BAMBOO AS A

CONSTRUCTION
MATERIAL

SUBJECT: BUILDING MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

NAME: SUPRIYA SAMANTA
ENROLLMENT NUMBER: 01406142019
 INTRODUCTION
 Bamboo as a building material has high compressive strength and low weight has been one of the most used
building material as support for concrete, especially in those locations where it is found in abundance.

 Bamboo as a building material is used for the construction of scaffolding, bridges and structures, houses.

 Due to a distinctive rhizome-dependent system, bamboos are one of the fastest-growing plants in the world
and their growth is three times faster than most other species of plants.

 They are renewable and extremely versatile resource with multi-purpose usage. Among many uses of
bamboo, Housing is one of the major areas applications especially in the wake of residential shortages
around the globe.

 Bamboo as a building material is conventionally associated with the region of Southeast Asia and South
America where climate is best suitable for its cultivation. In many of the nations, bamboo is used to hold up
suspension bridges or simply make places of dwelling.
 WHY IS BAMBOO USED AS A BUILDING
MATERIAL?

•• ItIt is
is fastest-growing
fastest-growing renewable
renewable natural
natural building
building material.
material.

•• The
The material
material is
is easily
easily available
available &
& Eco
Eco friendly.
friendly.

•• Bamboo
Bamboo isis aa viable
viable (if
(if not
not better!)
better!) alternative
alternative for
for steel,concrete
steel,concrete and
and masonry
masonry as
as an
an independent
independent
building
building material.
material.

•• ItIt is
is cost
cost effective
effective and
and easy
easy to
to work.
work.

•• ItIt can
can be
be easily
easily bend,
bend, give
give desired
desired shape
shape and
and can
can provide
provide joints
joints to
to suit
suit the
the construction.
construction.

•• Its
Its enormous
enormous elasticity
elasticity makes
makes itit aa very
very useful
useful building
building material
material in
in areas
areas with
with very
very high
high risks
risks of
of
earthquakes.
earthquakes.

•• Local
Local available
available material
material to
to some
some areas,
areas, which
which tries
tries to
to carry
carry the
the local
local tradition
tradition &
& vernacular
vernacular Architecture
Architecture
of
of that
that place.
place.
 METHODS OF WORKING WITH BAMBOO
Splitting of Bamboo

 For The bamboo canes are split into halves or quarter
For aa bamboo
bamboo to to be
be used
used asas aa building
building
material, sections using a knife ideal for the job and setting
material, itit must
must be
be worked
worked on on to
to create
create
desired them apart by a wedge. About four or eight
desired shape,
shape, bend
bend and
and length
length toto be
be
used segments can be acquired which are used as canes,
used for
for structural
structural or
or other
other purposes.
purposes.
strips or battens. Canes can be peeled to make

 Following strings and ropes up to the age of 18 months.
Following are
are the
the different
different works
works
involved
involved with
with use
use of
of bamboo:
bamboo:


 Splitting
Splitting

 Shaping
Shaping

 Bending
Bending
Shaping of Bamboo
Even though bamboos are naturally circular
in form but if they are grown in a box of
square shape they acquire a shape as
desired.
Bending of Bamboo
Bamboos can be bent while they are freshly cut by
heating them above the temperature of 150° C.
Bamboo will retain this shape even after cooling and
drying off.
 PRESERVATION OF BAMBOO
Preservation
Preservation of
of Bamboo
Bamboo

AA thorough
thorough treatment
treatment of of Bamboo
Bamboo
is
is required
required to
to protect
protect itit against
against
insects
insects and
and rot
rot before
before itit is
is put
put into
into
use.
use. Commonly
Commonly aa mixture
mixture of of Borax
Borax
and
and Boric
Boric acid
acid are
are utilized
utilized for for this
this
purpose.
purpose. Another
Another procedure
procedure
generally
generally employed
employed is is to
to boil
boil cut
cut
bamboo
bamboo to to remove
remove the
the starches
starches
that
that draw
draw insects.
insects.
 BAMBOO AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
Utilization
Utilization of
of Bamboo
Bamboo forfor
construction
construction is is achieved
achieved by
by aa
structural
structural frame
frame technique
technique which
which
is
is related
related to
to same
same approach
approach
applied
applied inin usual
usual timber
timber frame
frame
design
design and
and construction.
construction.

In
In the
the case
case bamboo,
bamboo, floor,
floor, walls
walls
and
and roof
roof are
are interconnected
interconnected andand
often
often rely
rely on
on the
the other
other for
for overall
overall
stability.
stability. Bamboo
Bamboo has has played
played aa
vital
vital role
role in
in the
the growth
growth ofof
enterprises
enterprises and and the
the rural
rural
transformation.
transformation.
 BAMBOO AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
Bamboo
Bamboo Trusses:
Trusses: Bamboo Roofs Skeleton:
It consists of bamboo truss or
The
The bamboo
bamboo has
has strength
strength comparable
comparable to to that
that rafters over which solid bamboo purlins are
of
of Teak
Teak and
and Sal.
Sal. AA frame
frame is
is made
made using
using laid and lashed to the rafter by means of
bamboo
bamboo rafters,
rafters, purlins
purlins etc
etc for
for fixing
fixing the
the roof.
roof. G.I.wire. A mesh of
halved bamboo is made and is lashed to the
purlins to cover the roof.
Bamboo
Bamboo walls
walls Bamboo doors and windows
Bamboo
Bamboo isis extensively
extensively used used for
for construction
construction ofof Bamboo frames can replace timber frames
walls
walls and
and partitions.
partitions. PostsPosts and
and beams
beams are
are the
the main
main appropriate to function. Bamboo mat shutters
elements
elements normally
normally constructed
constructed with
with bamboo
bamboo fixed to bamboo frame or a panel of bamboo
provide
provide structural
structural framework
framework for for walls.
walls. They
They board fixed to the frame which is hinged to the
positioned
positioned inin aa way
way to to be
be able
able to
to withstand
withstand forces
forces wall can be used as door. Small framed
of
of nature.
nature. An
An infill
infill is
is used
used between
between framing
framing openings hinged to the top in the wall can
elements
elements toto add
add strength
strength andand stability
stability to
to the
the walls.
walls. serve as windows.
Bamboo
Bamboo Flooring
Flooring Scaffolding with Bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo can can be
be used
used asas flooring
flooring material
material duedue to
to its
its Due to advantageous properties of bearing heavy load
better
better wear
wear and
and tear
tear resistance
resistance and
and its
its resilience
resilience bamboos are considered as one of the highly-endorsed
properties.
properties. Whole
Whole columns
columns act
act as
as frame
frame workwork and
and materials for scaffolding even for tall structures.
the
the floor
floor covering
covering is
is done
done using
using split
split bamboo,
bamboo,
bamboo
bamboo boards,
boards, mats
mats etc
etc by
by means
means of of wire
wire lashing
lashing For the construction of scaffolding, cane extensions are
these
these to
to the
the frame.
frame. obtained by lashing cane ends using several ropes. The
ties are positioned in such a way that forces acting
vertically downwards lodge the nodes in the lashing.
Bamboo
Bamboo for for Foundations
Foundations
There
There is
is very
very limited
limited use
use of
of bamboo
bamboo asas foundation
foundation material
material because
because whenwhen in
in
contact
contact with
with moisture
moisture laden
laden surface
surface they
they decay
decay fast.
fast. However,
However, this
this issue
issue can
can
be
be tackled
tackled toto quite
quite an
an extent
extent though
though proper
proper treatment
treatment using
using appropriate
appropriate
chemicals.
chemicals.

The
The various
various types
types of
of foundations
foundations constructed
constructed with
with bamboo
bamboo are:
are:
a)
a) Bamboo
Bamboo which
which is
is in
in direct
direct contact
contact with
with ground
ground surface.
surface.
b)
b) Bamboo
Bamboo fixed
fixed to
to rock
rock oror preformed
preformed concrete
concrete footings
footings
c)
c) Composite
Composite bamboo
bamboo or or concrete
concrete columns
columns
d)
d) Bamboo
Bamboo piles
piles

Some
Some of
of the
the common
common shapes
shapes of
of bamboos
bamboos are:
are:

a)
a) Flattened
Flattened bamboo
bamboo shape
shape which
which is
is acquired
acquired by by splitting
splitting freshly
freshly cut
cut bamboo
bamboo
stalks
stalks and
and then
then rolling
rolling and
and flattening
flattening them.
them.
b)
b) Bamboo
Bamboo matsmats as
as thin
thin as
as 5-6mm
5-6mm or or 10-15mm
10-15mm in in size
size are
are woven
woven according
according
to
to design
design prerequisite.
prerequisite. Phenolic
Phenolic resins
resins are
are used
used inin structures
structures employing
employing
bamboo
bamboo mats.
mats.
c)
c) Bamboo
Bamboo plastic
plastic composite
composite isis aa pioneering
pioneering technology
technology in in which
which bamboo
bamboo
fiber
fiber as
as raw
raw material
material isis blended
blended with
with plastic
plastic as
as the
the core
core material.
material. These
These mats
mats
are
are highly
highly resistant
resistant to
to moisture
moisture andand structurally
structurally more
more stable.
stable.
 CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
1)Friction type bolt 2) Double butt bent 3) Plug in/Bolt 4)Positive connection 5)Interlocking
connection joint connection connection
ADVANTAGES OF BAMBOO:
• It is Light, strong and versatile.
• It is Environment friendly.
• Easily Accessible to the poor.
• Self renewing resource of nature.
• Speedily growing
• Highly productive.
• Low Cost Material
DISADVANTAGES OF BAMBOO
• It requires preservation.
• Shaped by nature
• Durability- bamboo is subjected insects; for this
reason, untreated viewed as temporary.
• Jointing- although many jointing structural
efficiency is low.
• Lack of design guidance and codes.
• Prone to catch fire very fast culms during wind, and
is seen
TRADITIONAL BAMBOO HOUSES
MODERN BAMBOO HOUSES
 CONCLUSION
Scientific studies have shown that Bamboo can satisfy the various structural requirements and also due to its technical
performance Bamboo can be used as a construction material for various structural components. The important
advantages which make Bamboo a more suitable material are:
· It is economical and helps achieve cost effective construction.
· Bamboo is a fast growing species and it is a renewable resource which can be cultivated in most types of soil.
· The designs of the components being simple, there is no need of highly skilled labour.
· The dependency on the natural forests for wood will be reduced thus contributing to the protection of the
environment.
· As it can grow in many types of soil, bamboo cultivation is suitable for rehabilitation of degraded forests and
other waste lands thus converting them into fertile lands to some extent.
· Creation of employment opportunities especially for the rural people as the Bamboo mats have to be manually
woven before making them into Bamboo Mat Boards, Bamboo Mat Veneer Composites and Bamboo Mat Corrugated
Sheets.
· Thus due to all the above aspects there will be overall welfare of the society, particularly of the economically
weaker section.
REFERENCES
[1] Manjunath, Neelam;‘The bamboo house’, Journal of Indian
Institute of Architects;Vol 69;Issue 01;Jan 2004; pp 38.

[2] Karamchandani, K.P., ‘Role of bamboo as a construction

material’; Symposium on timber and allied products; National
Buildings Organization, New Delhi, 18 May 1959.

[3] Civil Engineering use of bamboo as construction material_files

[4] www.Wikipedia.com-bamboo

[5] Bamboo-types of joints