BAMBOO

CONSTRUCTION

TUSHAR CHOUDHARI
ANKITA KOLAMKAR
6th batch - PGP-ACM

INTRODUCTION
Bamboo has been in wide usage since ancient times
as a low-cost material for houses, bridges etc.
Recently started appearing in designer homes as
flooring, walling and paneling material
Is viewed as a material preferred only by the poor or
for temporary constructions
Unpopular in conventional construction due to low
durability, lack of structural design data, exclusion
from building codes etc.

Facts about bamboo

Bamboo is a perennial grass
and not a tree as is commonly
perceived.
1450 species are found in
diverse climates across the
world, however, not all of
these
are
suitable
for
construction.
One of the fastest growing
plants on Earth. Its growth
rate ranges from 30cm to 1 m
in 24 hours.
The strongest part of a
bamboo stalk is its node,
where branching occurs.
Bamboo has also long been
used
as
scaffolding;
the
practice has been banned in

advantages
Strength - Bamboo is an
extremelystrongnatural
fibre,
on
par
with
standard
hardwoods,
when
cultivated,
harvested, prepared and
stored properly.
Flexibility - Bamboo is
highly flexible.During its
growth, it may be trained
to
grow
in
unconventional
shapes.
After harvest, it may be
bent
and
utilized
in
archways
and
other
curved areas.
Earthquake-resistance It has a great capacity

advantages
Lightweight - Bamboo is extremelylightweight.
Consequently, building with bamboo can be
accomplished faster with simple tools than building
with other materials. Cranes and other heavy
machinery are rarely required.
Cost-effective Economical, especially in areas
where it is cultivated and is readily available.
Transporting cost is also much lesser.
Durability - Aslong-lastingas its wooden correlates,
when properly harvested and maintained.

How to protect bamboo

UNTREATED BAMBOO
Untreated
bamboo
has the
following life spans in different
conditions
>
Exposure
to
soil
and
atmosphere = 1-3 years
> Under cover = 4-7 years
> Very favourable conditions =
10-15 years
Natural durability also depends
on the species of the bamboo
PRE-HARVEST AND POST HARVEST
PRECAUTIONS
Felling during low sugar content
season i.e. dry season
Felling of mature bamboo
Post harvesting transpiration

How to protect bamboo

BORAX BORIC ACID PRESERVATION
TREATMENT

Depending on the
diameter of the
bamboo, different
sized drill bits,
attached to a long
steel
rod,
are
used to drill into
the
centre
of
thebamboo
culmsthroughout
their
whole

At
the
preservation
treatment
pool,
bamboo soaks in
borax-boric acid
solution
(1:1.4)for 2 days
to
allow
the
mineral
to
penetrate all the
nodes
and

Bamboo
is
removed
and
stacked
vertically
so
the
solution
can drain and
be reused.

How to protect bamboo

BORAX BORIC ACID PRESERVATION
TREATMENT

Next,
thebamboo
polesare left
to bask in the
sun
depending on
the amount of

The bamboo
poles are left
to dry slowly
in a cool, dry
place
until
they are used
for

Preservative
solution
is recharged after four
cycles by adding water
and
the
chemicals.
Preservation treatment
costs
a
minimum
charge of INR 4.50 per

How to protect bamboo

During the casting and
curing
of
concrete,
reinforcing
bamboo
absorbs
water
and
expands
The swelling of bamboo
pushes the concrete away
Then at the end of the
curing period, the bamboo
loses the moisture and
shrinks
back almost
to its
The swelling and shrinkage
of bamboo
in concrete
original
dimensions
leaving
create a serious limitation in
the use
of bamboo
as a
voids around itself
substitute for steel in concrete.
One effective treatment is the application of a thin
layer of epoxy to the bamboo surface followed by a

How to protect bamboo

NEEM
SEED
TREATMENT

OIL

Oil obtained from

neem seeds can be
used to improve water
resistance
and
dimensional stability of
bamboo
culms
particularly at high oiltreatment
temperature.

Bamboo
samples
soaked in hot neem
seed oil at 60C for 4
hours had better water
resistance
and

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Soaked bamboo samples at

room temperature for 24 hours
Soaked bamboo samples at 60C
for 4SHRINKAGE
hours
REDUCTION

Bamboo foundations
COMPOSITE BAMBOO-CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS

Single Post
Footing

Strip
Footing

Bamboo foundations
BAMBOO PILES
Bamboo compacts
soft
soil,
thus
increasing the bearing
capacity of soil.
The friction provided
by the constructiongrade
bamboo
increases
its
loadbearing capacity.
Treated split bamboo
piles 8m long and 80
to 90mm in diameter
were
filled
with
coconut coir strands
wrapped with jute.

A
sustainable
house
in
Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala
where bamboo piles have been
used
as
foundation
.
The
foundation
is
further
strengthened
by
bamboo
reinforced concrete.

Bamboo foundations
BAMBOO PILES

The
sections were
then tied with
galvanised
iron
wire.
After
installation of
the
piles
@2m c/c by
drop hammer,
the area is
covered with
a
2.5m
surcharge of
sandy
material.

Bamboo WALLS

WOVEN
BAMBOO
WALL

WHOLE
BAMBOO
CULMS

VERTICAL
HALVED
CULMS

BAJAREQUE

WATTLE AND
DAUB

RESISTANCE TO EARTHQUAKES
High residual strength to
absorb shocks and impacts.
Flexure coupled with its
very low mass.

Prototype house built with

bamboo sheet roofing and
bamboo-reinforced concrete
walls withstood a simulated
earthquake measuring 7.8
on the Richter scale

A bamboo house in
Bhutan that withstood
an
earthquake
that
occurred
at
Sikkim
(epicenter)
measuring
6.9 in September 2011
30 houses at the
epicenter
of
a
7.6
magnitude
earthquake

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Property

Value

Density

0.5 0.9 gm/cc

Compressive Strength

53 100 MPa

Tensile Strength

111 219 MPa

Bending Strength

86 229 MPa

Bending Elasticity

6882 20890 MPa

bamboo column AND BEAM

Bamboo Reinforced Column

Bamboo Beams

Comparative analysis

1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Rate of construction per sq.foot in INR

Concr
ete

Comparative analysis
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0

Conventional
Concrete

Comparative analysis
Energy consumption during construction
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Limitations and drawbacks

Few considerations currently limit the use of bamboo
as a universally applicable construction material
Jointing techniques - Although many traditional joint
types exist, their structural efficiency is low.
Considerable research has been directed at the
development of more effective methods.
Flammability Bamboo structures are not fireresistant, and the cost of treatment, where
available, is relatively high.
Lack of design guidance and codification The
engineering design of bamboo structures has not yet
been fully addressed. There is little or no data
containing specifications of bamboo.