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Uploaded by
shreyasgayakwad212
Uploaded by
shreyasgayakwad212
Bamboo
India has the second largest bamboo reserve in the world. According to the state of forest
report (FSI 2011) the total area under bamboo is 13.96 million hectares which is higher than
the estimated value of 8.96 million hectares. This goes on to show that the bamboo
productivity in India has been increasing very significantly. The National mission on Bamboo
Applications has classified bamboo into several commercially viable species. Of these, the
Dendrocalamus Strictus and Melconna Bambusoides are most commonly used as a building
material.
Suitability as a building material
Bamboo belongs to the grass family, Poaceae and it possesses the characteristics of wood.
Hence once you cut bamboo it doesn’t die but grows back on the same stem like 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. Also
bamboo houses stay warm in winters and cool in summers. Only mature bamboo between 3
to 5 years is used for construction purposes.
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. Also
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.
The tensile strength of bamboo and steel falls in the same range while the compressive
strength of bamboo is slightly lesser than that of steel. In case of steel the tensile and
compressive strengths are in the same range while in case of bamboo the compressive
strength is much lower than tensile strength. The tensile and bending strength of certain
bamboo is better compared to steel which shows that it should perform better in earthquakes.
Bamboo can also be used in place of steel for concrete reinforcements. In that case the
bamboo reinforcement area must be five times as compared to steel reinforcement
area in order to achieve comparable shear strength. This is because the shear strength
of steel is five times than that of bamboo.
Bamboo can be used extensively for non-structural applications like the construction
of walls/partitions, flooring, roofing, scaffolding etc
Bamboo is a lightweight material and hence during an earthquake there are very less
chances that a bamboo wall will fall. Even if it falls it will cause comparably less
harm to life and property. The exterior wall needs to be protected from atmospheric
vagaries like rain, heat etc. and hence infill walls (grid of split bamboo covered in a
wire mesh and cement mortar) must be used. Halved bamboo or its strips may be used
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to make bamboo mats which can be plastered with cement or lime on both sides can
also be used. The interior walls can be made of a single layer of bamboo strips.
Split bamboo, flattened bamboo or bamboo mats can be used. In split bamboo
flooring the bamboo culms are split with a certain specific width and then joined
while in flattened bamboo flooring the split bamboos are flattened so as to have a
uniform and plane surface. Very thin strips of bamboo are joined with each other to
form a mat and then laid as flooring.
Bamboo trusses can be adopted for roofing. Bamboo tile roofing can also be used
wherein the bamboo culms are split in two and used with its convex side up
alternately. A layer of bitumen can be applied between the two bamboo panels to
form a more water-resistant panel.
Advantages
Light in weight
Economical and available in abundance
Structural properties comparable to steel and concrete
Rapid growth and higher yield per area of field
Construction at a faster pace
Economical
It can address our climatic concerns by reducing the CO2 content of the air and
increasing the O2 content
Disadvantages
It has a natural shape
Must be treated for fire and insects
Weak joints
Requires detailed study and research for its use in construction.
Applications
1. Use in Bridge Construction
2. Bamboo Amenities
3. Use of Bamboo in Various Housing Components.
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