CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY

BAMBOO-
ITS USE AND CONSTRUCTION.

• By:- SIMRAN DEO (16BAR1081)

UIA
SEM-8
Abstract:
The purpose of this research paper is to enlighten the readers about bamboo:- its
use and construction as a building material.bamboo is the fast growing and very
non expendable material, it has been used in the field of building construction for
over many years with great asthetic and intriguing properties. This evergreen
material, has higher compressive strength than wood brick or concrete. It is
renewable, environmental friendly and easily available. Due to its physical
properties and characteristics bamboo has ability to replace timber in building
construction. Also its unique ability to grow fast it gives advantage of higher
productivity. As bamboo is economical it could be used in low cost housing.The
idea is to use bamboo in a similar way as we use wood,for example wood is used
in the form of plywood, board, laminated timbers. Bamboo has extremely good
mechanical properties and has some important positive expects to consider, if you
compare mechanical properties of bamboo to the wood it has very compatible
stiffness and strength. In this research paper we first discuss about the
introduction of bamboo then later comes its properties, its characteristics, its use
in the field of construction as a building material. And in the end we will discuss
the pros and cons of bamboo as a building material.
keywords:- bamboo, building material, bamboo for construction, advantages,
disadvantages of bamboo.
Introduction:
Bamboo is very versatile material and is significantly used around the globe. It is
being used for building roads, medicinal purposes, scaffolding, building house,
schools, in making accessories, feeding people and animals, building roofs, walls,
etc. Bamboo has tendency to grow around 2 feet in a day, also it resist pesticides
naturally and is fungicide. It grows under tropical subtropical and temperate
climate. The species of bamboo is evolving from 30-40 millions year ago it has
115 genera and over thousands species. Basically the species of bamboo can be
classified under two groups i.e herbaceous and Woody.
Herbaceous bamboos are small to medium in size they have characteristics like
clump forming, non lignified, can bear stolons, limited vegetative branching and
unisexual spikelets.
Woody bamboos are categorised further in two groups:- Clumping and running.
Clumping bamboo : it shows sympodial components to thehre rhizome structure,
which means that each rhizomes turns towards up to form a culm. They are very
limited to the area where they can grow. They consume years to reach up to a
mature height of 8 feet to 12 feet. Clumping bamboo is also known as clampers
they are used for screening purposes, clumping bamboos are usually narrow at
the bottom and weep over the top due to which it leaves a huge space between
each bamboo plant.

Fig 1:-CLUMPING BAMBOO

Running bamboo : it exhibits monopodial rhizomes. Which is characterized by

an independent underground stem where aerial culms develops. Running
bamboo can give dense natural screen which also provides privacy. The running
bamboo mostly suits all climate zone from cold to warm.

Fig 2:-RUNNING BAMBOO

Scientific classification of bamboo:
1. Kingdom- plantae
2. Division- magnoliophyta
3. Class- liliopsida
4. Order- poales
5. Family- poaceae
6. Sabfamily- bambusoideae
7. Tribe- bambuseae

Structure of bamboo:
Bamboo is the part of grass family it is a wood like plant it has cylindrical Hollow
shoot which is covered with wax like surface from outside preventing moisture to
dismiss. Shoots are also known as culms, which gives birth to other buds which is
called nodes from which the branches grows. The plant grows from a underground
stem known as rhizomes.Bamboos are mostly evergreen they have deciduous
leaves. After the treatment bamboo forms a hard wood which is light in weight and
high in strength and toughness.
Some species of bamboo has tendency to grow up to a mature height of 30.5 metre,
also with the diameter of approx 305 mm. The clums of bamboo can gain height
ranging from 10 to 15 centimetres. Leaves are basically narrow which grows directly
from the stem rings or culms.
bamboo has natural quality of growing realtively straight, matures quickly in aprrox
4-5 years. Bamboo has an excellent parallel to fibre structural properties, which
allows tension, compression, bending due to stresses.
Just like other forms of timber bamboo can also absorb/release moisture and water,
Which in result can show swelling or shrinkage. there are few test to increase the
productivity of bamboo to be used as a building material and to long last. Some of
the test or treatments are mechanical test, test under high humidity, water
immersion test, aging test etc.

Fig 3:- BAMBOO PLANT INTERSECTION Fig 4:- STRUCTURE OF BAMBOO

https://www.bambooland.com.au/useful-info/about-bamboo https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305808084_Structural_
use_of_bamboo_Part_1_Introduction_to_bamboo
Basic properties of bamboo when used as building material are:-
1. dry density:- 500 kg / metrecube to 800 kg / metrecube
2. Culm heights:- 6m to 25m
3. Noodle spacing:- 250mm to 500mm
4. Diameters:- 50mm to 200mm
5. Elastic modulus E~ 7000N/ Milimetresquare to 17000 N/millimetresquare
6. Wall thickness:- 10% external diameter of bamboo

Methods of working with bamboo as a building material:-

To use bamboo in a building it must satisfy the desired requirements of form
shape length curve so that it could be used structurally. This process of working
with bamboo are basically categorised under three groups mentioned as
below:-
7. Splitting
8. Shaping
9. Bending

Splitting of bamboo:-
It is a basic technique. In which the bamboo cane is firmly placed against a fixed
object, starting from the thinner side of bamboo a blade is strike on the back
with the regular hammer after it has cut the bamboo it is further gently mallet
until the cane/stripes/batterns are divided through two or three joints. As the
bamboo cane is divided or split, further the difference in thickness of the part is
corrected.

Fig 5:- SPLITTING OF BAMBOO

https://www.guaduabamboo.com/working-with-bamboo/splitting-bamboo
Shaping of bamboo:-
As bamboo naturally grows in its circular form and attains it maximum height and
strength and all its features. The mature and treated bamboo is then used in its
natural circular form as a building material. The natural circular shaping of bamboo
can also be controlled if it is made to grow in a square shaped box which will thus
result to Bamboo attaining the the shape of that box, and as a result it will be a box
shaped bamboo for a better use as a building material.

Fig 6:- SHAPING OF BAMBOO

https://theconstructor.org/building/bamboo-as-a-building-material-uses-
advantages/14838/

Bending of bamboo:-
Bamboo has ability to Ben when there freshly cut and heated above the temperature
of 150°c bamboo thus retain the provided shape even after it cools down. However
once a bamboo is dry it cannot be bend further. The technique is not only used for
correcting bends but also is used to make arc or round edges.

Fig 7:- BENDING OF BAMBOO

https://theconstructor.org/building/bamboo-as-a-building-material-uses-
advantages/14838/

Once a bamboo is passed through all the above stages then the bamboo is well
preserved with the treatment to enhance its durability and protect it from insects
and bacterias. different species of bamboo have different use, varing from its size to
its strength they are separated according to their usage.
For example for the construction use, a mature bamboo is used of 3 to 5 years old as
its shrinkage is less also the content of starch and sugar is low therefore the chance
of getting infected by insects are also rare. The thicker bamboo or the more mature
bamboo are used for structural columns and beams. For the better preservation of
bamboo borax and boric acid are commonly used for this process. Another
commonly used method is to cut bamboo and boil it to remove the scratches that
attracts insects.
Bamboo for construction:-
Use of bamboo as a construction material in a structure is gained by the method of
combining beams columns and slabs to resist lateral and gravity load does it leading to a
frame structure which can resist necessary loads. When bamboo is used for construction
then they often rely on each other and are interconnected for their overall stability. Usage
of bamboo can be used for foundations, walls, roof, scaffolding etc.

Use of Bamboo as foundation of structure:-

The use of bamboo for foundation is is basically prohibited because of the gain of moisture
from the ground as a matter of fact like timber when it comes in contact with damp ground
they absorb moisture and decay very fast. Resulting in shorter lifetime.
The bamboo as foundations are identified are as follows:-

• Bamboo in direct contact with ground:-

In this method bamboo is directly buried into the ground. For higher stability and strength
of the structure it is advised that bamboo of higher diameter and thickness should be used
and placed closely to each other to avoid wastage of space between nodes. Is bamboo of
larger diameter isn't available it is suggested to tie together the smaller available sections
of bamboo. Being direct in contact with the ground this can decay within six months to two
years of time therefore a treatment for preservation is recommended.

• Bamboo on preformed concrete footings or rock footings:-

In this method the bamboo is placed on Rock or concrete footing away from the direct
contact of ground. it is recommended to use the largest and stiffest sections of bamboo for
this method.

• Composite bamboo aur concrete columns:-

This innovative method is done Using a plastic tube to cast a concrete extension which is
provided to the bamboo post. As it is will we get a bamboo Post with and integral and
durable foundation.

• Usage of bamboo as piles:-

In this method treated split bamboo piles are filled with coconut coir strands which is then
wrapped with jute. The sections are then tied with a wire, after the piles are installed the
area is covered with sandy material. This method stabilizes soft soil and reduces building
settlement.

• Bamboo incorporated into concrete footings:-

In this method the bamboo is Incorporated directly into the concrete footing. based on the
structural form this footing can either be single post or a strip footing.
Bamboo as a construction material for walls:-
Bamboo has been widely used for the construction of walls and partition walls.
The structural framework for walls mainly consists of two main elements that are
posts and beams. There interconnected and join together in a way that they rely
on each other for the overall stability. There are various method to build a wall
using bamboo depending upon the type of strength needed. sometime an infill is
also used between the framing to add more stability e and strength to the wall.
some of the examples of bamboo walls are as follows:-
1. Woven bamboo wall
2. Vertical halved culms
3. Bajareque
4. Wholel bamboo culms
5. wattle and daub

Fig 8:- TYPES OF BAMBOO WALL

https://theconstructor.org/building/bamboo-as-a-building-material-uses-
advantages/14838/

Bamboo as a building roofing material:-

Bamboo act as an ideal roofing material as it protects from the extreme
weather and provide shelter and usable space beneath it, it is strong enough to
resist force which is generated by wind. It is light weighted and easy to install.
Corrugated sheets made of bamboo are also used as roof covering.
Plastered bamboo is a method in which to get stronger roof, a layer of cement
plaster is also applied to the roof covering .
The simplest form of of bamboo roof consists of purlin, beams, rafters, posts
and trusses. Various types of trusses are also used to achieve the stability and
strength in the roof for example the king post truss are most commonly and
the simplest use of bamboo roof.

Scaffolding using bamboo as a material:-

The most extensive use of bamboo is also by using it as scaffolding.
Which has been followed till date. It is the most easiest method to install. The
extension in bamboo scaffolding is carried out by tieing it together by the ends
of cane. This technique has higher value as the joints in this can be realigned in
the right degree without any difficulty. Bamboo scaffolding is not only used in
in houses but it is also used to build building,bridges and tall structures. The
use of bamboo as a scaffolding gives more flexibility cost-effectiveness and
speediness in construction.
Advantages of using bamboo as a building material:-
The following are the advantages of using bamboo as a building material:-
1. Bamboo is light, strong and versatile in nature.
2. It is also environmental friendly.
3. It can be easily accessible to the poor i.e. it is cost effective and can
provide shelter to the needy.
4. Bamboo is also known for its fast growing which can lead to higher
number of production in lesser amount of time.
5. Due to to its fast growing characteristic bamboo is also proved to be highly
productive.
6. Bamboo has a quality of being a self renewing resource.
7. Tensile strength of bamboo is higher than Steel because its fibres run
axially.
8. Bamboo has capability to resist fire it can withstand a temperature of up
to 400°c. The presence of high value of silicate acid and water makes
bamboo a fire resistance.
9. It has also a property of of elasticity that is it is widely preferred in in
earthquake prone zones.
10. bamboo is light in weight naturally therefore it can easily be displaced or
transport or installed during construction.
11. It poses no danger to environment or health of human beings, therefore it
is safe to use.
Disadvantages of using bamboo as a building material:-
12. As bamboo is a natural material therefore it comes shaped naturally
13. It requires preservation so that it is away from getting infected
14. It lacks design guidance and codes
15. Bamboo can be attacked by fungi or insects due to which structures made
up of bamboo which are untreated are viewed as temporary structures
with life not more than 5 years
16. Although many joining techniques exist to make the structure stable still
there structural efficiency is low.
17. When compared to any other type of timber bamboo shrinkage is much
higher then it specially when it loses water.
Conclusion:-
As bamboo has played a major role in evolution. It has not only provided
shelter to the mankind but also acted as food and medicine by its various
characteristics. And it will continue to play its vital role in our day to day life
and contributing to the mankind in the process of development. Realising that
bamboo is the fast growing Woody biomass, if we plant few structural bamboo
plants then in few years we can have enough mature bamboo which could be
used as a building material and contribute to the low cost housing.

BIBLOGRAPHY:-

• https://lewisbamboo.com/clumping-vs-running-bamboo/
• https://www.bambooland.com.au/useful-info/about-bamboo
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305808084_Structural_use_of_b
amboo_Part_1_Introduction_to_bamboo
• https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/9/1444/pdf
• https://www.britannica.com/plant/bamboo
• https://theconstructor.org/building/bamboo-as-a-building-material-uses-
advantages/14838/
• https://www.krishisanskriti.org/vol_image/03Jul201502074415.pdf