Bamboo Construction & Techniques

BAMBOO
CONSTRUCTION
&
TECHNIQUES
CONTENTS 1
•Introduction
•Resources in India
•Why use bamboo?
•Cost effective material
•Construction techniques: joints in bamboo
•How construction goes ?
•Construction In India
•Bamboo building system
•Bamboo - preservative treatment
•Advantages and disadvantages
•Examples in India
•Conclusion
Bamboo
Construction & Techniques
INTRODUCTION 2
• Bamboo has been used for long and well

established tradition for being used as a
construction material throughout the tropical and
sub-tropical regions of the world.
• With the rising global concern, bamboo is a critical
resource as it is very efficient in sequestering
carbon and helps in reduction of Green House gas
emissions.
• In the modern context when forest cover is fast
depleting and availability of wood is increasingly
becoming scarce, the research and development
undertaken have established and demonstrated that
bamboo could be a viable substitute of wood
• Its use through industrial processing have shown a
high 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 of
housing and buildings
Bamboo
Source : Bamboo material for cost effective and disaster resistant housing
INTRODUCTION 3
• Above all bamboo is renewable raw
material resource and if properly treated
and industrially processed, components
made by bamboo can have a reasonable
life of 30 to 40 years.
• Natural durability of bamboo varies

according to species and the types of
treatments.
• Varied uses and applications in building

construction have established bamboo as
an environment-friendly, energy-
efficient and cost-effective
construction material.
• With the rising need of housing, buildings and roads the country requires a variety of alternate
building materials and construction systems and advancements in bamboo technology offer
several cost effective and environment friendly options.
Bamboo
Source: Bamboo A Material For Cost Effective And Disaster Resistant Housing, BMTPC
BAMBOO RESOURCES IN INDIA 4
Major bamboo growing Regions / states

Area
(%)
North East 28.0
Madhya Pradesh 20.3
Maharashtra 9.9
Orissa 8.7
Andhra Pradesh 7.4
Karnataka 5.5
Other States 20.2
(Kerala, UP, Jharkhand,
West Bengal)
Bamboo
Source: BMTPC
WHY USE BAMBOO? 5
• Bamboo is available readily in most part of the globe as a vernacular material.
• Bamboo grows very quickly and within 6 to 8 years we can get a matured harvest of
bamboo.
• Bamboo stands release 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees.
• Some bamboo even sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per
hectare.
• Bamboo can also lower light intensity and protects against ultraviolet rays.
• It is very easy, affordable, and profitable for low income communities to grow and
use bamboo.
Bamboo
Source: BMTPC
WHY USE BAMBOO? 6
• Bamboo is one of the strongest building materials, tensile strength is 28,000

pounds per square inch versus 23,000 pounds per square inch for steel.
• Diverse species makes bamboo adaptable to many environments.
• It can be harvested in 3-5 years versus 10-20 years for most softwoods and
hard woods.
• Bamboo tolerates extremes of precipitation, from 30-250 inches of annual

rainfall.
Bamboo
Source: http://civil-resources.blogspot.com/2010/06/use-of-bamboo-as-construction-material.html
BAMBOO AS COST EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL 9
Characteristics affecting usefulness of bamboo as construction material
- the strength of bamboo culms/stem

- their straightness
- lightness combined with hardeners
with good physical and mechanical properties, low shrinkage and average density, it
is well suited to replace wood in several applications
Bamboo
Source: Bamboo A material for cost effective and disaster resistant housing
BAMBOO AS COST EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL 10
Major Uses of Bamboo in Construction
• Scaffolding
• Reinforcement
• Roofing
• Walling
• Doors & Windows
Bamboo
Source: Bamboo A material for cost effective and disaster resistant housing
TRADITIONAL JOINTING PRACTICES 11
Bamboo
Source: BMTPC
MODERN JOINTING PRACTICES 12
• Mild steel bolts.

• M. S. Wire and pins
• Plywood and gussets
• Glued plywood/wood inserts
Bamboo
Source: BMTPC
BAMBOO AS TRUSSES 13
Bamboo
Source: BMTPC
HOW CONSTRUCTION GOES 14
Bamboo
Source : http://www.staff.city.ac.uk/earthquakes/Bamboo/Bamboo.htm#Fifth%20link
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Bamboo
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Bamboo
DEMONSTRATION IN INDIA 15
Construction of demonstration structures using bamboo materials in Mizoram and Tripura
Salient Features of the Structures

• Bamboo posts
• Bamboo grid ferrocement walls
• Bamboo trusses and purlins
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
Construction of Demonstration Structure using Bamboo based Technologies in Shillong
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
Two bedroom bamboo house constructed at IPIRTI (Indian Plywood Industries Research and
Training Institute) , Bangalore
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
Construction of Demonstration School Building using Bamboo based Technologies at Mizoram
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
BAMBOO BUILDING SYSTEM 20
Wall in fill : non-load-bearing, comprising a grid of

split bamboo covered in wire mesh and cement mortar
Roof structure: Bamboo rafters or trusses

supporting bamboo purlins
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
To date, a prototype building system has been

developed comprising
Foundations : individual column footings
Columns : bamboo culms set in (or on) concrete
footings
Floor : raised by two or three brick
courses, filled with rubble.
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
Roof covering: corrugated bamboo mat board
Doors and windows: frames of timber with

bamboo mat board infill panels.
Bamboo
Source : BMTPC
BAMBOO HOUSE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES 23
Treated bamboo columns 75-100 mm diameter spaced at 1.2 m interval and set in cement concrete footing
FOUNDATION OF STONE MASONRY AND Bamboo

GRID PREPARATION Construction & Techniques
BASEMENT
Source : BMTPC OF CEMENTCONCRETE BLOCKS
Plastering
Bamboo
FLOORING FIXING OF TRUSS FIXING OF PURLINS
Source : BMTPC
Fixing of BMCS (Bamboo mat corrugated sheets)
INNER VIEW OF HOUSE FINISHED HOUSEBamboo

Source : BMTPC
CONSTRUCTION
IN
INDIA
Bamboo
CONSTRUCTION IN INDIA
Name Of Project: Bamboo Symphony by Mansaram Architects
Location: Bangalore, India
Built -Up Area: 210.00 m2
Category: Office Building
Bamboo Symphony is shortlisted for the world architecture festival award 2011
Bamboo
Source : http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/16270/manasaram-architects-bamboo-symphony.html
Entrance Circulation Principal’s office
Reception and kiosk Boardroom Pond N
Towards entrance Studio
lobby
BAMBOO SYMPHONY
Bamboo
Source : http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/16270/manasaram-architects-bamboo-symphony.html
DIDI CONTRACTOR’S WORKS
• Didi Contractor is a self-taught architect

based in the Kangra Valley, Himachal
since 1978.
• An artist by training and inclination, Didi

always had a penchant for designing built
spaces.
• Her current work utilizes mud from the site

to make sun-dried bricks (adobe) and is
very concerned with making a minimum
ecological dent.
• She makes every effort to select building materials that consume the lowest possible energy in their
production.
• Being based in a seismic zone Didi has also incorporated details to ensure structural safety.
Bamboo
Source : Down To Earth By Joginder Singh
ELEMENTS OF DIDI’S DESIGN
Landscape features are taken into consideration

during the evolution of the design with the latter
being fine-tuned in the numerous visits to the site.
This leads to a building with spaces organized at
various levels inside
• Walls are constructed out of Adobe (sun

dried mud bricks of size 6x12x3 inches)
created at site from earth harvested during
excavation. Wall thickness is generally 18
inch wide and the wall is plastered in mud
that has organic fiber additives to ensure
that the plaster does not crack. Pulped
waste paper can also be used to provide the
fiber
Bamboo
DIDI CONTRACTOR’S WORKS
• In a large-scale project, Didi uses a combination of

mud brick, burnt brick, stone and bamboo. She ensures
structural safety while working towards reducing the
carbon footprint of the building
Bamboo
ADVANTAGES OF BAMBOO
• fast growing natural material
• sequestering of CO2
• available in large amounts (countries of origin)
• high mechanical strength
• high flexibility (earthquake-proof)
• inexpensive and sustainable
• development of new areas of application for bamboo

in the building industry
• innovative application for representative buildings

with high span widths
Bamboo
Source :Bamboo as a Building Material
DISADVANTAGES OF BAMBOO 30
• Bamboo does not lend itself to being painted because of its natural waxy coating.
• Excessive dying or bleaching of bamboo may diminish its structural integrity.
• Bamboo is prone to insect invasion, especially when not treated properly after harvest.
Hazardous pesticides are used on some bamboo, including DDT.
• Untreated bamboo is prone to breaking down if it comes in contact with excess
moisture.
• Bamboo that has been harvested prematurely cannot bear as much weight as its more
mature counterparts.
• Designing and constructing with bamboo requires a special skill set that the average
contractor may not possess.
Bamboo
Source :Bamboo as a Building Material
CONCLUSION 31
• It is economical and helps achieve cost effective construction.
• Bamboo is a fast growing species and it is a renewable resource which can be

cultivated in most types of soil.
• The designs of the components being simple, there is no need of highly skilled labour.
• The dependency on the natural forests for wood will be reduced thus contributing to
the protection of the environment.
• As it can grow in many types of soil, bamboo cultivation is suitable for rehabilitation
of degraded forests and other waste lands thus converting them into fertile lands to
some extent.
Bamboo
THANK YOU
Bamboo

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BAMBOO

• Bamboo has been used for long and well

• Natural durability of bamboo varies

• Varied uses and applications in building

Major bamboo growing Regions / states

• Bamboo is available readily in most part of the globe as a vernacular material.

• Bamboo is one of the strongest building materials, tensile strength is 28,000

• Diverse species makes bamboo adaptable to many environments.

• Bamboo tolerates extremes of precipitation, from 30-250 inches of annual

Characteristics affecting usefulness of bamboo as construction material

- the strength of bamboo culms/stem

Major Uses of Bamboo in Construction

• Mild steel bolts.

Construction of demonstration structures using bamboo materials in Mizoram and Tripura

Salient Features of the Structures

Construction of Demonstration Structure using Bamboo based Technologies in Shillong

Construction of Demonstration School Building using Bamboo based Technologies at Mizoram

Wall in fill : non-load-bearing, comprising a grid of

Roof structure: Bamboo rafters or trusses

To date, a prototype building system has been

Roof covering: corrugated bamboo mat board

Doors and windows: frames of timber with

FOUNDATION OF STONE MASONRY AND Bamboo

Fixing of BMCS (Bamboo mat corrugated sheets)

INNER VIEW OF HOUSE FINISHED HOUSEBamboo

• Didi Contractor is a self-taught architect

• An artist by training and inclination, Didi

• Her current work utilizes mud from the site

Landscape features are taken into consideration

• Walls are constructed out of Adobe (sun

• In a large-scale project, Didi uses a combination of

• fast growing natural material

• available in large amounts (countries of origin)

• high mechanical strength

• high flexibility (earthquake-proof)

• inexpensive and sustainable

• development of new areas of application for bamboo

• innovative application for representative buildings

• It is economical and helps achieve cost effective construction.

• Bamboo is a fast growing species and it is a renewable resource which can be

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