Bamboo Draft Manual, Giz Addis

BAMBOO
C O N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L W I T H
The projects on this handbook are supported by Strategic Alliance between GIZ and African Bamboo
First published in 2014

© Addis Ababa Ethiopia 2014
This handbook includes the scripts and technical procedures prepared during a bamboo workshop held in
Aleta Wondo TVET in may 2014.
The Copyright is given by the Authors to everybody in order to spread Bamboo technology and
sustainable harvesting.
Authors
Jörg Stamm
Michael Tesfaye
Haileyesus Girma
Editor
Denamo Addissie
Abbreviations
List of Tables
Introduction
Preparation of Raw material
Tools and Equipment
Basic Joinery and Construction Techniques
36 1. High Roof Workshop

54 2. Saddle Roof
72 3. Garage “Six Pack”
90 4. Gazebo “Hexagojjo”
108 5. Free Standing Shade
110 6. “Hyper” Tent
Appendix l
Bibliography
Bamboo Glossary
Abbreviations . . .
AB: African Bamboo Plc
FeMSEDA: Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency
GIZ: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH
INBAR: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
LUSO: Luso consult, Hamburg.
SME: Small and Micro Enterprises
SNNPR: Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region
TVET: Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Vienna)
4
List of Tables . . .
Table i Distribution of Highland and Lowland Bamboo (Luso Consult 1997)
Table ii Bill of quantities and Construction Costs for a 20 m3 concrete tank
Table 1.1. Workshop cutting list
Table 1.2. Workshop Material list
Table 2.1. Saddle roof cutting list
Table 2.2. Saddle roof material list
Table 3.1. Garage cutting list
Table 3.2. Garage Material list
Table 4.1. “Hexagojjo” cutting List
Table 4.2. “ Hexagojjo” Material List
Table 5.1. Free standing Shade cutting list
Table 5.2. Free standing Shade material list
Table 6.1. “Hyper Tent” cutting list
Table 6.2. “Hyper Tent” Material list

INTRODUCTION . . .
Construction with Sustainable Building Materials is “on vogue” all
over the world. Energy efficiency in the production and transport of
the resources has direct impact on the construction cost of a project.
Even if the labor cost makes it sometimes more expensive to build
with alternative building material than conventional building materials.
The arguments like CO2 neutrality and the philosophy of “Grow your
own house” are important statements in the modern world. If Bamboo
construction is trained properly and the knowledge is extended in
a bigger scale, the reliability and quality of Bamboo construction
improves. Efficient techniques and systematic methods taught
to craftsmen and architects will make bamboo construction more
competitive. Bamboo is an energy efficient raw material and recent
engineering achievements in utility buildings such as bridges, hotels,
schools and health facilities have shown the architectural potential Sidama house; almost entirely build of “Highland Bamboo” in
SNNPRG, Ethiopia
for contemporary light weight constructions. This manual will show
you some important steps to develop sound and reliable structures,
following the state of art practices in modern civil construction
methodology.
Historic Treasures
In Ethiopia Bamboo has a very long tradition in its use as construction
material. Grass, stones, wood and mud are the building materials of
most of houses, and every landscape offers these raw materials in
slightly different quality. Some areas in the north are more arid and
the people use mainly stones and thorny bushes, other regions are
blessed with more rainfall, resulting in lush vegetation and a bigger
variety of trees. Several tribes have a typical way to build their round
huts, called in Amharic “tukuls” or “gojjos”, but more than 80 different
languages in the country can be equaled by the same number of Sidama house
Roof structure
different names for their houses. Driving through the landscape slight
changes in the shape of the roof can be observed: the walls are made
sometimes by stakes and plastered, sometimes by earth blocks or
layers of stones.
Moreover, some cultures developed very specific techniques,

worldwide unique in their kind and easily distinguishable for
everybody. Such an example is the Sidama house; almost entirely
build of “Highland Bamboo”, formerly an abundant species in several
regions of Ethiopia. At almost 3000 meters over sea level, this house
gives shelter against the cold nights with strong winds and rains.
A sophisticated construction method is traded over thousands of

generations. The beautiful “Dome” or “Beehive” shape is made with
a triple layer of bamboo sticks and ropes for structural support, culm
sheath for thermals and rain insulation and a woven basket on the
outside ties everything together and protects against harm by wind.
Such a house requires a lot of work and usually some neighbors

and the extended family helps to build it within a few weeks. Sidama
people are mainly practicing subsistence agriculture for life support,
so they stay for generations on their spot and this justifies the effort
to build a dry home with a warming fireplace inside. Nevertheless,
bamboo which is exposed to the rain and the sun is slowly degrading,
especially at the contact area with the ground, so after 10 years Sidama house
the home is decomposing. Each farmer cultivates bamboo on his 3 Layer Wall Construction
7
property, so the raw material for a new home is growing and mature
culms are sustainably harvested for the next house.
Other tribes have different traditional lifestyles; some are nomadic

pastoralists, like the Berta People in Benishangul Gumuz at the
boarder of Ethiopia and Sudan. At around 1700m above sea level the
climate is not so harsh, night temperatures are not life threatening.
The protection the Berta house has to offer to the people - besides
a rain shelter -, is rather against wild animals. “Lowland bamboo” is
growing vastly in the area and wherever the family decides to stay, a
quick basket is woven within a day from the half round bamboo splits,
roughly thatched with Elephant grass.
The traditional knowledge and skills to work with the local bamboo Berta house; in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia
species are amazing. Even if such individual buildings with natural

fibers don’t last very long in the tropics, it´s the thousands of years of
a typical building in a living culture, which is worth recognized to be
world heritage.
Nevertheless times go on and lifestyle changes are also seen in
these remote regions. Cement blocks and corrugated iron sheets
are becoming indicator of wealth and social prestige. The traditional
homes are still being built, sometimes due to economic reasons, but
sometimes also due to traditional pride.
The modern bamboo construction style presented by Mr. Jörg Stamm

was astonishingly well received by the local people in Ethiopia,
although some remarks were made on the need for the initial
investment on borax preservation and the cost for electric drilling
machines. Being a hybrid between bamboo as a raw material, but Berta house; wall system with woven bamboo basket
covered with corrugated iron sheets, the new concept inspired the
trainees. The first structures built by African Bamboo in Tedecha,
Sidama were designed as utility buildings in order to create carpenter
workshops, storage places and a factory for bamboo processing
machinery. The tall roofs with free spans of 8 meters and concrete
foundations made a solid impression and convinced the local people
to reevaluate their own bamboo grooves as a good investment in the
future.
Bamboo as a resource is meanwhile considered a national treasure

by the Ethiopian Government and extension programs promote
the knowledge at National Universities and regional Technical and
Vocational Education and Training Centers (TVET). Ethiopia has also
defined a Bamboo Strategy Paper, with the help of the International
Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), it has worked in the Private
Sector development with the German International Cooperation (GIZ) The first structures built by African Bamboo in Tedecha, Sidama
and promoted Industrial Processing with United Nation Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO).
Background and Objective of this manual
This Bamboo Construction Handbook is documenting a 10 day

workshop, hold at a TVET in Aleta Wondo, a town in the Sidama
region, with financial help from GIZ and logistical support from a
private company called “African Bamboo” (AB). The theoretical/
practical training was directed to 10 Trainers from five TVET´s in the
8
region and to 10 Small and Micro Enterprises (SME).
The 7 different structures in this manual reflect the 20 years of

experience in round Bamboo construction of GIZ/CIM consultant Mr.
Jörg Stamm, who worked 2 years in Ethiopia as Integrated Expert
for African Bamboo. During the workshop he was assisted by two
Architects named Haileyesus Girma and Michael Tesfaye, who are
the author of this handbook. Further assistance was given by two
Three Mountain Building, John Hardy, Bali 2007
students Abraham Tadele, Beshir Mudesir, and Master bamboo Trainer
Fiker Aseffa, all former training participants at the National Bamboo
Construction Center (NBCC), located at the Chair for Appropriate
Building Technology at the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building
Construction and City Development (EiABC) in South Campus of
Addis Ababa University. Similar bamboo buildings to the ones in this
handbook have been constructed with Students in the campus of
EiABC and can be visited at the campus.
The TVET Bureau head in Southern Nations is promoting the woreda

TVET in Aleta Wondo, to become a “Center of Excellence for Bamboo
Construction”, where yearly up grading seminars will take place.
GIZ is supporting this process not only by this handbook, but also
through the National Bamboo Construction Center, where Engineering Howe Truss made in India during the World Bamboo Conference,
Data is being evaluated and Design of Bamboo Construction is with a bamboo of similar size as the Ethiopian Highland bamboo
becoming part of the official pensée for architecture and construction

students. Bamboo is going to be recognized someday as certified
building material within the National Building Code. This will establish
a significant market opportunity for Bamboo, similar to Eucalyptus:
where farmers would plant bamboo as a cash crop.
A comfortable work shade made by “6 pack” spaced columns at the

NBCC Workshop in EiABC
Highland bamboo plantation around the village in Tetecha
9
Bamboo Species in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has 67% of Africa´s reported bamboo resources which
is more than 7% of the world’s total according to the 1997 LUSO
Consult report. There are two indigenous species: Highland and
lowland bamboo.
Highland Bamboo
Lowland Bamboo
Bamboo distribution map of Ethiopia.
No. Bamboo Area Region Natural Stand Plantation Total Area No. Bamboo Area Region Natural Stand Plantation Total Area
(ha) (ha) (ha) (ha) (ha) (ha)
1 Injibara Amhara 30 2350 2,380 1 Hinde/North of Nekemte Amhara 8,670 0 8,670
2 Agaro Oromiya 0 1500 1,500 2 Asossa Benshangul Gumuz 77,947 0 77,947
3 Bale Mountains Oromiya 56,851 0 56,851 3 Bambasi Benshangul Gumuz 64,245 0 64,245
4 Shenen/Jibat Oromiya 1,774 2,561 4,335 4 Begi Benshangul Gumuz 21,509 0 21,509
5 Gera Oromiya 36,000 1,250 37,250 5 Nejo Oromiya 27,612 0 27,612
6 Bore/Hagereselam Oromiya 0 2,460 2,460 6 Dibate Benshangul Gumuz 14,200 0 14,200
7 Chencha/Arbaminch South 2,460 3,250 5,710 7 Guba Benshangul Gumuz 7,757 0 7,757
8 Indibir/Jembero South 0 1,850 1,850 8 Kemashi Benshangul Gumuz 33,723 0 33,723
9 Jima/Ameya Oromiya/ South 0 900 900 9 Pawe Benshangul Gumuz 53,830 0 53,830
10 Mizan Teferi/Kulish South 0 1,850 1,850 10 Gimbi Oromiya 29,125 0 29,125
11 Debresina/Wofwasha Amhara 35 0 35 11 Guten Oromiya 6,044 0 6,044
12 Wushwush/Bonga South - 1,120 1,120 12 Metema/Dansha/Humera Tigray/Amhara 425,000 0 425,000
13 Bonga/Ameya South 7,997 0 7,997 13 Didessa Valley Oromiya 135,000 0 135,000
14 Masha South 18,652 0 18,652 14 Dangur Benshangul Gumuz 27,350 0 27,350
15 Munesa Shashemene Oromia/South 4,183 0 4,183 15 Bulen Benshangul Gumuz 16,780 0 16,780
Total 127,982 19,091 147,073 16 Galesa Benshangul Gumuz 10,870 0 10,870
Total 959,662 0 959,662

Table i. Distribution of Highland and Lowland Bamboo (Luso Consult 1997)
10
A. the Highland Bamboo, Yushania alpine
Formerly also described as “Arundinaria” alpina, is a unique and very

special genera of bamboo is growing on rather cold heights of the
2500 to 3000 meter high plateaus on both sides of the Rift Valley, but
also on the highlands in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda up to Virunga
Mountains, where the last mountain gorillas still feed on their shoots Highland bamboo
and fresh leaves.
Natural Yushania alpina forests grow in high altitudes of 2300 to 3500

meters, either in small patches or even big forests of several hundred
hectares (Village of Rira, Harena Forest behind the Bale Mountain
National Park in Ethiopia).
When still being young plant, the culmp looks like a thicket, with 3
- 4 cm thin culms emerging every 10 to 20 cm. But once being an
adult groove, the rhizome of Yushania is growing in a typical manner
of sympodial bamboos; but it is actually possible to walk though the
clump between the culms. The underground offspring, the “neck” is
growing with a spacing of up to 1 meter away from the mother rhizome,
into all directions. About 6000 culms per hectare are average and
1000 new culms of 14 to 16 meter length and 6 to 8 cm diameter are Yushania Alpina can form forests that “milk” the clouds in the high-
expected per year (net use for construction is 6 to 8meter). lands over 2500 meters
Fresh shoots are emerging during rainy season between March and
April and reaching their full height in August to September. Mature
culms can be yielded at a 20 to 25 % yearly rate of the adult grown
culms. Taking out only the 4 year old culms, the overall photosynthesis
of the mother plant is not negatively affected. The sub terrain root
system distributes the starch and sugars from the mature culms to
the young shoots and allows a permanent regeneration of the entire
plant. Gregarious flowering is occasionally happening, but not seen
as a total regional devastation.
The highland bamboo areas in Ethiopia have been estimated 1997

in the “LUSO study” with approximately 150,000 hectares, although
within the last decade this number has been already significantly
downsized. It is not clear if the recent findings of so far undocumented
bamboo forest areas at Robe and the slopes of Harena forest in the
vicinity of the Bale Mountains were included in the LUSO study. At
least in Hagere Selam, Sidama Zone, SNNPRG Ethiopia, most of the
forests documented 20 years ago have been transformed to farmland.
Fresh shoots emerging during rainy season
The average per farmer in Sidama is only 0,2ha remain in what it is
now one of the most densely populated areas of Ethiopia. Some of
the local people still cultivate it actively, mainly as feedstock for the
cattle during the dry season and as occasional cash crop. Only the
poor people use it still as raw material for housing or fencing, whereas
the richer ones prefer more prestigious corrugated iron sheets and
barbed wire.
Landscape view with small farmer plots with bamboo grooves in

Hula Woreda, Sidama, its slice is in average about 0,2 ha each 11
B. the Lowland bamboo, Oxytenanthera abyssinica
Oxytenanthera is growing from 700 to 1800 over sea level on the

western slopes of Ethiopia, formerly reported some 700.000 to
850.000 hectare (by LUSO) might have been diminished by gregarious
flowering and invading agricultural frontier to about half the former
size. This lowland bamboo has about 10.000 culms per hectare, with
3 to 6 cm thickness and 8 to 12m length, (net use for construction is
4 to 6 meters). The most outstanding property is its almost massive
culm (cavity only found in young culm and upper culm sections) and
its termite hardness, which makes it ideal as Rattan replacement.
Whereas Yushania is pretty unique and even was rebaptised recently
with a new gender name, the Ethiopian Lowland bamboo belongs to a
broader genus and has close relationship with Oxytenanthera braunii,
mother to the famous bamboo wine in Tanzania. Nevertheless there
is no report of similar traditions of fermenting the sap, although it
might just not yet have been described scientifically.
Lowland bamboo
The lowlands of Ethiopia, especially those on the tributary rivers to

the Blue Nile, were once widely populated with Bamboo forests, in
midst of zebra, elephant and other migrant mammals, but very little
cattle. The traditional tribes have had a rather low population density
and nomadic lifestyle, moving around according to the seasons and
avoiding the Tsetse flies. Their houses are rather quickly woven
baskets. The young and flexible bamboo culms, usually split in half,
are forming one cylindrical room covered with a rough thatch of
elephant grass.
Bamboo forests were vast, occasionally overlooked by big trees

and feared for being the hideaway of “black lions”, an endemic lion
Berta village with bamboo huts in Benishangul Gumuz Region,
subspecies in Ethiopia. The same low land bamboo species is also Ethiopia
reported for Uganda, but it is still not documented, if it is found on
the entire mountain range that delivers its waters to the White Nile.
The original vegetation, with extensive Grassland and high trees of
Benishangul-Gumuz (at the western border of Ethiopia to Sudan), has
been confronted only recently with massive slash and burn practices
introduced by Immigrants from the eastern lowlands. Subsequently
the last years resulted in lack of rain and showed the final limit of
unsustainable agricultural practices. The resulting sequence of fires
and soil exposure caused rising temperatures, again provoking a
local climate change which may have triggered the recent bamboo
flowering in vast areas of the formerly lush low lands.
Oxytenanthera has been reported in the literature with occasional

gregarious flowering, a phenomenon typical to many of the bamboo “Torching” as traditional hunting practice in Benishangul is threaten-
species. It is also reported that climatic stress tends to provoke ing the recent reforestation efforts
flowering. The dry branches and leaves are prone to fires, leaving the
barren soil vulnerable to erosion during heavy rainfall. Some of the
seeds survive and after a decade the area is usually repopulated with
an entirely new generation of bamboo clumps. Much of the formerly
estimated 700.000 hectares of bamboo forest is already converted
into agricultural production. Nevertheless there are private and
government reforestation efforts are going on.
12
Forest
BIOMASS PRODUCTION AND CO2 SINKS
Bamboo forests are considered as one of the highest biomass

producers, but that depends a lot on the species, the soil and the
climatic conditions. At 16 degrees average temperature and 1500
to 2000mm rainfall per year, the biomass yield at 2800 meters over
sea level is 8,6 tons/ha/yr and carbon would be about 50% (4.3
ton). Lowland bamboo would have more favorable temperatures
(35 degrees) but the rainfall of only 700mm is the limiting factor. In
Women carrying lowland culms Transportation of highland
consequence the overall biomass on one hectare is only one third of on their head as firewood or bamboo with a donkey
Highland bamboo (Probably due to frequent forest fires), the 12.000 fencing material
lowland culms/ha gather 19,6 tons total dry biomass versus 6000
highland culms gather 51 tons in average. Nevertheless, the reported
yearly dry biomass productivity of lowland bamboo is with about 10
tons/ha quite similar to the highland bamboo (8.6 tons/ha).
ECO-CONSTRUCTION
Bamboo, in the areas where it was historically endemic, was a favorite

construction material, just among other natural resources as stone,
grass, wood, lime and clay. Transport without roads and trucks was a
mayor cost factor and construction materials had to be found close to
the desired construction site.
Bamboo trusses are very light weight and can be lifted by few
Bamboo was relatively easy to harvest; it was easy to carry, easy to students
bend or to split. Selected and mature culms last easily one generation,
especially with the help of smoke and earth plaster.
Quick to build shelters of nomadic people did not need to look for
long term endurance; - immature culms are easy to bend, perfect for
weaving of baskets and sleeping mats because bamboo is part of
their environment and the weaving skills are traditional knowledge,
they are easy to replace, in case they might suffer termite attack after Beautiful mats are woven by local farmers as wall elements
some months.
“Vernacular” Architecture is the renaissance of the styles and

traditional knowledge of such times, but it requires attention to
the increased life time expectations of modern clients. Nowadays
Bamboo is considered “Eco –logical”, it is a fashionable construction
material, because of its light weight, the slender and flexible tube
form, it´s sympathetic “honey” color, it´s smooth and warm touch are
“on vogue”. Bamboo is also an excellent construction material for big
span light weight structures. The proposed designs in this manual Bridge section of 30 m arched Bamboo Bridge in Cucuta Colom-
can be executed in any of both species mentioned. bia. The roof is a high tech PVC membrane
Bamboo needs preservation and quality grading before applied to

modern buildings. This manual is giving a wide array of techniques
to achieve such structural challenges, just adapting the suitable
technique to the existing bamboo size.
“Organic” construction with bamboo, Yoga deck at Green school

in Bali, built by Jörg Stamm and Orin Hardy
13
Preparation of Raw Material
BAMBOO HARVESTING
For construction purpose we have to use matured bamboo 3-5 years

old. : the more a culm is covered with liquens and moss, the longer
it is standing in the groove. Bamboo culms change their color from
blue green to dark green to red or yellowish color. When they become
grey the culm might be too old and the tissue is already starting to
lose tensile strength.
BAMBOO PRESERVATION
Treatment of bamboo culms makes the difference between traditional

and engineered bamboo constructions. Culms as construction
material need to be protected against insects and fungi. Bamboo
culms, even if not exposed to direct rain and sunlight will need to
be treated against wood eating insects (xylophages). Only very old
and mature culms, once fully lignified and mineralized may not be
harmed by borers, but the farmers do not always wait until their culms
are 4 years old. Usually they tend also to harvest 3 year or younger
culms and mix them up. So it is necessary to undergo a chemical
preservation before dedicating them to long term use in construction
projects. The choice between oil based and water based chemicals
depends not only on the budget but also health reasons.
Oil based chemicals are penetrating quicker and deeper than water.
The ingredients are usually more expensive, especially when it
comes to “safe” chemicals like permethrine Deltamethrine etc, which
are widely used for bamboo furniture and handicrafts. Soaking in
creosote, as mold and termite protection, is still widely recommended
by some literature in tropical countries, but in western literature there
is a warning concerning cancer. Closed and air conditioned rooms will
accumulated volatile organic compounds (VOC) and chemical insect
treatment may be harming the nerve system and cause allergies.
Water based chemicals are usually boron, copper or chrome

containing salts which need usually solved in water. Marine salts,
like natrium chloride, do not offer reliable protection unless applied
in extreme high concentrations, which makes it complicated and
expensive. Salts (unless combined with Chrome) also tend to wash
out if exposed to humidity for longer terms. Copper and Arsenic
containing preservation processes are highly toxic to humans and
need special supervision. Borax treatment (soaking the poles for 4
days in a solution of 5% sodium pentaborate and boric acid in water) is
considered an eco-friendly and perfectly suited for diffusion treatment
of fresh bamboo poles.
The modified Bouchery method is the quickest way, but it requires

suitable equipment, a pump and some training about the handling
of the chemicals. The bottoms of the culms are cut at the precise
thickness of the connecting pipes, the solution is pressed in and
pushing the sap out on the thinner end within 20 to 30 minutes. This
method only works within the first 24 hours after cutting, because the
bamboo intends to seal its “leaking” vascular system, when coming
in touch with oxygen. Modified Bouchery system
14
The Vertical Sap Diffusion method (VSD) is the cheapest, but only
practical for small quantities of poles. The pole is drilled lengthwise
with a steel rebar, but the lowest node has to remain untouched,
creating a kind of bottle that is filled from above. After 7 to 10 days
(depending on the wall thickness), the solution can be recovered by
turning the poles around, or in case of big poles, by perforating the
bottom diaphragm. This method requires perfect poles with no cracks
or borer holes. Approximately 30% of the poles in Sidama have been
attacked during their first years, when the culm is still sweet and soft.
It is possible to seal these holes with little splinters, or rubbing candle
wax into the cracks, but it is a labor intensive extra work.
The horizontal soaking does not worry about cracks and insect
holes. It is the most suited method for permanent installations, but it
requires a bigger investment, in a form of a pool and the initial load
of borax and boric acid. It has also the best retention efficiency and
lowest labor costs. At a 5 % solution Per m3 water one bag of 25kg
borax powder and 25 kg of boric acid (granulate) are needed. It is
also possible to use just 50kg of borax alone, although borax and
boric acid forms a ph-neutral and better penetrating mix. The best
suited formula is the ready mix called TIMBOR (octo-borate and boric
acid), but this brand is not available in local market. The solution is Vertical Diffusion with 5% Borax solution in Water, just leaning
sufficient for 120 guadua poles of 50 kg in one m3 or 300 Yushania against a tree. The tube is filled from above with a water hose
poles of 6 meter. (US code for termite protection requires retention of
3 % boron per m3 wooden tissue)acid), but this brand is not available
in local market. The solution is sufficient for 120 guadua poles of 50
kg in one m3 or 300 Yushania poles of 6 meter. (US code for termite
protection requires retention of 3 % boron per m3 wooden tissue)
Yushania poles in dip diffusion process
Modified Oil barrels can also be used to make a tank for

horizontal soaking 15
CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE preservation TANK
Steps for construction of the Tank
A. level the area and take out the shape of the

tank excavation of 2 x 10 meters soil to a depth of
up to 1m from natural ground level
Make the excavation precise later to use the side

of the wall as a form-work of maintainance free
walls protected from rain erosion.
B. Bend the previously cut construction steel

according to the size of the hole into U- shape and
put the rebar into the excavated box. The three
layers have to overlap and must be tied together
with wire. The upper ends have to stand about
10 cm over the surrounding area to later prevent
rainwater from pooring from the surrounding floor
into the tank.
Recommended are 8mm rebar every 15cm for a

12 cm thick concrete wall.
Make sure the steel mesh is not resting on the
ground or the leaning against the earth wall. 5cm
distance is recommended.
C. Put the concrete mix first in the bottom part the

tank. The Cement: Sand: Gravel ratio is 1:2:3.
Its better to mix concrete additives (like sika) in

order to reduce water and improve water proofing
property of concrete.
16
D. The walls of the tanks have to be poured as
soon as possible, therefore the formwork has to
be installed within one day. Clean the contact area
between floor and wall carefully before pouring
concrete, otherwise the dirt might create a leak.
The formwork has to braced to withstand the

pressure created by the vibrator.
E. Put the concrete mix in already prepared form-

work. You have to vibrate using a vibrator inorder
to have a uniformity through out the tank
Control the formwork during vibration. Use plastic

to avoid wall erosion when filling in the concrete.
F. Make a graded slab extending to one side the

concrete tank for a collection of the drain-off of
borax solution of the standing poles.
Don’t use an outlet for draining out the solution

from concrete tank because pipes and outlets
always create leakage.
And the concrete work should be finished on the
same day in order to guaranty crack free walls.
G. Apply two coats of plastering in cement mortar.

The Cement: Sand ratio is 1:3
17
Bill of quantities and Construction Costs for a 20 m3
concrete tank
Item Description Unit Qty Unit Amount
No Rate
1. EXCAVATION AND EARTH WORK

for 10m x 2m x 1m Tank
1.01 Bulk excavation in ordinary soil to a depth of up to m3 37,29 90,00 3.356,10

1000 mm from natural ground level.
1.02 Back fill around the tank m3 13,60 85,00 1.156,60
Total Carried to Summary………………… 4.512,10
2. CONCRETE WORK
2.01 50mm lean concrete quality C-5, with minimum m2 23,69 90,00 2.132,10
cement content of 150 kg of cement/m3, :-under
the slab
2.02 Reinforced concrete quality C-30 with ratio of m3 7,50 2.445,00 18.337,50
1:2:3, minimum cement content of 400 kg of
cement/m3 filled in to form work and vibrated
around rod reinforcement thickness wall 150 mm
including the drip off area
2.03 Provide, cut and fix in position sawn zigba wood m2 53,00 176,00 9.328,00
or steel formwork which ever appropriate.
2.04 Mild steel bar reinforcement according to struc- kg 932,00 32,00 29.824,00
tural drawings. Reinforcement shall be free from
dirty, oil, grease, paint, readers paint, etc and any
other substances which may affect the reinforce-
ment and concrete bond (price include cutting,
bending and placing in position).Dia. 10 & 12
deformed bar
2.05 Apply two coats of plastering in cement mortar m2 28,80 90,12 2.595,46
(1:3) .Price shall include exposed surface of the
tank
Total Carried to Summary………………… 62.217,06
TOTAL 66.729,16
Table ii. Bill of quantities and Construction Costs for a 20 m3 concrete tank
Constraints
Making a tank with concrete is expensive, initial investments are paying off over years.
Concrete tanks are more expensive than plastic liners, but more durable.
Advantage
Long lasting, reliable, one time investments, maintenance free
If you have a hole in the tank you are going to lose the borax which will cost 20,000ETB
18
After preservation procedures
CLEANING
Cleaning of the poles means cutting the stumps of branches and

removing the moss and lichens, can be done either with steel wool or
a power washer. It is ideally done before, but also possible- after the
soaking process. Clean surfaces improve the product presentation,
which makes it easier to sell for a better price and get advantage over
the competition.
Cleaning the bamboo culm using steel wool
BLEACHING
Bleaching, on A- Frames, is a necessary process in order to achieve

the typical yellow colour of the culms. If the bamboo is stored too
early, the colour remains brownish. This process takes maximum one
month, depending on the intensity of the sun. The poles have to be
turned around every week, in order to prevent cracking by extreme
fast drying in direct sunlight and achieve a yellow color all around.
DRYING
Drying in a shadowed area is a key to a crack free product. The poles A –Frames allow quick drying by good airflow and sun exposure
are stacked layer by layer, with separation to ensure good air flow.
The shed has to have big roof overhangs but no walls. Occasional
moistening by horizontal rains is not a problem. This process can
take 2-3 months, depending on the climate, slower it actually better in
terms of crack avoidance.
The time can be cut in half by application of solar heated air, applied
by an electric blower through hoses into each of the longitudinal drill
holes from the preservation process. The solar drying will take away
each day about 1 % of relative humidity, so that the saturated fiber
humidity of 30-40% of the incoming poles from the A-frames should
be brought down to “air dry” equilibrium of 14 to 16% within 20 days.
QUALITY GRADING
Drying the bamboo culm in a shadowed area
Quality Grading, according to length, diameter, and straightness is

done in different racks. It is also recommended to separate the almost
straight from the much curved culms. The zigzag poles for a third
group that can be used for non-structural applications.
A-grade Poles: are the strong and straight ones, rated according to
their diameters.
B-grade Poles: are the strong and curved one, also separated in
diameters.
C-grade Poles: have more than one curve, cracks and are only Bamboo quality grading
useful in sections.
19
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENTS
20
21
TOOLS FOR BAMBOO CARPENTRY
Traditionally the Sidama People use a big knife with a kind of flat
hook on the tip. The machete type of tool is used to cut the culm and
the tip is slashed parallel to the fibers into the culm and leveraged
to split it. Then they slice the rough splits into thinner slivers which
are used either for weaving their mats, the baskets or the outer
layer of their houses. Every farmer has elaborated this skill up to an
astonishing level, in terms of refinement of the sliver and the in the
speed he performs. “Satera”, the woven mats, are offered to passing
truck drivers in big rolls, in order to bring them on the next market,
where they are sold for many purposes like enclosures for a make
shift shelter, temporary fencing etc.
Sidama Knife
Besides these knife there is almost no other tool needed in Sidama,
but it´s their skills to do many different products and processes.
Even the foundation holes for their houses are dug (with the backside)
of the knife. This is the baseline for our toolset for bamboo construction.
Good craftsmen need only a few tools, but to achieve the skills, it may
take years to become acceptable outcome. Nowadays we can buy all
kind of specialized hand- and power tools, to quickly overcome this
difficult learning curve and perform even more precisely, but these
tools have a cost. The basic tool set for Bamboo construction counts
only for a handful of devices. Nevertheless it is recommendable
to buy a little standard tool box with small hand tools like screw
drivers, wrenches, pliers, chisel, hacksaw and hammers. Here is the
recommended Toolkit for Bamboo Construction:
A) Lay out of Foundations and Matrix
1. Several wooden stakes or pieces of rebar, - in order to tend the

lay out lines of the outer walls.
2. Big Hammer or mallet, - to nail the stakes into the ground, false
corner frames, staking the key points of the matrix.
3. Colored strings - to tend the building´s outer walls, the X and Y
axis, and all the lines of the matrix. Different tools used by workshop participants
4. 25m tape measure- for overall dimensions of the building and
cross check at the corners.
5. Transparent water hose (20m x 8mm), - filled with water and
used as a long distance water level.
6. Picks and shovels, - to dig the foundations.
B) Preparation of the materials according to your “Cut-list”.
7. Tape measure - in order to size the desired pieces precisely.

5 to 8 meter long steel tape measure would be most suitable.
8. Pencil - to mark the precise length and to mark bamboo pieces
with the corresponding number. Colored markers are also fine.
9. Saw - to cut the culms by hand at the desired measures. There
are carpentry saws with bigger and smaller teeth, for rough or
fine cuts. You also can use a Hacksaw, - even if it´s meant for
steel rebar -, it still works for bamboo. Ideal supplement is an
electric Chop saw or Miter saw.
10. A file, - to bevel the sharp edge of the recently cut bamboo
culms, avoiding accidents and give a refined finishing.
11. A set of hole saws (50 to 75 mm), - for precise cutting of fish
mouth according to diameter of the spacers.
22
C) Preparation of beams and columns, rafters
12. Some Ropes, - usually 15 to 18mm thick, best of Sisal or Hemp, Hammers
but also nylon or polypropylene work fine. Cut some 1,5 meter
and make slings on both ends. These “strops” will be wrapped
around the poles and twisted as a “Spanish Wrench”.
13. A Drill, - usually electric drilling machine of 1200 kw, 800 rpm Handsaws
is ideal. Include a 20m extension cable or a 2kw generator.
Several drill bits of 10 mm and 12mm HSS, with 20 or 30 cm
steel bolt welded on its back end. Trowels and
14. A heavy Hammer (350 to 500 grams), smaller hammers wooden floats
damage the back of the bamboo nail and give no drive.
15. Hundreds of Bamboo nails (11 mm) or Rebar pins (10mm), -
depending on the required strength of the joint.
16. Several hacksaws (sharp blades), - or an electric grinder, in Shovels, Hoe
order to cut the bolts.
D) Assembly of the trusses

Spirit level
12. Several short pieces of lumber, - as support and spacer to level
the columns about 5 to 8cm over the matrix.
13. Several Stakes to pin the elements in their final position on the Plumb bob and
matrix. string line
14. Strong rebar (1,5 m x 25mm), - to force the elements into neat
joints and slide beams in between tight columns.
15. Some “Hole saws” (25 to 40 mm), to cut out the bottom nodes String line
for later insertion of rebar and mortar.
E) Erection of the trusses Measuring tape

(5-25m length)
16. Steel rebar (1,5m x 10mm), to be doubled and inserted 3cm
into the bottom internodes.
17. Some Cement mortar (cement: sand = 1:3), - inserted with a Large bucket or
funnel (plastic bottle) and a rebar. wheel barrow
18. A Tackle and rope (20m x 15mm), - hanging from a tripod made
with strong bamboo poles.
19. A ladder, (4 to 6 meters), - usually made form bamboo poles.
20. Bamboo poles as temporary support and bracing. Hacksaw
21. Plumb line, - or vertical Water level.
22. Concrete (Cement, sand, gravel = 1:2:3), pieces of rebar,
buckets, boards for formwork.
F) Roof installation Pliers
20. Some long ropes, - to pull the purlins onto the rafters and hold
them in position while drilling.
22. Extension cables, two or more light drilling machines, small Carpenter’s square
hammers (250 gr) and nail sacks for the guys on the roof.
21. Some security harnesses or ropes, - as safety line for workers
on the roof.
22. Helmets, - for the assistants working below the roofing guys. Drill and drill bits
Big straw hats for the guys on top, - to avoid sunburn.
23. First aid box, - iodine to disinfect and tape to fix the frequent
minor cuts from the sharp corrugated iron sheets. Tools used for bamboo construction
23
BASIC JOINERY AND CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES
24
25
Functional elements in Structural Carpentry
Carpentry Guilds in Europe have developed a special coding
system with different names for the diverse functional elements
in a framework. This was necessary as the dimensional lumber
used in frames and trusses has mainly uniform sections and in the
prefabrication process it is visually very confusing to see so many
pieces of similar shape. Either lumber or round poles, the position in
a structure requires quite different behavior of the element and their
respective joinery. Stresses in a structure are divided in compression,
tension and bending (flexural) forces. Also shear stresses occur,
especially in the joinery when working with screws, bolts and bamboo
nails.
• Under compression the pole tends to buckle, but compression

joints are rather uncomplicated. The compression strength
of the bamboo fiber is similar to hardwood, which makes the
bamboo pole a perfect substitute for vertical stilts. Vertical
poles are called “posts”, a composite of several posts form a L Load
“column”.
T Tension Member
• Under tension the pole has no buckling, but the joinery
requires tricky adaptations, screws or metal bolts. Bamboo c Compression Member
fiber has an extremely good tension capacity. This makes it a
good tensile member, but the joinery is sophisticated. Poles in
tensile conditions are often used as “Tie-beams”, their function 1 Post / Column
is to hold the rafters together and form the roof triangle.
2 Rafter
• Bamboo and wooden poles are bending (flexure) easily
under lateral forces perpendicular to the fiber, than under 3 Tie beam
compression. That’s why poles perform best when used in the 4 Bracing
direction of their fiber, either tensile or compression. Horizontal
poles are called beams, they need to be selected with a thick L
diameter and mid-size wall thickness in order to attend the
bending forces. The upper fibers in a beam suffer compression,
the lower fibers are under tension, the central line is neutral but 2
L L
could easily suffer shear forces. T 3
• Bamboo fiber bundles at internodes are perfectly parallel and
perform very low shear resistance, but the fibers bundles c 4
at the nodal area are a fortunately countering this debility by
interweaving with each other. Without a node at the end, a
traverse bolt would easily slice the culm. The stressed joints c
have to be “grouted” , the mortar cylinder diverts the forces of
1
the steel bolt in contact with the wall towards the nodal area.
• Bamboo poles are hollow and do not withstand much
perpendicular pressure on their wall as the cavity tends to
Sample of structural members
collapse much easier than dimensional wooden beams.
Therefore their support points should also be grouted if used
for example as floorbeams.
Functionality is essential in a structure and the carpenter has to select

the Poles for his Building is according to their designed duty in the
structure. He makes a Cut- list and assigns a name and a number to
its function, calculates the quantity needed and a note for special
joints. As all poles are looking similar on the outside, names and
numbers will put order into the chaos.
We differentiate between primary structure, for the main load bearing

frame or truss members, and the secondary structure, with all the
26
minor loads. The tertiary structure is the enclosure, but it can also
deal with horizontal loads, like winds and seismic events.
• Primary structure: Posts, Beams, Tie-beam, Rafters, Bracing,

but also Spacers.
• Secondary Structure: Purlins, Wall support, Stairs etc.
• Tertiary Structure are plywood wall panels, floor boards, Roof 1 Wall Bracing
sheeting. 2 Purlins
The quality has to cope with the above mentioned stresses. So the 1
carpenter selects the culms according to straightness, wall thickness,
nodal distance and defects like cracks and insect holes. This quality
grading is a significant step, followed by the sectioning of the culm,
according to its wall thickness and diameter.
In order to cope with the stresses we have to grade the quality of

our bamboo culms, and select the suitable sections of the culms 1
according to the load distributions in the structure.
• A strong culm section with thick walls and short nodal

distances is found in the heavy bottom part of the culms. Most
of the curves are in the bottom section and this part can´t be
straightened. These parts should be used in functions as posts Secondary Structures in Buildings
and cantilevers.
• The middle section has a quite homogeneous wall section; the
culm is rather cylindrical and lighter than the bottom. Nodal
distances are longer and the culm is relatively straight. Even
slight curves can be forced into straightness. These parts
should be used in beams and rafters, diagonal bracing and
purlins.
• The top parts of culms are usually highly tapering, due to the
off-going fibers for the branches. The Wall thickness is reducing
quickly, the fiber has very high elasticity, but the thinning
diameter is not suitable for compression stresses. These parts
are usually used in parts that have several support points, like
purlins or roof battens.
Evolution of Styles
Post and Beam structures are the most natural and most basic
construction method: You did a hole and put a vertical wooden post
into it, push some stones on the side of the stick to fix it. Then you
attach, -with vines or rawhide-, a horizontal pole to the posts and
create a ring beam, which supports the rafters of the roof cone.
Since I came to Ethiopia and saw the “Beehive Houses” of the

Sidama people, and the Burr of the Somalis I am not so sure about
what is more natural and evolutionary older. Is it a simple geometry
with vertical, horizontal and inclined surfaces the most natural form
of a house? Or could it also be the more turtle shaped cupola of the
desert people in Somalia, made just by Woven Sticks, joint with skills
and elegance to a dome of quite astonishing sizes.
27
Certainly amazing are the huge cupolas of the Dorze people and
their skills to shape the perfect geometry just by eye control. The
Bamboo building types in Dorze, Sidama and Oromo/Bale show a
variety of walling and roofing techniques, sometimes even mixed
and depending on easier available materials like grass, Bamboo and
Eucalyptus, sometime size and technique are depending on family
pride and tradition in specific neighborhoods.
Over thousands of years, Architecture did quite a wide circle from the
makeshift stick / leave shelters, over round huts (tukuls) to squared
houses,- before coming to perfect geometry of the Greek and modern
engineering with its artful abstractions, but rather straight lines, that
are easy to do with industrial materials. Lately, the “contemporary
architecture” finds back to the origins of organic forms. Bamboo is
definitely neither straight nor cylindrical, - its nature is rather curved
and conical. Even if we take only short sections out of the long and
Post and beam structure using bamboo
slender culms, the slight zig-zag and the protruding nodes are creating
difficulties to connect Bamboo culms with straight Elements like
doorframes and windows. From this point of view we have to question
if bamboo is suitable for constructions with rather flat surfaces, if clear
geometry is the ideal Answer for a Bamboo house?
The long and slender culms have a clear advantage in structures with
tensile concepts, the curved and conical nature of the culms invoke
curved surfaces and dome shapes. The Sidama house is an ideal
answer to the abundant Raw material in the region! Nevertheless
the fashion of the day asks for new proposals. Are there other ideal
answers to the innate logic of these lightweight tubes?
For sure we can try to fuse traditional Bamboo knowledge with

concepts of structural carpentry and civil engineering. Playing with
the nature of the culm and looking for suitable fields of application,
we should not only focus on housing, but also on community centers,
restaurants, schools, bridges and commercial buildings. Once treated
against insects and protected with a big roof from rain and sun,
bamboo engineering is certainly competing with Aluminum and Steel,
especially in lightweight structures.
Structural Concepts
As mentioned in the evolution of style above, over the centuries

several basic structural concepts developed.
The simple most simple is the “Post and Beam” concept, which
consists in a sequence of vertical Poles, crowned by a horizontal
beam. These beams are either parallel to each other, (also called
sleepers), or they form a circle, a ring beam, like the “tukuls” in
Ethiopia. The thicker bottom end of the rafters rest on these sleepers,
the thinner top end rests on a ridge beam, or leans against a “King
Post”, a long pole in the center of the house, usually with significant
symbolical or mythological importance.
If the conical roof has circular rings, like the bamboo strings in the
Sidama house, the roof structures supports itself, even if center pole
is rotting at the soil contact area on the bottom. It is now a freestanding
roof, - we are touching vernacular “engineering”. A conical roof with circular tie ring.
28
The next evolutionary design level is achieved, when the rafters intentionally
lean to each other without a support on the top. But this creates lateral forces
at the bottom, which have to be absorbed by a horizontal tensile element, -
the tie beam in parallel or the ring beam in circular arrangements.
If the king post is still present in the roof triangle, but not touching the floor
anymore, this structure is called a King Truss. The former support post is
now used to avoid the slack in tie-beam caused by his own weight, which
actually converts it into a hanging column with tensile duties.
Advanced Bamboo Engineering
The repetition of the same concept, frequently used in bridges, leads

to Howe and Warren trusses, or commonly named “zig-zag” girders.
But also in Factory buildings such truss systems are of great help if the
operational workspace needs big free spans. Such truss systems are two
- dimensional frame works, which have to be stabilized laterally to avoid
buckling.
Even bigger spans can be achieved by arches, probably the most powerful
support systems. Due to the natural curve in Bamboo poles, such arches
are actually easy to build and it is even possible to combine arches with
girders. Ethiopian highland bamboo should be able to support free spans
of 20 to 30 meters, if the local craftsmen learn the skills and want to deal
with the responsibility involved in such endeavours.
Another approach to cover big areas are tensile structures, like the
bamboo supported membrane roofs made during the workshop. Mixing
concave and convex surfaces, in order reduce material thickness and to
withstand windforces the Hyperbolic Tents proposed by Frei Otto have
shown its potential in Convention Centers and Sport stadiums.
Hyperbolic Tent
Three dimensional structures like domes or shells are based on
grid concepts. They can be easily made with thin and slightly curved
bamboo poles. The grid is usually multilayered and can reach enormous
dimensions, as the poles are overlapping. Such grids are also perfect
usable as scaffolding. The traditional differentiation between primary and
secondary structure is fused into one, the tertiary layer is fixed directly to
the grid.
The most sophisticated grids, like the bamboo domes of Buckminster

Fuller, Shoei Yoh and Baerbel Mueller, are astonishingly similar to the
woven homes of the nomadic tribes in Africa, - the architectural evolution
points actually towards its very beginning.
Although being implemented at Greenschool in Bali or Panyaden School Buckminster Fuller Dome
in Thailand, these are very contemporary proposals, which are far beyond
the skills and of our target group in southern Ethiopia. They probably don’t
even meet their aesthetic feelings at the moment.
For now, we are competing with two dimensional post and beam structures,
like concrete frames or “zig-zag” girders like used in steel trusses. So let´s
look into the prefabrication of such elements.
29
BAMBOO JOINERY AND DETAILS
Bamboo Joinery is very different from wood and other construction materials. Due to its structural
anatomy, a bamboo culm should be used according to it’s cross section and it’s internode distance.
The effetive use of a bamboo culm is shown below.
The Tip of a bamboo pole from

2- 4 m could be used for light
construction and for weaving
elements.
The middle part of a bamboo

pole suitable for general perpose
construction elements like
columns and beams. This part
could range from 6 - 8 m.
The part of the bamboo from

30 -60 cm shall be used for
preparation of bamboo nails.
The bottom part of the bamboo

(20 - 30 cm) has a high strength
due to it’s thickness. This part
shall be used for preparation of
spacers.
Effective use of a bamboo culm
30
Preparation of bamboo nail
Split the bamboo from the 2nd internode (picture how to use bamboo
culms effectively) into 10-16 piecies and use a metal template with
different size of holes for different size of nails. Hammer the bamboo
splits through the holes so that the nails will have an appropriate
shape and dimension. The thickness of the bamboo nail should be
1mm more in diameter than the drill bit we use for making a hole in
the bamboo culms. Metal template for making bamboo nails.
Metal template for making bamboo nails. Drying process of the bamboo mail
Fish Mouth
use a hole saw machine and cut half of the edge of the bamboo culm
as shown in the picture below.
Making of a fish mouth connection
31
Prefabrication of Bamboo structural elements
Bamboo poles can be joined by lashings, screws, steel bolts or bamboo
nails.
Master carpenters in some bamboo growing regions have still a vast
knowledge of traditional joinery, like the Indonesian traditions documented
by Klaus Dunkelberg in the book IL 31.
Bolts or screws (like threaded rods, washers and nuts) are used nowadays
frequently in modern Bamboo construction, - usually combined with Traditional joinery, like the Indonesian traditions
“cement grouting” of the hollow space or inner cylinder of the bamboo documented by Klaus Dunkelberg in the book IL 31
culm. These cement reinforced joints have been widely developed by the
Colombian Bamboo Star Architect Simon Velez, his follower Seven tested
and introduced into the official construction code of Colombia NSR 10.
For the joints with little stress (up to 100 kg) we want to use Bamboo nails,
whereas some steel reinforcement bar (rebar) is applied for the more
critical connections (up to 400 kg). In certain situations it´s required (up
to 1200 kg per joint), that these rebar bolted joints are grouted (usually
after lifting the structure), which usually gives the necessary stiffness and
reliability to the building.
The proposal for a structural systems is based on “spaced columns” with Grouting; filling the node with cement mortar after
an innovative special node composition called “interlocking joints”, where putting the rebar inside
steel bolts or bamboo nails in different directions prevent the elements
from separating each other.
For the beams and rafters, two parallel culms are combined with bamboo
nails, pre-drilling the holes in V-Formation. This method is copied from an
almost forgotten traditional technique in Colombia, originally using palm
sticks and inserted in 60 degree angles, which hold the poles together
without need for lashing or nuts.
As palms are not always cultivated, but occasionally extracted from

rainforest, we prefer to use bamboo dowels, split by a knife and hammered
Cutting the long rebar after inserting through the
through a steel plate to achieve a uniform thickness. Bamboo nails should drilled hole for bamboo connection
be prepared previously in big numbers, air dried and sharpened like a
pencil at least on one end. Mass production can be done by electric dowel
making machines, but usually the nails are made on contract base, by a
separate crew of women, sometimes at home, where they can take care of
children and kitchen duties meanwhile making some money. One person
can make between 80 and 100 Bamboo nails per day.
This V- joining technique is also used to assemble bundles of several

culms, like the ones used in the bridge arches . The coherence of such
a bundle is astonishingly strong, even if a simple bamboo nail appears
weak and slim; a big number of such contact points enhances the converts
many single poles into one composite beam with superior performance,
even without grouting. This package also allows the elongation with “butt
joints”, as the sole weak point of the joint is always compensated by the
overlapping of several round poles.
Using V- joining technique for connecting the bamboo

culms in making beams and rafters
32
Construction of a spaced column
The structures in this handbook are based on spaced columns and composite beams.
How to prefabricate a bamboo column?
• Select 4 A grade culms of 6m, (either almost straight or slightly curved)

• Cut the first segment at the bottom, (to be used as a spacer).
• Cut the second internode, (to be converted into 10 mm Bamboo nails)
• Punch the first two bottom diaphragms, in order to prepare a big hole for later grouting
• Put the culms parallel, with the bottom at the same mark
• Mark the culms each meter (or whatever Your design recommends)
• Mark the belly (convex side, in order to create pairs and compensate thickness and curve
• Put these pairs on the working table or some flat poles on the ground.
• Join the 4 culms and the spacers and tie them together with a rope (Spanish wrench)
• Push the spacers into the right position at the marks, (which one up? -observe the rhythm)
• Tie the Spanish wrenches and check the square of the top and bottom arrangement.
• Check the bottom alignment and straightness of the entire column, - don’t make a spiral.
• Drill and nail one by one. (careful: due to the hammering, the spacers sometimes move)
• Release the ropes and cut the over standing tips with a machete or hacksaw.
• Put the bottom up and introduce the rebar/ cement grouting (according to the drawing).
• Leave the cement dry at least for two days.
The same procedure is also working with 6 or more culms; nevertheless you will need more
experience and a longer drill bit.
Construction of a spaced column
Connections of a spaced column Six Pack Column
33
How to prepare a composite beam or rafters
• Put two similar culms on the workbench, either top end or bottom together if it is for even distribution
of loads (floor beams).
• Or put both tops and both bottoms together, load distribution for rafters in conical roofs
• Tie the poles with a Spanish wrench to the bench or the template, in a straight line.
• If slightly crooked, force the poles together into a straight line, compensating their curves.
• Make sure the axis of the beams are not twisted and tied flat to the bench.
• Drill in V – shape each 50 or 60 cm. Hammer the bamboo nails in consecutively, cut tips.
• Release the ropes
Construction of composite beam or rafter.
34
How to join endless beams, for purlins or battens
• Fix a template on the ground or use the entire length of the building as workbench.
• Install marks for beginning and end of the Purlin. Start with a node close to the ends.
• Start with a short (2-3m) and a long culm (5-6m) and join the two in the same manner as the
beams with bamboo nails every 50 or 60 cm (preferably close to nodes).
• Insert a stick or a very thin bamboo into the last tube section and join the next pole.
• Thin end with thin. Thick end with thick. Overlapping at least one third of the pole, straightening
the line by compensating curves and cutting of crooked parts.
• Finish with nodes close to the ends, as the weather exposure and degradation is higher.
• Carry the long purlins with many hands and avoid bending during transport.
The same technique is used for curved beams, just the template is different and the “butt- joints”
may be reinforced by steel rebar and grouting, instead of stick inlays.
Assembly of Endless beams or purlins.
35
1.HIGH ROOF WORKSHOP
The truss of this structure offers a big free space with a 9 meter free span. It can be used as a workshop,
a factory or any building that needs obstacle free maneuvering of machines, vehicles or storage. The big
overhang is a based on a “protection by design” principle, that minimizes the exposure of the bamboo to rain
and sun. Bamboo buildings need “big boots and a big hat”.
36
37
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
A.DRAWINGS & CUTLIST

Prepare drawings that are suitable to your own specific construction needs or follow the plan that is
provided with this example to follow along the construction the structure.
While preparing (cutting) bamboo, cut closer to the nodes.
3
52
Fig 1.1. Elevation of the structure
cutting list
No Elements Length (m) Per No of Total No of Total length
Truss Trusses Elements (m)
1 Rafter 7.70 4 5 20 154.00
2 Tie Beam 9.00 2 5 10 90.00
3 Inner Bracing 6.20 2 5 10 62.00
4 Columns 5.30 8 5 40 212.00
5 Outer Bracing 2.60 4 5 20 52.00
6 Diagonal 6.00 4 5 20 120.00
7 Purlins 14.00 - - 50 700.00
8 Spacers 0.25-0.30 16 5 80 24.00
Table 1.1. Workshop cutting list Total 1414 m
Material required
No. Item Unit Qty
1 Bamboo nail Pieces 2000
2 Cement Kg 300
3 Sand m3 1
4 Gravel m3 1
5 Reinforcement bar Ø10mm Meter 60
6 Roof cover- corrugated steel sheet Sq. meter
38 Table 1.2. Workshop Material list
1 Rafter 5 Outer bracing
2 Tie beam 6 Diagonals
3 Inner Bracing 7 Purlins
4 Columns 8 spacers
For every column there will be 8 spacers.
For the total structure 80 spacers (8 x 10)
are needed.
Fig 1.2. Elements of the cutting list
39
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
B.LAYING OUT THE MATRIX

1. Make line “0” which is about 10m in length. This will be the starting point or our
base line.
2. From one edge start making a right angle line that is 9m long using the right
angle rule (3,4,5 method)
3. Using basic geometry, mark the other points that are located on the drawing (Fig.
1.2). Use a bamboo nail to mark the location of the points and strings to show the
location of different members.
legend
Bamboo nail
Strings
Base Line (Line “0”)
Fig 1.3. String layout Diagram
40
Using a “3,4,5 method a right angled layout
could be made.
The matrix will be used to assemble different members of each truss later.
41
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
C.ORGANIZE ELEMENTS ON LAYOUT

Start from the place where the columns (spaced columns) are going to
be and arrange the different parts of the truss.
At the intersection of every part hammer a wooden stake into the ground
which is going to be used to reinforce the location of the different parts
while drilling and most importantly be used as a template to locate
precise location of members for the next 4 trusses.
Take into account the order of individual members that go above,

below or in the middle of other members as this will have impact on
the connections.
The stakes hammered at the

intersections of the connections
help during drilling and also be
used as a reference for other
assemblies.
Fig 1.4. Organization of different elements
42
The tip of the inner and outer
bracings culms should have a
Inner Bracing fish mouth so that it exactly fit on
the spacer.
Inner Bracing
43
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
D.TRUSS ASSEMBLY
Support the truss elements like columns and rafters on
spacers of wooden blocks, so you don’t have to drill into
the ground.
A. Using a drill make holes across points specified on the

drawing and hammer either a bamboo nail or a metal bolt
(rebar) into the joints, depending on load requirements
B. Use appropriate joints (fish mouth, interlocking...) at
connection points.
C. divide the length of the rafter in spaces of 70 cm and
mark the points where the battens are going to be
placed. Put nails into the ground at these points. Then
drill each rafter accordingly and place a short bamboo
nail. Later when working high up in the air, this stopper
is a great help for easier location and installation of the
battens.
D. Assemble other 4 trusses precisely over the same matrix.
Use 11mm bamboo nail for a 10mm hole because later there
will be shrinkage on the nail and the size will compensate
for the shrinkage. However for using metal bar use the
dimensions and holes the same.
Fig 1.5. Assembled trusses
Cutting a fish mouth using a hole

saw.
Fig 1.6. Assembley Process
44
Reference nails shall be
hammered permanently every
70cm to show the locations of the
battens.
Use reinforcement bars for high

strength joints
The outer bracings will be

connected with a fish mouth
connection to the column.
45
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
E.FOUNDATION . . .
There are generally 3 types of foundation used in construction
based on the geometry of the foundation i.e. point, linear
and area foundations. For the construction of this structure
use a simple point foundation. For other structures of bigger
size it’s recommended to study the load of the structure and
the soil properties. Follow the next steps.
A. By referring to the foundation plan which is made in

correspondence with the truss size, make a layout of the
foundation on the ground using bamboo nails and string.
B. Extend the string from the center about 80cm outward

and locate the point for tying the string. This way you can
show the center of the foundation holes by intersecting
strings.
C. Dig a hole of size 40 x 40 x 40 cm at each foundation

location.
legend
Foundation Hole
Bamboo Structure
3m 3m 3m 3m
9m
Fig 1.7. Foundation Plan
46
Dig a hole of size 40 x 40 x 40 cm Fill the base of the hole with concrete mix and
stones to avoid placing the reinforcement bar
directly in to the ground : this will also help to
adjust the height of the truss.
The height of the concrete is

dependent on the level of site.
x - variable
40
cm
cm
40
Fig 1.8. Making of Foundation
47
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
F.ERECTION . . .
Place each of the assembled members of the structure
inside their respective holes.
Adjust the height of the truss elements using wooden

stakes for adjusting the height of the base and a water level
for measuring. (Mark at 1m from the bottom of the spaced
column and use the water level to adjust the height of each
Temporary Bracings
side.) Also check the straightness of the parts using a level.
When the pieces are at their proper location, stabilize their

location using bracing members that are projecting from the
ground to the interlocking connections.
Fill the holes of the footings with concrete mix (1 cement,

2 sand and 3 gravel proportion) up to the point where the
bottom of the bamboo is found and let it dry.
Put mortar inside bamboo but never bamboo inside mortar.
Fig 1.9. Erection of the trusses
48
By using wooden stake its possible to adjust
the height of each column so that it would be
on the same level with other columns
Using a water level adjust the height of all the

trusses.
concrete filling stage 49

HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
G.ON LOCATION ASSEMBLY

At this point already much of the structure is on place. From here we will continue
to make the rest of the structure as follows:
Bracings: in order for the whole structure to be stable it has to act as truss
system. Therefore we have to add bracings from one edge of the truss to the
other diagonally.
Work bench: work benches are additional features for a workshop that are used
for working with different machines and tools. The work benches will be directly
connected to the column and to the ground.
Use the workbench for the assembly of the roof battens.
Roof battens: the battens for the roof will be made from a series connection of
bamboo culms. Two culms will be connected parallel and at the edge extended
using another bamboo until the desired length is reached. Drill the battens to the
rafter at the locations where previously bamboo nails are placed as a reference.
Mark the location of the centers of the columns on the battens while on ground.
This will help to find the precise location of connections while drilling at the top
of the rafter.
Benches could be made by using the column as a support and one end.
(optional)
Fig 1.9. On location assembley
50
Drill the purlins at every 80cm
.
51
HIGHROOF WORKSHOP
H.FINISHING THE ROOF

The roof can be finished with thatch or corrugated iron sheet.
Fig 1.10. Roof Finishing
52
53
2.SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO
This structure could be used for shading seating areas or by making an attached seat with the structure its
possible to integrate both.
54
55
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO

Prepare drawings that are suitable to your own specific construction
needs or follow the plan that is provided with this example to follow
along the construction the structure
4
1
Fig 2.1. Elevation Saddle roof structure

cutting list
1 Post 2.50 4 2 8 20.00
2 Tie beam 2.50 2 2 4 10.00
3 Rafter 2.50 4 2 8 20.00
4 Diagonals 2.80 4 2 8 22.40
5 Bracing 2.50 2 2 4 10.00
6 Purlins 4.50 - - 17 76.50
7 Bench 3.20 - - 12 38.40
8 Back bench 3.20 - - 6 19.20
9 Spacers 0.25-0.30 6 2 12 3.60
Table 2.1. Saddle roof cutting list Total 220.1 m
Material required
No. Item Unit Qty
2 Cement kg 100
3 Sand M3 0.6
4 Gravel M3 0.6
6 Roof cover- Straw Sq. meter
56 Table 2.2. Saddle roof material list
1 Post 5 Bracing
2 Tie beam 6 Purlins
3 Rafter 7 Bench
4 Diagonals 8 Back bench
Fig 2.2. Elements of the cut list

57
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO

A. Make line “0” which is about 4m in length. This will be the starting point or a
base line.
B. From one edge start making a right angle line that is 5m long using the right
C. Using basic geometry, mark the other points that are located on the drawing.
Use a bamboo nail to mark the location of the points and strings to show the
location of different members.
legend
Bamboo nail
Strings
3.5m
2.5m
3.4m
2.5m
Fig 2.3. Lay out of the structure
58
The matrix will be used to assemble different members of each truss later.
Fig 2.4. Lay out matrix of the structure
59
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO

Put bamboo elements in the ground according to the layout.
while drilling and most importantly be used as a template to have a
precise location of the next truss.
Fig 2.5. Organization of individual elements
60
Fig 2.6. Organization of truss elements
61
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO
D.TRUSS ASSEMBLY
Using a drill make holes across points specified on the
drawing and hammer a metal bar where there will be higher
load on the connection or hammer a bamboo nail.
Use appropriate joints (fish mouth, interlocking...) at

connection points.
Drill the rafter at every 40cm and hammer bamboo nails

into the holes. This will points will be later used to arrange
battens on the rafter.
62
Fig 2.6. Truss Assembley
63
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO
E.FOUNDATION . . .
By referring to the foundation plan which is made in
Extend the string from the center about 80cm outward and
locate the point for tying the string. This way you can show
the center of the foundation holes by intersecting strings.
Dig a hole of size 40 x 40 x 40 cm at each foundation

location.
legend
Foundation Hole
Bamboo Structure
2.5m
3m
Fig 2.7. Foundation plan
64
Dig a hole using the foundation plan as a reference.
40
cm cm
40
Fig 2.8. Foundation
65
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO
F.ERECTION . . .
Place legs of each assembled members at their respective
holes.

When the pieces are at their proper location stabilize their


bottom of the bamboo is found and let it dry atleast for 3
days.
66
67
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO

At this point already much of the structure is in place. Then continue to make the
rest of the structure as follows:
Roof battens: the battens for the roof will be made from single bamboo culms.
Drill the battens to the rafter at the locations where previously bamboo nails are
placed as a reference.
Benches: The culms for the benches will be directly connected to the diagonals
and the spacers using bamboo nails.
68
69
SADDLE ROOF GAZEBO

Different materials like corrugated iron sheets and clay tiles could be
used for finishing the roof of the structure. For this specific structure a
thatch covering is used.
The thatch roof has two layers. The bottom one is a bamboo weaving
which is made from thin splits of bamboo culms.
The upper layer will be the grass is self which is tied together with the
weaving.
Fig 2.11. Finishing the roof
70
71
3.GARAGE “SIX PACK”
This structure could be used for functions such as a house, a garage or other functions. The six pack spaced
assembly provide high strength for columns and beams.
72
73
GARAGE “SIX PACK”

along the construction the structure
Fig 3.1. Elevation of the “Garage”
cutting list
1 Beam 6.00 6 3 18 108.00
2 Column 3.50-4.00 12 3 36 144.00
3 Rafter 7.00 - - 7 49.00
4 Purlins 8.00 - - 17 136.00
5 Spacers 0.25-0.35 44 3 132 46.20
Total 483.20
Table 3.1. Garage cutting list
Material required
No. Item Unit Qty
2 Cement Kg 150
3 Sand m3 0.8
4 Gravel m3 0.8
6 Roof cover- corrugated steel sheet Sq. meter
74 Table 3.2. Garage Material list
1 Beam
2 Column
3 Rafter
4 Pulrins
Fig 3.2. Elements of the cutting list

75

After the area is cleared and appropriate for work environment, start to mark and
lay out the first lines. At this point make the “drawing” of the structure to build on the
ground. This will help us as a guide for constructing the separate frame elements
which are going to be assembled on the next steps.
Make line “0” which is about 5m in length. This will be the starting point or a base
line.
From one edge start making a right angle line that is 9m long using the right angle
rule (3,4,5 method)
Using basic geometry, construct the other points that are located on the drawing.
Use a bamboo nail to mark the location of the points and strings to show the location
of different members.
Take in to account that though all 3 frames are right angle the height of each frame
is 25cm less than the other. This will ensure there will be a slope for water to run
off the roof.
legend
Bamboo nail
Strings
6.00 m
5.
47
m
3.50 m
4.20 m
Fig 3.3. Laying out the matrix
76
Take into account that the columns are 25cm less from each other. i.e The first set will
be 3.50m long, the second set will be 3.25m long and the third set will be 3.00m long.
77

Start from the place where the columns (spaced columns) are going to
be and arrange the different parts of the truss.
while drilling and most importantly be used as a template to locate
precise location of members for the next 2 frames.
78
The connection of the column and beam is
made by interlocking the two elemnts, drilling
and connecting them using rebars.
Fig 3.4. Organization of the frame elements
79
D. ASSEMBLY
Using a drill make holes across connection points and
hammer a metal bar where there will be higher load on the
connection or hammer a bamboo nail.
Use interlocking joints at connection points.
Make other 2frame assemblies of the same kind with

different height.
80
Fig 3.5. Assembley of the structure
81
E.FOUNDATION . . .
correspondence with the frames size, make a layout of the

location.
4.20 m
3m 3m
Fig 3.6. Foundation Plan
82
40 cm
cm 60
Fig 3.7. Foundation
83
F.ERECTION . . .
Adjust the height of the assemblies using wooden stakes

for adjusting the height of the base and a water level for
measuring. (Mark at 1m from the bottom of the spaced


Fig 3.8. Erection of the frame structure
84
85

After the frames are in place the next step is to assemble the purlins and battens.
First drill the purlins to the beams at 150cm interval, then drill and connect the
battens at every 90cm.
86
87

The roof can be finished with corrugated iron sheet. If the pitch of the roof can be
made higher so that water could run easily from the roof, then a thatch roof can
also be used.
Fig 3.10. Finishing the roof
88
89
5. GAZEBO “HEXA GOJJO”
90
91
GAZEBO “HEXAGOJJO”

along the construction of the structure
3
2
7
4
5

cutting list
1 Column 3.20 4 6 24 20.00
2 Rafter 4.00 2 6 12 8.00
3 Tie Beam 3.20 - - 6 7.20
4 Inner Bracing 2.40 - - 6 12.40
5 Outer Bracing 1.20 - - 6 17.60
6 Purlins 7.20 - - 4 28.80
6.50 - - 4 26.00
6.00 - - 4 24.00
5.60 - - 4 22.40
5.20 - - 4 20.80
4.80 - - 4 19.20
3.90 - - 4 15.60
2.90 - - 4 11.60
2.00 - - 4 8.00
1.10 - - 4 4.40
0.80 - - 4 3.20
7 King post 1.90 - - 1 1.9
8 Diagonal Bracing 2.80 - - 12 12.80
9 Spacers 0.25-0.30 - - 36 10.80
Total 311.2
92
Table 4.1. “Hexagojjo” cutting List
1 Columns
5 Outer Bracings
2 Rafter 6 Purlins
3 Tie Beam
7 King Post
4 Inner bracing
Material required
No. Item Unit Qty

2 Cement Kg 150
3 Sand m3 0.8
4 Gravel m3 0.8
6 Roof cover- Tatch cover Sq. me-
ter
Fig 4.2. Elements of the cutting list Table 4.2. “Hexagojjo” Material List
93

After the area is cleared and appropriate for work environment start to mark and lay
out the first lines. At this point make the “drawing” of the structure that is going to
be built on the ground. This will help as a guide for constructing the separate truss
elements which are going to assemble on the next steps.
A. Make line “0” which is about 4m in length. This will be the starting point or a base
line.
B. From one edge start making a right angle line that is 5m long using the right
C. Using basic geometry, mark the other points that are located on the drawing. Use
a bamboo nail to mark the location of the points and strings to show the location of
different members.
legend
Bamboo nail
Strings
m 0
5.0
3.00 m
5.00 m
Fig 4.3. Laying out the matrix
94
95

Put bamboo elements in the ground according to the layout.
while drilling and most importantly be used as a template to have a
precise location of the next truss.
Fig 4.4. Organizing the elements on the matrix

96
97
D.TRUSS ASSEMBLY
Using a drill make holes across points specified on the
drawing and hammer a metal bar where there will be higher
load on the connection or hammer a bamboo nail.
Use appropriate joints (fish mouth, interlocking...) at

connection points.
Drill the rafter at every 40cm and hammer bamboo nails

into the holes. These points will points will be later used to
arrange battens on the rafter.
Fig 4.5. Truss assembley
98
99
E.FOUNDATION . . .

location.
Fig 4.6. Foundations holes

Making of a hexagone
The following diagrams show the steps on how to make a perfect hexagonal layout on ground. This helps to to dig the
foundations on precise location.
i. Decide the center of the gazebo where the direction of the king post aligns and fix nail or peg.
ii. Then draw a circle using 2m radius. Make another 2m arc from one end of the circle. This way its possible to
make 6 equidistant points on the circle each 2m apart.
iii. Start from one of the points on the circle by fixing the 1st corner of the building.
iv. Measure a length of 2m using a tape towards the next nearest point and fix the 2nd corner point.
v. Repeat step 4 until all the corners of the hexagon is fixed with peg.
vi. The controlling point for the checking of the center to center distance of the corners will be a measurement
of a distance from the center of the gazebo shall be 2 m towards every corner of the building.
vii. Stretch a rope to each of the corners so that the center line of the structure is found.
viii. Finally, dig a hole measuring around 20 cm from the corner points in the four directions.
100
Step i Step ii Step iii
Step iv & v Step vi & vii Step viii
Fig 4.7. Making of a hexagonal layout for foundation work

40
cm
cm
40
Fig 4.8. Foundation

101
F.ERECTION . . .



102
103

At this point already much of the structure is on place. From here we will continue
to make the rest of the structure as follows:
Bracings: in order for the whole structure to be stable it has to act as truss
system. Therefore we have to add bracings from one edge of the truss to the
other diagonally.
Roof battens: the battens for the roof will be made from single bamboo culms.
Drill the battens to the rafter at the locations where previously bamboo nails are
placed as a reference.

104
105

Different materials like corrugated iron sheets and clay tiles could be
used for finishing the roof of the structure. For this specific structure a
thatch covering is used.
The thatch roof has two layers. The first one is a bamboo weaving
which is made from thin splits of bamboo culms.
The second layer will be the grass is self which is tied together with the
weaving.
Fig 4.10. Finishing of the roof
106
107
4.FREE STANDING SHADE
This free standing shade is a simple and stylish structure that could be made in a short time.
108
109
FREE STANDING SHADE

The construction of this structure has two steps. Once the elements are in place, it could be assembled easily
using drill and bolts.
4.50 m
4
2
3.00 m
2.75 m 1
3.50 m

1 Legs 2.75 4 11.00
2 Scissors 4.50 2 9.00
3 Arms 2.70 2 5.40
4 Net total length 25.40
Total no. of bamboo 8
culms
Table 5.1. Free standing Shade cutting list
No. Item Unit Qty

1 Canvas Meter 12.00
2 Bolt and nuts Pieces 9
Table 5.2. Free standing Shade material list
110
2 Scissors
1 Legs
3 Arms
Fig 5.2. Elements on the cutting list
4 Net (Fabric) 3.00 m

2.
7
1.50 m
5m
6.00 m
Fig 5.3. Fabric cutting pattern and dimensions
111
FREE STANDING SHADE
B.ASSEMBLY
Fig 5.4. Assembley processs
112
113
4.”HYPER” TENT
The “Hyper” tent is a structure that could be made in a short time. The name is derived from the geometric
shape of the fabric i.e. Hyperbolic paraboloid.
114
115
“HYPER” TENT

The construction of this structure has two steps. Once the elements are in place, it could be assembled easily
using drill and bolts.
11.50 m
1
5.10 m
2.20 m
2
8.40 m

1 Column 5.10 - - 2 10.20
4.60 - - 8 36.80
2 Legs 2.20 - - 2 4.40
3 Spacers 0.25-0.30 - - 4 1.20
4 Net total length 52.60
Total no. of bamboo 16
culms
Table 6.1. “Hyper Tent” cutting list
No. Item Unit Qty

1 Canvas Meter 50.00
2 Reinforcement bar Ø10mm Meter 3.00
3 Reinforcement bar Ø12mm Meter 6.00
4 Plastic rope Ø10mm Meter 100.00
Table 6.2. “Hyper Tent” Material list
116
1 Columns 2 Legs
Fig 6.2. Elements on the cutting list
1.45 m
2.20 m 1.20m
1.45 m
8.50 m 4.40 m
1.80m
1.45 m
8.00 m
2.00 m
1.45 m
12.00 m
Fig 6.3. Fabric cutting pattern
Double canvas at the tip

117
“HYPER” TENT
B.ASSEMBLY
Fig 6.3. Assembley process
118
119
Appendix l Basic Geometry
C
A Pythagoras Theorem
a2 + b2 = c2
Area of Triangle = ⅟2ab

triangle B
A Area of a rectangle = a x b
Perimeter of a rectangle = 2ab

B
Rectangle
r
Area of a circle = πr2
Circumference of a circle =2πr
circle
Volume = w x l x h
L H
right prism
120
Bibliography
Dunkelberg, K, 1987: IL 31, Bambus als Baustoff, Light weight Structures. 978-3782820318.
Engel H., 1997:Tragsysteme - Structure Systems, ISBN 978-3-7757-1876-9, Germany.
Faust F, Mannstein, Gnecco, Stamm, 2004: Evidence for the post conquest demographic collapse of the
Americas in historical CO2 levels, Earthlinks.
Frühwald, A., 1997: Holz-Rohstoff der Zukunft, Informationsdienst Holz, Alemania.
Giraldo E. & Sabogal A., 1999: Una Alternativa Sostenible, La Guadua, CRQ.
Heinsdorff, M.; 2011: The Bamboo Architecture –Design with Nature. Hirmer Publishers.
Hidalgo, L., Oscar, 2003:Bamboo - The Gift of the gods. Isbn: 958-33-4298-x, Bogotá.
Janssen, J., 1995: Building with Bamboo: A Handbook. Isbn: 978-1853392030, INBAR.
Liese W. 1999: The Anatomy of Bamboo Culms. Inbar, isbn: 978 - 8186247266
Londoño, X.: Characterizatión of the anatómy of guaduaangustifolia culms, Bamboo Science and Culture, Vol.
16. American BambooSociety, 2002.
Moran J, 2001: Usos Tradicionales y actuales del Bambú, Escuela Politéc. Nac, Ecuador.
Minke, G. 2012: Building with Bamboo, Birkhauser,isbn: 978-3034607483.
Riaño, Londoño: Plant growth and biomass distribution on Guaduaangustifolia. BambooScience and Culture,
Vol. 16. ABS, 2002.
Rao, Ramakrishna, 1988: Role of Bamboo in Secondary Succession alter Slash and Burn Agriculture at Lower
Elevations in North-east India. INBAR Publication, Bali-Indonesia.
Ruddiman W, 2003: The anthropogenic Greenhouse era began thousands of years ago. Climatic Change 61:
261-293. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands.
Vélez S., 2000: Grow Your own house, ZERI- VITRA. Isbn: 978-3931936259.
Villegas M., 1996: Bambusa guadua, Villegas Editores, Isbn: 978-9588156057.
Villegas M. 2003: New Bamboo: Architecture and Design, Villegas Editores
Wegener G, 1997: Ökobilanzen, Informationsdienst Holz, Alemania.
Williams M, 2000: Dark ages and dark areas: Global deforestation in the deep past. Journal of Historical
Geography, 26: 1, 28-46.
121
Bamboo Glossary
Auricle: an ear-shaped appendage that occurs at the upper part of the sheath. Size and prominence varies
greatly among species.
Axis: refers to the bamboo plant as a whole, from which different components are distinguished. (i.e. culms,
rhizomes).
Blade: the part of a leaf serves a photosynthetic purpose. Appearance varies among species, but usually
green and flat.
Bud: an undeveloped or dormant shoot that can be located on stems, branches, culms, and rhizomes. Buds
located on a rhizome can form shoots or new rhizomes. Buds located on a culm can produce new branches,
leaves or flowers.
Cilia: small hairs bordering the auricle.
Caepitose: a growing behavior characterized as tightly grouped or clumped. Commonly used to describe
pachymorph rhizome systems, or clumping bamboos.
Culm: the main stem of a grass plant that grows above ground. The culms of bamboo are large and woody,
as compared to other grasses. Often referred to as “canes”.
Culm Leaf (or Culm Sheath): a leaf that overlaps and covers newly emerging shoots and culms. They protect
a young bamboo plant in the early stages of growth.
Foliage Leaf: the leaf that emerges from the nodes at the branches of the plant. The blade is the most
prominent feature and is responsible from the majority of the plant’s photosynthesis.
Gregarious flowering: or mass flowering, occurs when bamboo of the same genotype flower simultaneously
in multiple locations. See flowering section.
Internodes: the segment of the culm between the two nodes.

Leptomorph: the rhizome system of running bamboos. The rhizomes are generally thin and hollow and can
spread over vast distances. Often referred to as “invasive”.
Monopodial: a rhizome or branching system that contains a single dominant stem from which secondary
branches or rhizomes emerge. Found in running bamboos.
Node: the point on any component on the axis where flowers, branches, and shoots emerge.
Pachymorph: the rhizome rhizome system of clumping bamboos. The rhizomes are generally short and thick,
and curve upwards to produce new culms.
Rhizome: an underground stem that is responsible for the storage of food and colonization of new territory. It
is similar in structure to the culm, containing roots, leaves, nodes, and internodes.
Root: A portion of the plant found underground or at the base of a culm. Its primary function is to anchor culms
and collect water and nutrients.
Sheath: the part of a leaf that encases the newly emerging culms. The sheath is most prominent on the culm
leaves of new shoots, and less prominent on foliage leaves.
Shoot: a newly emerging culm. Often used for their culinary value.
Sulcus: an inward groove that runs vertically along the internodes.
Sympodial: the rhizome or branching system of clumping bamboos. New culms emerge from the tip of each
122 rhizome as they curve upwards

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BAMBOO

First published in 2014

36 1. High Roof Workshop

FeMSEDA: Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency

GIZ: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH

INBAR: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan

LUSO: Luso consult, Hamburg.

SME: Small and Micro Enterprises

SNNPR: Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region

TVET: Technical and Vocational Education and Training

UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Vienna)

Table ii Bill of quantities and Construction Costs for a 20 m3 concrete tank

Table 1.1. Workshop cutting list

Table 1.2. Workshop Material list

Table 2.1. Saddle roof cutting list

Table 2.2. Saddle roof material list

Table 3.1. Garage cutting list

Table 3.2. Garage Material list

Table 4.1. “Hexagojjo” cutting List

Table 4.2. “ Hexagojjo” Material List

Table 5.1. Free standing Shade cutting list

Table 5.2. Free standing Shade material list

Table 6.1. “Hyper Tent” cutting list

Table 6.2. “Hyper Tent” Material list

Moreover, some cultures developed very specific techniques,

A sophisticated construction method is traded over thousands of

Such a house requires a lot of work and usually some neighbors

Other tribes have different traditional lifestyles; some are nomadic

species are amazing. Even if such individual buildings with natural

The modern bamboo construction style presented by Mr. Jörg Stamm

Bamboo as a resource is meanwhile considered a national treasure

Background and Objective of this manual

This Bamboo Construction Handbook is documenting a 10 day

The 7 different structures in this manual reflect the 20 years of

The TVET Bureau head in Southern Nations is promoting the woreda

becoming part of the official pensée for architecture and construction

A comfortable work shade made by “6 pack” spaced columns at the

Highland bamboo plantation around the village in Tetecha

Bamboo distribution map of Ethiopia.

1 Injibara Amhara 30 2350 2,380 1 Hinde/North of Nekemte Amhara 8,670 0 8,670

2 Agaro Oromiya 0 1500 1,500 2 Asossa Benshangul Gumuz 77,947 0 77,947

5 Gera Oromiya 36,000 1,250 37,250 5 Nejo Oromiya 27,612 0 27,612

6 Bore/Hagereselam Oromiya 0 2,460 2,460 6 Dibate Benshangul Gumuz 14,200 0 14,200

8 Indibir/Jembero South 0 1,850 1,850 8 Kemashi Benshangul Gumuz 33,723 0 33,723

10 Mizan Teferi/Kulish South 0 1,850 1,850 10 Gimbi Oromiya 29,125 0 29,125

11 Debresina/Wofwasha Amhara 35 0 35 11 Guten Oromiya 6,044 0 6,044

12 Wushwush/Bonga South - 1,120 1,120 12 Metema/Dansha/Humera Tigray/Amhara 425,000 0 425,000

13 Bonga/Ameya South 7,997 0 7,997 13 Didessa Valley Oromiya 135,000 0 135,000

14 Masha South 18,652 0 18,652 14 Dangur Benshangul Gumuz 27,350 0 27,350

Total 127,982 19,091 147,073 16 Galesa Benshangul Gumuz 10,870 0 10,870

Total 959,662 0 959,662

Formerly also described as “Arundinaria” alpina, is a unique and very

Natural Yushania alpina forests grow in high altitudes of 2300 to 3500

The highland bamboo areas in Ethiopia have been estimated 1997

Landscape view with small farmer plots with bamboo grooves in

Oxytenanthera is growing from 700 to 1800 over sea level on the

The lowlands of Ethiopia, especially those on the tributary rivers to

Bamboo forests were vast, occasionally overlooked by big trees

Oxytenanthera has been reported in the literature with occasional

Bamboo forests are considered as one of the highest biomass

Bamboo, in the areas where it was historically endemic, was a favorite

“Vernacular” Architecture is the renaissance of the styles and

Bamboo needs preservation and quality grading before applied to

“Organic” construction with bamboo, Yoga deck at Green school