Bamboo is a versatile building material with several advantages like strength, flexibility, earthquake resistance, cost effectiveness and sustainability. However, it also has some limitations like low durability without treatment, issues with shrinkage when used in concrete, and lack of standardized structural design guidance. Various treatment methods can improve bamboo's lifespan, and it has shown great strength and resilience in earthquake-prone areas. When properly harvested, prepared and maintained, bamboo can be a viable alternative to wood and steel in construction.

1. BAMBOO
CONSTRUCTION
PRESENTED BY
R.SUDESHA MITHRAN
II-YEAR
CIVIL DEPARTMENT

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

3. Facts about bamboo
ø Bamboo is a perennial grass and not a
tree as is commonly perceived.
ø 1450 species are found in diverse
climates across the world, however, not
all of these are suitable for construction.
ø One of the fastest growing plants on
Earth. Its growth rate ranges from 30cm
to 1 m in 24 hours.
ø The strongest part of a bamboo stalk is its
node, where branching occurs.
ø Bamboo has also long been used as
scaffolding; the practice has been banned
in China for buildings over 6 storeys but is
still in continuous use for skyscrapers in
Hong Kong.

4. advantages
ø Strength - Bamboo is an
extremely strong natural fibre, on
par with standard hardwoods,
when cultivated, harvested,
prepared and stored properly.
ø 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.
ø Earthquake-resistance - It has a
great capacity for shock absorption,
which makes it particularly useful in
earthquake-prone areas.

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

6. HOw TO pROTeCT bambOO…
UNTREATED BAMBOO
ø 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
ø Natural durability also depends on the
species of the bamboo
PRE-HARVEST AND POST HARVEST PRECAUTIONS
ø Felling during low sugar content season i.e.
dry season
ø Felling of mature bamboo
ø Post harvesting transpiration
ø Water soaking

7. 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 the bamboo
culms throughout their
whole length.
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 diaphragms.
Bamboo is removed
and stacked
vertically so the
solution can drain
and be reused.

8. HOw TO pROTeCT bambOO…
Preservative solution is
recharged after four cycles by
adding water and the chemicals.
Preservation treatment costs a
minimum charge of INR 4.50 per
pole.
BORAX – BORIC ACID PRESERVATION TREATMENT
Next, the bamboo
poles are left to
bask in the sun
depending on the
amount of sunlight
The bamboo poles
are left to dry
slowly in a cool, dry
place until they are
used for
construction.

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

10. HOw TO pROTeCT bambOO…
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Soaked bamboo samples at room
temperature for 24 hours
Soaked bamboo samples at 60°C for 4 hours
SHRINKAGE REDUCTION
NEEM SEED OIL TREATMENT
ø Oil obtained from neem seeds
can be used to improve water
resistance and dimensional
stability of bamboo culms
particularly at high oil-treatment
temperature.
ø Bamboo samples soaked in
hot neem seed oil at 60°C for 4
hours had better water
resistance and dimensional
stability than samples soaked in
oil at room temperature for 24
hours.

11. Bamboo foundations
COMPOSITE BAMBOO-CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS
Single Post Footing Strip Footing

12. Bamboo foundations
BAMBOO PILES
ø Bamboo compacts soft soil,
thus increasing the bearing
capacity of soil.
ø The friction provided by the
construction-grade bamboo
increases its load-bearing
capacity.
ø 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.

13. Bamboo foundations
BAMBOO PILES
ø 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.

14. Bamboo WALLS
WOVEN
BAMBOO WALL
VERTICAL
HALVED CULMS
BAJAREQUE
WHOLE BAMBOO
CULMS WATTLE AND DAUB

15. RESISTANCE TO EARTHQUAKES
ø High residual strength to absorb
shocks and impacts.
ø Flexure coupled with its very low
mass.
ø Prototype house built with bamboo
sheet roofing and bamboo-reinforced
concrete walls withstood a simulated
earthquake measuring 7.8 on the
Richter scale
ø A bamboo house in Bhutan that
withstood an earthquake that
occurred at Sikkim (epicenter)
measuring 6.9 in September 2011
ø 30 houses at the epicenter of a
7.6 magnitude earthquake survived
without any damage in Costa Rica
in 1991

16. 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

17. bamboo column AND BEAM
Bamboo Reinforced Column Bamboo Beams

18. Comparative analysis
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Rate of construction per sq.foot in INR
Concrete
Bamboo

19. 0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
Conventional Concrete
Bamboo Reinforced Concrete
Comparative analysis

20. Comparative analysis
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Concrete structure Wood structure Bamboo structure
Energy consumption during construction

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