ready adaptability to most climatic conditions and
properties, superior to most juvenile fast-growing plant, bamboo emerges as a very suitable
alternative.

The world timber demand is increasing at a rapid rate but the timber supply is depleting. It’s been
found through research that bamboo can suitably replace timber and other materials in construction
and other works. Industrially treated bamboo has shown great potential for production of
composite materials and components which are cost-effective and can be successfully utilized for
structural and non-structural applications in construction.

In parallel view, the property as top-grade building material and increased availability of bamboo
make it possible to use in the field of construction extensively. Its high valued utilization not only
promotes the economic development but also saves forest resources to protect the ecological
environment as a wood substitute. As an economic building material, bamboo’s rate of
productivity and cycle of annual harvest outstrips any other naturally growing resource, “…if today
you plant three or four structural bamboo plants, then in four or five years later you will have

1
Sustainable products are those which along with its use for a required purpose also tend to cause little or no harm to the
environment and they help in normalizing the climatic irregularities that have been caused over the period of years.

P a g e 4 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

mature clumps, and in eight years you will have enough mature material to build a comfortable,
low-cost house!” (Nitin, et al., 2017).

BAMBOO AS SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIAL

Bamboo has a long and well-established tradition as a building material throughout the world’s
tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is widely used for many forms of construction, in particular
for housing in rural areas. Bamboo is a renewable and versatile resource, characterized by high
strength and low weight, and is easily worked using simple tools. It is widely recognized as one of
the most important non-timber forest resources due to the high socio-economic benefits of
bamboo-based products. It is estimated that there are 1200 species growing in about 14.5 million
hectares area. Most of them grow in Asia, Africa and Latin America(Rao, 2014).

Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing woody plant. It grows approximately 7.5 to 40cm a day,
with world record being 1.2m in 24 hours in Japan (Rao, 2014). Bamboo grows three times faster
than most other species. Commercially important species of bamboo usually mature in four or five
times a year, after which multiple harvests are possible every second year, for up to 120 years in
some species and indefinitely in others. Bamboo also excels in biomass production, giving 40 tons
or more per hectare annually in managed stands. It accounts for around one-quarter of biomass
produced in tropical regions and one-fifth in subtropical regions.

By the year 2014, the bamboo industry was worth $25 billion in East Asia and South Pacific areas.
(Rao, 2014). Moreover, the cultures of the particular areas have traditionally shown an affinity for
bamboo as a construction material. Now equating that with its being one of the fastest growing
plants in the world, and having the high tensile strength (actually more than many alloys of steel),
certainly have a great future ahead with bamboo construction.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SMALL BUILDINGS

There has been a constant increase in the population of most developing countries (Naman P. ,
Akshay M., Mayank D., 2016). In India, for instance, a large percent of the population is not able
to afford their own homes owing to the increasing living costs. It is the need of the hour to adopt
cost-effective housing solutions. The depletion in the availability of natural resources and the
climatic conditions has forced engineers to look for a greener construction material. Thus a

P a g e 5 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

greener, as well as an economical construction material, is sought. Bamboo, because of its

innumerable qualities may emerge as the necessary solution.

This calls for the need for a low-cost building material which allows for a speedy construction.
The cost of constructing with cement and steel is already very high and it further inflates
periodically. Also, cement and steel release a tremendous amount of CO2 during their production.
About 11% of the total CO2 emissions are due to the steel industry while the cement industry
contributes about 9% to it. Thus steel and cement are costly as well as environmentally dangerous.
On the other hand, bamboo utilizes CO2 during its production and releases O2. Hence, bamboo
can emerge as a naturally sustainable and a low-cost construction material.

Nowadays Bamboo has been gaining attraction all over the world (Rao, 2014). This is because;
Bamboo is cost-effective, practical, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly building
alternative. Bamboo is extremely Strong, versatile, and flexible and lightweight material &
considered to be as a sustainable and renewable alternative to hardwoods because it regenerates at
the very fast rate. Bamboo is cost effective especially in areas where it is cultivated and is readily
available. Bamboo is an ancient solution to the new problem; it is an alternative solution as a
building material being renewable resources absorbs greenhouse gases.

There is a long-standing tradition of bamboo construction, dating back to many hundreds of years.
Different cultures have found in this material an economical system of the building, offering sound
yet light and easily replaceable forms of shelter. The methods, activities, and tools are often simple,
straightforward, accessible even to the young and unskilled. Despite human exploitation and
unfavorable treatment, trees maintain its contributively role towards the dwelling of mankind. The
man has for centuries enjoyed the benefits of the free gift of nature.

Bamboo culms are used in the building. The thicker culms or strands made up of several culms are
employed for load-bearing materials such as girder, purlin, post or rafter. Bamboo-based materials
are widely used too. In its natural condition as solid culms, halved culms or as longitudinally split
strips, bamboo has been used in almost all parts of house construction except for the fireplace and
the chimneys.

Bamboo building construction is characterized by a structural frame approach similar to that

applied in traditional timber frame design and construction. In this case, the floor, the wall, the
roof elements are all interconnected and often one dependent on the other for overall stability. It
P a g e 6 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

can be used to provide shelter to the larger mass of the nation who cannot afford their own house
at a very economical rate and can speed up the mass housing projects. Thus, along with research
advances and scientific precisions, bamboo can emerge as a material which will solve the housing
needs of the country without harming the environment.2

METHODOLOGY

The research employed a qualitative research approach to investigate the social, economic and
environmental significance of Sidama house toward sustainable development of the region.
Findings of the research indicate that this traditional housing technique can greatly contribute in
achieving sustainable development in the area.

The instrument is field participative technique and it is noted that the longstanding tradition of
bamboo construction, dating back to many hundreds of years. Different cultures have found in
this material an economical system of the building, offering sound yet light and easily
replaceable forms of shelter. The methods, activities, and tools are often simple, straightforward,
accessible even to the young and unskilled. Despite human exploitation and unfavorable
treatment, trees maintain its contributive role towards the dwelling of mankind. The man has for
centuries enjoyed the benefits of the free gift of nature.

2
With the advancement of science and technology and the tight supply of timber, new methods are needed for the processing of
bamboo to make it more durable and more usable in terms of building materials. Studies have been carried out on the basic
properties and on processing of bamboo into various kinds of composite products. Bamboo has several unique advantages like ability
to grow fast with a high yield and also it matures quickly. Additionally, bamboo can be grown abundantly and that too at a lower
cost which makes it more economical.

P a g e 7 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

Sidama house construction process

Location Map of Sidama Area The Sidama House

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Bamboo building construction is characterized by a structural frame approach similar to that

applied in traditional timber frame design and construction. In this case, the floor, the wall, the
roof elements are all interconnected and often one dependent on the other for overall stability.
It can be used to provide shelter to the larger mass of the nation who cannot afford their own house
at a very economical rate and can speed up the mass housing projects. Thus, along with research
advances and scientific precisions, bamboo can emerge as a material which will solve
the housing needs of the country without harming the environment. And with the advancement of
science and technology and the tight supply of timber, new methods are needed for the processing

P a g e 8 | 10
The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

of bamboo to make it more durable and more usable in terms of building materials. Studies have
been carried out on the basic properties and on the processing of bamboo into various kinds of
composite products. Bamboo has several unique advantages like the ability to grow fast with a
high yield and also it matures quickly. Additionally, bamboo can be grown abundantly and that
too at a lower cost which makes it more economical and generates employability the society

CONCLUSION

The housing construction practice using the highland bamboo in Sidama, Ethiopia can greatly
contribute to the sustainable construction practice of the country.

•The focus on addressing the economic development for the wellbeing of developing
nations/regions cannot easily be solved without the consideration of the society.

•Bamboo is one of the green building materials with zero environmental effect

•The housing construction process in the region of Sidama needs to be promoted and it should be
considered for the housing construction for the rural and emerging towns in the developing
countries.

•The housing policies and strategies shall incorporate the potentiality of Bamboo material for the
sustainable development

•Traditional and vernacular construction technique of the Sidama bamboo house follows
affordable and efficient resource utilization principle

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The research described in this paper was supported by the Addis Ababa University (AAU),
Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and city development and the
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). The writers would like to thank the
national bamboo construction team members for their contributions during the data collection
phase of the research. The assistance from Dr. Ephrem Gebremariam, deputy scientific director of
EiABC and Dr. Sisay Seifu, undergraduate director of EiABC is also warmly appreciated for their
encouragement and technical support.

P a g e 9 | 10
 The Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018), June 24- 28, INBAR, Beijing, China.

REFERENCE

Anon., 2017. Sidama people’s roundhouse – Ethiopia. [Online]

Available at: http://www.apsaidal.com/sidama-peoples-roundhouse-ethiopia/
[Accessed 21 April 2018].

Naman P. , Akshay M., Mayank D., 2016. Bamboo: A Sustainable and Low-Cost Housing Material for
India. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, Volume V, pp. 17-20.

Nitin, K., Utkarsh, M., Bharat, P. & Amit, C., 2017. BAMBOO AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL. IJARIIE-
ISSN(O)-2395-4396, Volume III, pp. 343-349.

Rao, R., 2014. Bamboo Architecture for ecological living. International Journal of Advanced Research
in Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing, Volume I, pp. 94-100.

Zenebe, M. et al., 2014. Bamboo Resources in Ethiopia: Their value chain and contribution to
livelihoods. A journal of plante, people and applied research, pp. 521-524.

P a g e 10 | 10

View publication stats