BAMBO

O
COST EFFECTIVE
MATERIAL

WHAT IS
BAMBOO?
Bamboo is a woody grass
which is grown chiefly in
the tropics.
They belong to the
subfamily of flowering
perennial evergreen
plants in the grass family.

SOURCES OF
Bamboo, the largest grass, is a strong , versatile and
BAMBOO
renewable construction
resource.
Bamboo can be grown on different altitudes and under
various climatic conditions but it prefers Tropical climate.
It is a vernacular building material that is widely available in
India, Asia, Australia, north and south America and SubSaharan Africa.
It can be grown easily and very quickly and has many
emerging applications in building construction as it is a cost
effective material.

HARVESTING, STORAGE AND

DRYING
At intervals of two to four years up to 30 % of the mature poles are
removed from the cluster. The remaining canes not only support the
young shoots but also maintain the full power of the rhizomes. Two to
five year old bamboo poles are considered most suitable for building
and other purposes.
The correct seasons for felling are autumn and winter in the
subtropics and the dry season in the tropics. This reduce attack by
beetles because the insects are less active. Felling is best carried out
using a machete or similar tool. After felling the branches have to be
carefully removed so that the outer skin of the cane is not damaged.

Bamboo poles should be stored

horizontally and frequently supported so
that they can neither sag nor bend.
They should be protected against sun,
rain and soil moisture.
There are two possibilities for drying the
bamboo canes. The air-drying process in
frames with good air circulation takes 6
- 12 weeks. The kiln-drying process
takes only 2 - 3 weeks.

AIR DRYING PROCESS

But some species of

Bamboo do not tolerate quick drying.
The bark develops cracks orthepoles
split axially.

APPLICATIONS IN
BUILDING INDUSTRY

1) ROOFING
Bamboo Singles

The simplest roof covering is formed

by bamboo shingles which are as long
as the rafters. To produce the shingles
the bamboo canes are halved along
their length and the diaphragms are
removed. They are threaded to the
ridge and placed in Roman tile
fashion. These shingles are nit fixed
at the eaves. They are held in
position by their own weight.

Double Layer
Singles

Multi Layer
Singles

The next roof covering is being

The multi-layer shingle roofing
composed of double layers of
is the most expensive and
shingles. Each row of shingles is
heaviest type of roofing.
threaded onto a strip and tied to a Instead of a roof covering one
pole with simultaneously
can call this a roof wall having
functions as purlin and roof
a thickness of up to one metre.
batten. Therefore the purlins are
The rows of shingles are fixed
arranged in pairs.
to the roof battens by an
inserted key which prevents
them from sliding off. Layer is
placed upon layer up to the
ridge. The roof structure is
made of solid timber.

Bamboo Mat
Corrugated Roofing
Used
for roofing as an alternative to
Sheets
Galvanized Iron and Asbestos
Corrugated Sheets.
BMCS roofing confirms to the
requirements prescribed for
asbestos cement roofing sheets
with enhanced characteristics like
toughness, resilience and ductility.
Apart from this it is environment
friendly, energy efficient and
possesses good fire resistance.
The BMCS developed is first of its
kind in the country.

2) PARTITION WALLS
Bamboo Mat Boards
These are used as an alternative to Plywood,
Also used in False ceilings,
Partition walls,
Door or window shutters,
Table tops,
Cladding.
The production of boards from bamboo mats
glued together constitutes a sound alternative to
plywood made mostly from imported timber.
The use of bamboo also conserves natural forest,
which is being depleted at an alarming rate in
India.
The fast growth and maturation of bamboos and
their easy propagation make them an important
and inexpensive local substitute for plywood.

3) SCAFFOLDINGS
Scaffoldingis a temporary structure to support
people and materials when constructing or
repairing building exteriors. It was first used in
GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
In bamboo scaffolding, plastic fiber straps and
bamboo shoots together form a solid and secure
scaffold structure without screws.
Bamboo scaffolding does not need to have a
foundation on the ground as long as the
scaffolding has a fulcrum for structural support.
Because of the favourable relationship between
load-bearing capacity and weight, bamboo can
be used for the construction of save scaffoldings
even for very tall buildings.
Bamboo scaffolding is mostly seen in developing
Asian countries such asIndia,Bangladesh,Sri
Lanka, andIndonesia.

ADVANTAGES OF USING BAMBOO

1) Bamboo iseasy to cut, handle, repair, reposition and maintain, without the need for
sophisticated tools or equipment.
2) Bamboo isnon-pollutingand does not have crusts or parts that can be considered
waste. Instead of adding to the problems of polluting land-fills like conventional building
waste, any part of the bamboo that is not used is recycled back into the earth as
fertilizer or can be processed as bamboo charcoal.
3) Its circular form and hollow sections make bamboo alight building material, which
is easy to handle, transport and store. Therefore, building with bamboo saves time.
4) The natural surface of the bamboo is smooth, clean, with an attractive color
whichdoes not require painting, scraping or polishing.
5) Besides being used as a structural element,bamboo can also serve other
functions, such as: flooring, wall paneling, water pipes, drainage, and furniture.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING
1) Once cut,insectsmay attack
BAMBOO
bamboo or wood. For that reason it is highly
recommendable that bamboo, once cut go immediately through a
specialimmunization anddryingprocess.

2) Bamboo does not have anequal diameterover all its length. The thickness of
the internal walls also varies.
3) The diameter of the bamboodiminisheswhendrying. If not dried completely
in advance of construction, this has implications.
4) Once dried, bamboo, like wood, isflammable. Bamboo can be treated with a
fire-resistant substance.
5) Bamboo in permanent contact with soil, like wood, will rot and attract insects.
For that reason, we discourage bamboo andsoil contact.

COST COMPARISON
HARD AND SOFT
WOOD
For flooring and
roofing purposes, the
cost is around Rs.
450 to 800 per
square foot.

BAMBOO
The cost of bamboo
for the same
purpose is around
Rs. 80 to 240 per
square foot.

SOURCEhttp://www.woodfloorsindia.com/eco-floor.asp

CASE STUDY

DEMONSTRATION HOUSE, HYDERABAD

The Bamboo-Crete House Project at NIRD (National institute of
Rural Development, Hyderabad) is a part of RTP (Rural Technology
Park), where a campus is developed to showcase the Appropriate
Building Construction Technologies, from various parts of India.
COST- Rs. 237300/- (Rs. 3645.72 per sqm) for the demonstration
structure and Rs. 3000/- is expected for mass housing.
BUILT-UP AREA- 65.09 sqm
YEAR OF COMPLETION- January 2005

DESIGN
The structure and the built space itself, loudly speak of bamboo.
CONCEPT
Bamboo is clearly visible as structure, walling, flooring, door, window,
window dressing, lighting, ceiling and roofing.
Spatial planning is developed on a grid measuring 1200 mm X 1550 mm,
keeping in view the structural efficiency of bamboo and easy
prefabrication for mass production.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
FOUNDATION

As the site is sloping, uncoursed rubble masonry with boulder murum

filling is laid o prepare a flat ground for the structure.
The bamboo columns are bitumen coated at the bottom and secured in
230 X 250 X 760 in-situ concrete blocks.
At plinth level, 100mm thick RCC Damp Proof Course is provided, to
counter earthquake movements.

COLUMNS
All intermediate columns are of three bamboo culms, nut bolted to each
other, every two feet, with a spacer nut in between.
The corner columns are made up five bamboo culms, nut bolted in Lshape, which additionally resist deformation of bamboo structure.
The columns made in such a manner as I-sections and resist
deformation, commonly observed in bamboo structures.
Lintel ring beam, placed at 2100mm from floor level, consists of a pair of
bamboo culms.

WALL
Solid bamboos, 25mm thick are inserted between columns, horizontally,
every one-foot.
This forms the basic structure of wall.
Split bamboo strips are woven through these horizontal members.

ROOF
The roof is a combination of trusses in twin bamboo culms, structurally
connected with gusset plates of bamboo mat board and nut bolted.
Purlins of twin bamboo are nut bolted to the truss and then bamboo mat
corrugated roofing sheets are secured on the purlins.
The centre space of the roof has a covered gap of 300mm.
This helps hot air to escape and in case of high speed winds, this opening
in the roof resists the uplifting force.

SOURCES
http://www.guaduabamboo.com/construction/advantages-of-building-with-bamboo
https://
www.google.co.in/search?q=bamboo+mat+board+a+replacement+for+plywood&espv
=2&biw=1366&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI69_8x_
jCxwIV0QaOCh1WgAYg
http://www.slideshare.net/sslele456/vernacular-architecture?related=2
civilenggseminar.blogspot.com/2011/.../bamboo-as-building-material.html
https://wayneliuliwei.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/bamboo-reduced.pdf
www.nachi.org/bamboo-construction-inspection.html
BAMBOO By HUDCO, Design and Development Wing for CASE STUDY

THANK YOU
HARSHITA SEHGAL
T.D ADARSH
MANMEET S.SAGAR
SECTION - B
SEMESTER- 3
B.ARCH