1. USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED
CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
AVAILABILITY, CHARACTERISTICS AND COST COMPARISON
Jaazim Salahudeen  Faculty of Architecture, Manipal University  11/23/2014

2.  USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
 Page 1
USING BAMBOO
TO REPLACE
STEEL IN
REINFORCED
CEMENT
CONCRETE
STRUCTURES IN
INDIA
AVAILABILITY, CHARACTERISTICS
AND COST COMPARISON
Abstract
This is a study done to evaluate the feasibility of
using bamboo as reinforcement in RCC beam
construction. The aim is to reduce the usage of
steel. Focus is given on mechanical and physical
properties of bamboo, durability and
preservation methods, availability of bamboo in
India and cost comparison.
Methodology
The study is done majorly as a literature survey
on:
 Physical and mechanical properties of bamboo
 Durability of bamboo and preservation
techniques
 The embodied energy of different materials
The cost of making one cubic metre of concrete is
calculated for both steel reinforcement and
bamboo reinforcement.
Results are tabulated and analysed.
Bamboo
Bamboo belongs to the botanical family of grasses
and is resistant to tensile stress and is therefore one
of nature’s versatile products. In its ability to
withstand tensile forces, bamboo is superior to
timber and even to reinforcement steel (Griebel,
2013).
Depending on the species, bamboo can be harvested
in one to five years versus 10-50 years for most
softwoods and hardwoods. Thereafter harvests are
possible every second year for up to one hundred and
twenty years the yield is up to 25 times higher than
that of timber. Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide and
releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than
an equivalent stand of hardwood trees.
Some species of bamboo grow more than three feet
each day. It is one of the fastest growing plants.
When it is harvested, it will grow a new shoot from its
extensive root system with no need for additional
planting or cultivation (Kappagantula & Lingam,
2007).
Bamboo diversity in India
India is the second richest country in bamboo genetic
resources after China. These two countries together
have more than half the total bamboo resources
globally. Sharma (1987) reported 136 species of
bamboos occurring in India. Fifty-eight species of
bamboo belonging to 10 genera are distributed in the
north eastern states alone. The forest area, over
which bamboo occurs in India, on a conservative
estimate, is 9.57 million hectares, which constitutes
about 12.8% of the total area under forests (Bahadur
and Verma 1980).
On average, 250 air-dried culms weigh one tonne and
the price per tonne of dry bamboo is approximately
Rs 1000 (Katwal, et al., 2003)

3.  USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
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Table 1:Area under bamboo in India
States/Union territories(year of
inventory)
Bamboo area (km2
)
Andhra Pradesh (1968-74) 6598
Arunachal Pradesh (1985-90) 4590
Assam (1988-90) 8213
Bihar (1971-74) 795
Goa, Daman & Diu 249
Gujarat (1977-78) 2806
Haryana 42
Himachal Pradesh (1974-76) 60
Jammu & Kashmir 15
Karnataka (1983-94) 4925
Kerala 517
Madhya Pradesh (1970-86) 18124
Maharashtra 8893
Manipur (1986-88) 3692
Meghalaya (1986-88) 3102
Mizoram (1988-89) 9210
Nagaland (1984-87) 758
Orissa (1976-84) 7822
Punjab 50
Rajasthan (1984-86) 529
Tamil Nadu 3101
Tripura (1989-90) 939
Uttar Pradesh (1981-85) 2010
West Bengal 1751
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 784
Total 89575
The largest bamboo covered area belongs to
Madhya Pradhesh followed by Mizoram, Assam,
Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. But when we
compare the total forest area in each of these
states we can see that Mizoram is far ahead with
more than half its forest area as bamboo growth.
Among the south Indian states, Andhra Pradesh
has the largest bamboo cover, closely followed
by Karnataka.
Physical and mechanical properties
Natural materials like wood and bamboo have varying
properties from specimen to specimen depending on
different factors like environment conditions, soil
conditions, water content etc. So while designing for
bamboo reinforcement the allowable stress is much
lower than the failure stress compared to steel.
Steel is a well tested material. Its properties are
definite. Allowable stress of steel is taken much
closer to the failure stress. In case of an unexpected
situation, a bamboo structure can take stresses much
more than what it is actually designed for. So a
structure made of bamboo has better chances of
surviving a natural disaster compared to steel.
(Janssen 2000)
Properties of bamboo depend on chemical
composition, which vary with age, height and layer.
Maximum strength is generally found in bamboo
culms of around three to four years old.
Embodied energy
Bamboo can be considered as a low embodied energy
material due to various reasons (Imbulana, et al.
2013).
 It can be processed easily – labour consumption
and machine usage is minimum Treatments for
durability (for example boron treatment) are
also not complex.
 Wider availability makes it easy to find nearer to
the construction sites. Hence the energy for
transportation is low.
We can see that bamboo has a very low
embodied energy of 1.5 MJ/kg compared to
Aluminium (155 MJ/kg), Steel (20.1 MJ/kg) and
Timber (10 MJ/kg)
Source: (Katwal, et al. 2003)

4.  USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
 Page 3
Figure 1: Embodied energy for building materials
Durability
Without protective treatment, most bamboo species
have an average durability of less than 2 years. But if
it is covered and stored properly, untreated bamboo
may last four to seven years. The lower portion of the
bamboo culm is considered more durable, while the
inner part deteriorates faster than the outer portion.
The large amount of starch present in bamboo makes
it attractive to mould, fungi, termites and beetles.
The damage caused is maximum during drying,
storage and subsequent use. Bamboo is more prone
to soft rot and white rot attack than to brown rot.
Bamboo consists of 50-70% hemicellulose, 30%
pentosans, and 20-25% lignin. Bamboo is also known
to be rich in silica (0.5 to 4%), but the entire silica is
located in the outer layer (1mm), with hardly any
silica in the rest of the wall. Bamboos also have minor
amounts of waxes, resins and tannins, but none of
these have enough toxicity to improve its natural
durability. (Guadua Bamboo S.A. 2013)
The innermost layers are more vulnerable to fungal
and insect attacks. The typical lifetime of an
untreated bamboo culm varies from one month to
three years depending on the species and climatic
condition (Li 2004) . For structural uses, whether for
indoor or outdoor, whether in tropical or temperate
region, bamboo should be treated with preservative
chemicals to provide adequate service life
(Gnanaharan 2000).
Bamboo preservation methods
The selection of the appropriate treatment
method depends on various factors: (Guadua
Bamboo S.A. 2013)
1. Condition of bamboo- dry or green
2. Form - round bamboo or splits
3. Intended use
4. Quantity and time available
5. Potential cause of decay
Leaching of bamboo
Immersing bamboo in water is known as
leaching. It is a traditional bamboo preservation
method used in certain Asian and Latin American
regions. Bamboo from hilly regions was
transported downhill by means of rivers in the
form of rafts. By the time it reaches the
destination, the leaching process would have
been done. The starch content of the poles is
subjected to a leaching process that tends to
decrease the starch level and increases its
durability. But leaching alone does not guarantee
long protection but it does help to remove starch
and enhances permeability for further treatment
(Guadua Bamboo S A 2013).
Chemical preservation
Chemical preservation (with or without the help
of special equipment) ensures long term
protection. Depending upon the method of
bamboo treatment, chemical preservatives can
impart short term or long term protection.
Most of the chemical used for treatment are
toxic. Great care needs to be taken to meet
performance, environment requirements and
safety. Depending upon the carrier solvents,
bamboo preservatives are divided into two
different categories: Non-fixing and fixing type
preservatives. Non-fixing preservatives will leach
out the bamboo when exposed to rain. In other

5.  USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
 Page 4
words non-fixing type preservatives are not
suited for outdoor use (Guadua Bamboo S A
2013).
The main examples for chemical preservatives are
Boric acid borax (non-toxic), Copper chrome
arsenic, copper chrome boron, Zinc chrome and
Copper chrome acetic.
Cost analysis
Table 2: Cost comparison for one cubic metre bamboo
reinforced and steel reinforced cement concrete beam
The cost required for one cubic meter of concrete
is calculated in the two different cases. Apart
from the material cost for cement, sand,
aggregate and reinforcement, the cost for labor
and equipment is also considered.
It was found that the major expense in a steel
reinforced cement beam is from the steel.
Structural steel reinforcement comes upto 157 kg
for one cubic metre for concrete which cost
about Rs. 9420 for the material alone.
The quantity of bamboo reinforcement required
for a similar RCC beam will be around 14 kg only.
And the cost for the reinforcement, including the
preservation and transportation comes to around
Rs 10. Hence the total cost for a bamboo
reinforced cement concrete beam is calculated as
Rs.5371.
Compared to the Rs 16944 of steel reinforced
concrete we can easily understand the cost savings in
using bamboo reinforcement.
Figure 2: Cost comparison of bamboo reinforced and steel
reinforced concrete beam
The major difference in cost is clearly from the
savings due to replacing steel with bamboo
reinforcement. So from the above calculations it
is evident that a bamboo reinforced cement
concrete beam costs only roughly about 32% that
of a steel reinforced concrete beam. That is a
remarkable reduction while considering today’s
housing shortage and rising housing prices.
ITEM Steel Bamboo
Cement Bags 2420.75 2420.00
Sand 378.00 378.00
Aggregate 588.00 588.00
Reinforcement 9420.00 10.00
Mason 111.00 111.00
Labour 700.00 700.00
Water carrier 278.00 278.00
Bar Bender 314.00 0.00
Mixer operator 14.28 14.28
Mixer Vibrator 14.28 14.28
Water Charges 1.5% 213.57 67.70
Sundries (including mixer machine,
transportation etc) 7.5 % 1067.87 338.52
Contractor's Profit 10% 1423.83 451.36
TOTAL 16,944 5,371

6.  USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
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Conclusion
From the literature studies it is evident that Bamboo
is an abundant material in certain parts of India. Most
of the species of Bamboo have proven its worth as a
structural material. Specific studies and literature
referred shows how structural members can be
designed with bamboo reinforcement exactly like
steel reinforced concrete members.
The cost analysis further emphasis its feasibility to be
used in construction. This study is expected to be a
catalyst for further probes into the world of
sustainable building materials. The replacement of
steel is a huge leap forward for this end. Further
studies can be done for using bamboo planks for
walls, bamboo poles and tiles for roofing etc.
List of figures
Figure 1: Embodied energy for building materials
..................................................................................................3
Figure 2: Cost comparison of bamboo reinforced
and steel reinforced concrete beam..........................4
List of tables
Table 1:Area under bamboo in India.........................2
Table 2Cost comparison for one cubic metre
bamboo reinforced and steel reinforced cement
concrete beam....................................................................4
References
1. Gnanaharan, R., 2000. Preservative
treatment methods for bamboo : A reveiw;
part-II of Bamboo shelter : a
demonstration of best construction
practice, s.l.: Kerala Forest Research
Institute.
2. Griebel, D. D., 2013. Advanced Fibre
Composite Materials. [Online]
Available at:
http://www.futurecities.ethz.ch/project/b
amboo/
[Accessed 30 September 2014].
3. Guadua Bamboo S A, 2013. Chemical
Bamboo Preservation. [Online]
Available at:
http://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/ch
emical-bamboo-preservation
[Accessed 7 November 2014].
4. Guadua Bamboo S A, 2013. Leaching
Bamboo. [Online]
Available at:
http://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/le
aching-bamboo
[Accessed 7 November 2014].
5. Guadua Bamboo S.A., 2013. Bamboo
Preservation and Treatment. [Online]
Available at:
http://www.guaduabamboo.com/bambo
o-preservation/
[Accessed 7 November 2014].
6. Imbulana, P. K. et al., 2013. Bamboo as a
low costand green alternative for
reinforcement in light weight concrete.
SAITM Research Symposium on
Engineering Advancements, pp. 166-172.
7. Janssen, J. J., 2000. Designing and
Building with Bamboo, Eindhoven:
International Network for Bamboo and
Rattan 2000.
8. Kappagantula, A. & Lingam, P., 2007.
Bamboo house India. [Online]
Available at:
http://www.bamboohouseindia.org/bam
boo.asp
[Accessed 15 October 2014].
9. Katwal, R. P. S., Srivastva, R. K., Kumar, S.
& Jeeva, V., 2003. State of Forest Genetic

7.  USING BAMBOO TO REPLACE STEEL IN REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE STRUCTURES IN INDIA
 Page 6
Resources. Kuala Lumpur, Asia Pacific
Association of Forestry Research
Institutions (APAFRI) and the
International Plant Genetic Resources .
10. Li, X., 2004. Physical, chemical, and
mechanical properties of bamboo and its
utilization potential for fiberboard
manufacturing, s.l.: s.n.