THE 5 WAYS TO

PROCESS
BAMBOO FOR
CONSRUCTION
Round Pole vs. Processed Bamboo

In its natural, round state, bamboo is already an engineering marvel and

a sustainability champion. It can carry loads completely out of its weight
range, sequester carbon and still maintain its beautiful cylindrical form.
That being said, bamboo as a round pole tapers and is uneven throughout
its length. This makes bamboo somewhat difficult to use in ordinary
construction. As a result, people have developed ways to transform bamboo
into different shapes to help designers, architects and engineers explore all
of its potential in architecture and construction. From a single round pole,
you can have all sorts of materials like flattened tiles, tiny bendable sticks
and even large timber-like panels!
In this free Bamboo U eBook, you will learn about 5 different ways to
process bamboo for your projects.
What tools & techniques do you need to process bamboo?
Many of the tools that are used today for bamboo carpentry and processing
come from the wood industry. You will find that timber mallets, chisels and
hand saws are amongst the primary resources in a bamboo carpenter’s
toolbox.
However, because that profile is tapering, irregular and uneven, many tools
have been adapted to bamboo’s cylindrical profile. Ordinary machines and
power tools, which can be safely used for timber, have proven to be rather
difficult to use for bamboo. As a result, our carpenters have learned to use
certain hand tools and machinery that have been specifically adapted to
bamboo. One of the most prominent tools our carpenters use every day
is their mutik, a single-sided beveled knife they use to make all of their
complex joinery as well as some of most important processed bamboo
materials, such as splits.
Below: One of our skilled carpenters making flattened bamboo.
How can you use processed bamboo in your furniture,
design & construction projects?
Processed bamboo has many uses in design projects of all shapes and
sizes, because turning a round pole of bamboo into a rectangular piece
of material opens up the use of bamboo to contemporary architecture
practices, whether designing organically or orthogonally.
This gives a great opportunity for designers who want to explore the ways
in which to use bamboo in all of the different aspects of their projects.
For furniture makers, processed bamboo can be the seating area or used
for a working surface. In a larger structure, architects can use processed
bamboo in openings, floorings and even walls to create innovative, beautiful
and unique partitions. The potential for processed bamboo in design today
is endless and it is exciting to see the possibilities in store for bamboo in
the future.
1. Splitting Bamboo
Amongst the many different ways
to use bamboo in design and
construction, splitting the round
pole into laths, also referred to as
‘splits, are by far the most used
method of processing bamboo.
Firstly, splits are very flexible,
thanks to their reduced cross-
section. This opens up the possibility
to create organic, unique forms in
architecture and design which are
not easily achieved with the round
pole.
Next, a single bamboo split, despite
its size, can also hold an impressive
amount of load, especially if you
bundle many splits together.
The bamboo split is only the
beginning point of the many different
ways to process bamboo!
2. Flattening Bamboo

Flattened bamboo tiles are one of the most versatile forms of processed
bamboo. Though they have no structural strength or properties, these
types of tiles can be used for panelling, roofing, ceilings, furniture and
many other contexts.
Flattened bamboo tiles, nicknamed “pelupuh” in Bahasa Indonesia,
are made by halving a bamboo lengthwise and making careful, precise
incisions inside out of the culm, using a hatchet or small axe. The cuts
break down the fibres and open up the bamboo to make a rectangular tile,
without cutting through the skin of the bamboo. These tiles can be used for
both the finish and ceiling material in a roof by placing a layer of asphalt for
waterproofing in-between.
3. Turning Your Bamboo into Sticks
Bamboo sticks, or “lidi” as named
in Bahasa Indonesia, are very thin,
hand-whittled cross-sections of
the bamboo poles. Tied together
in large numbers, lidi can form
long-spanning bundles which help
to create and support curves in
many of IBUKU’s and Bamboo U’s
structures.
To make sure that the lidi bundles
are bound tightly together, we bind
them manually both with string
and metal clamps. Lidi bundles
can become both structural and
decorative elements in a project.
Lidi bundles are pre-made and
placed on-site using temporary
columns. For example, it took all of
our 30+ course participants in May
2019 to place the 70m lidi bundle of
our Bamboo U kitchen!
Below: Sketches of building details using lidi bundles in roof construction.
4. Transforming your bamboo from a split to a plank
From the split, we have been able to
develop ways to transform the round
pole into rectangular planks which
can be used in projects of all scales
and functions.
Traditionally, here in Bali, we
use splits to make “pinboo” or
“renggang” planks. These planks
use splits, which have been slightly
planed, and set them back-to-
back to one another before drilling
through them and placing a long
bamboo dowel in the hole. This
creates a simple yet stiff plank to
use for furniture, flooring or other
building components.
Splits used to make bamboo planks
help to push bamboo as a material
for the future, even in places where
it does not neccessarily grow.
5. Laminated & Engineered Bamboo

Last but not least, bamboo can be turned into very strong and heavy
elements using the process of lamination. By planing down the split
and removing its protective skin, a split becomes very pliable and easy
to manipulate into various shapes. The splits are layered together on a
ground template (made using nails, clamps and a plywood board), with a
thin coat of epoxy in between layers. After it has dried, the splits are planed
and cleaned up to become a solid and strong piece of bamboo material.
For small projects like a chair, bamboo lamination can be a lengthy,
manual process requiring a lot of time and careful layering of the individual
splits. However, in larger factories, this process can be sped up and
mechanised with large machinery and power tools.
JOIN THE BAMBOO MOVEMENT TODAY
For more information, please contact:
info@bamboou.com
If you are ready to book a course, you can go directly to our website:
https://www.bamboou.com/courses

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