bamboo construction dissertation

Case Studies

• First Online: 11 March 2022

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• K. W. Liu 8 ,
• Q. F. Xu 9 ,
• G. Wang 10 ,
• F. M. Chen 11 ,
• Y. B. Leng 12 ,
• J. Yang 13 &
• K. A. Harries   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8421-2523 14  

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This chapter introduces examples of commercially-built bamboo structures built in China in recent years. The chapter also presents number of non-commercial examples illustrate other promising application directions for bamboo construction.

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https://baike.baidu.com/item/公望美术馆/20398857. Retrieved in April, 2019.

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https://baike.baidu.com/item/南京青奥文化体育公园/20133005?fr=aladdin. Retrieved in April, 2019.

https://baike.baidu.com/item/雄安市民服务中心/22378021?fr=aladdin. Retrieved in April, 2019.

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International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), Beijing, China

Shanghai Research Institute of Building Sciences Co., Ltd. (SRIBS), Shanghai, China

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Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

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Liu, K.W. et al. (2022). Case Studies. In: Contemporary Bamboo Architecture in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8309-1_6

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Construction techniques used in Bamboo Architecture

Bamboo is a material that embodies values of sustainability and durability while being cost-effective. A fast-growing grass, bamboo has been used as a building material since time immemorial. With over twelve hundred species across 110 genera, this primitive grass is a versatile material. A Bamboo consists of a rhizome which is its anchor underground, a culm that is its stem, nodes, and internodes.

 While we widely use bamboo in various small-scale cottage industries, its use in the construction industry is because of its structural and economic advantages. A Bamboo culm has twice the compressive strength of concrete and equivalent tensile strength of steel, thus making it one of the strongest construction materials. We cannot directly use bamboo for construction post-harvesting. An untreated bamboo culm has a brief life span and is prone to rot and insect attack. Prophylactic treatments such as water immersion, curing, smoking, chemical application, and whitewashing with slaked lime remove all the starch, protecting the bamboo from deterioration. 

Although bamboo has several advantages, construction with bamboo has its challenges. A bamboo culm has a round profile which makes the connections complicated. As the fibers in bamboo only grow in the vertical direction, it is not suitable for cross loads. The outer surface of the bamboo lacks grip and is very slippery, making connections difficult. Primarily there are two types of connections that are used to address the aforementioned problems while constructing with bamboo.

1) Traditional connections

• A) Friction tight rope connection
• B) Wedge connection 
• C) Plug-in bolt connection
• D) Positive Fitting 

2) Modern connections

• A) Bamboo-Tec
• B) Transportation Armature
• C) Induo-Anchor Technique
• D) Pan knot space truss

Friction tight rope connection 

The ‘friction tight rope’ connection is widely used in traditional construction . These connections use natural materials like rattan, coconut fiber to join the bamboo culms together. Lashings, wraps, fraps, and clove-hitch are some knots used in these connections. To get tighter connections, we use green bamboo strips. These strips are watered before use and shrink while drying, resulting in a stronger connection.

Wedge connection 

In a wedge connection, a wedge-shaped wooden piece is driven at the joint of two bamboo members.

However, this connection requires additional reinforcement through the use of lashing or bolts. 

Plug-in bolt connection 

The Plug-in bolt connection is not widely used and works on the similar principle of the tenon and mortise joint in wooden joineries. We must take care to avoid using the plug-in bolt connection close to the edge of the culm to prevent the splitting of the bamboo.

Positive Fitting 

Positive fitting connections are widely used in traditional bamboo construction. These connections involve carving a hole in a bamboo culm and inserting a bamboo of a slightly smaller diameter. The joint is further strengthened using bolts or dowels. The disadvantage of this jointing technique is the reduction of the strength of the bamboo because of the cutting of the hole.

  Bamboo-Tec

Bamboo is a natural material and is thus subject to the irregularities of diameter within a single culm. The ‘Bamboo-Tec’ connection is a modern technique developed by Bruno Huber to counteract these irregularities. This connection uses bamboo culms that are cut to the desired length and are capped with artificial resin. The end caps are made of steel or aluminum and have circular grooves on the inner side. These grooves facilitate a stronger connection between the cap and the bamboo.

1 single strunt

3 connection element

5 strunt axis

10 thread bore

11 cross bore

12 joint element

14 rotation axis

  Transportation Armature  

This method involves the threading of hollow bamboo culms with a metal armature. We fill the residual cavity with concrete. This connection increases the speed of construction by eliminating the time required for the fabrication of dowels.

  Induo-Anchor Technique

The Induo-Anchor technique is used for bamboos with larger diameters. The joint comprises an anchor, which is a spherical node usually made of cast-iron. The node is drilled and tapped at varying angles to create desired connections. We thread the bamboo culms into the nodes using conical end bolts.

  Pan knot space truss

A pan knot space truss comprises two components: a ball knot and thread rods which form the intermediate connection between the central knot and the bamboo culm. The advantage of this connection is the provision for dismantling. We use this connection for canes with a smaller diameter.

The conventional applications of bamboo in the building industry range from scaffoldings to structural and non-structural elements of a dwelling. The construction of a bamboo house is characterized by a frame-system similar to timber construction. The wall, floor, and roof elements are interconnected and depend on each other for stability. While we join whole bamboo culms to form the structural frame of the house, halved bamboos are used to form floor decks, walls, and roof tiles. We weave together, flattened bamboo strips to create mats that are then used as screens or walls. Door, windows, rain gutters, pipes, roof coverings are some non-structural applications of bamboo.

An unconventional application of bamboo is its use as concrete reinforcement. The tensile strength and strength to weight ratio of bamboo is comparable with steel making it replaceable. With the availability of steel steadily declining, bamboo is a viable and eco-friendly alternative. 

 Bamboo with its diverse applications and fast-growing characteristics is a sustainable alternative for steel and timber. This material has been an integral part of the vernacular construction industry for ages and with the development of new joineries and construction techniques, bamboo steadily becoming a part of the contemporary construction industry.

Anushri Kulkarni is a 24-year-old, Mumbai based architect with a passion for green architecture. She is a voracious reader and consumes all genres with equal gusto. Apart from being an architect, she is also a budding architecture and interior photographer.

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EXAMINATION OF BAMBOO AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

2018, EXAMINATION OF BAMBOO AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

The thesis refers to the theme of the material of bamboo as a building material. Questions of “what bamboo is” and “how bamboo can be used in construction” are trying to be answered. Bamboo as a building material has been used for a long time, but many people still perceive it as a poor man's material. In this thesis, it is shown that in the present and future the bamboo is considered as a stable material, various buildings were built from small pavilions to buildings with several floors. The history of using bamboo and in what areas it can be used in the future was described. The main goal of the thesis is to expose the material of bamboo as a building material and what can be built from it. What kinds of bamboo can be used in construction and what methods should be used in the construction of buildings is examined. Tables with bamboo buildings and their comparison with each other, what construction approaches architects often use, and what is important for bamboo as a building material are shown. Expected from the bamboo is a great advancement as a building material and assurance of the fact that it is environmentally friendly material.

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Organic Design in Twentieth-Century Nordic Architecture presents a communicable and useful definition of organic architecture that reaches beyond constraints. The book focuses on the works and writings of architects in Nordic countries, such as Sigurd Lewerentz, Jørn Utzon, Sverre Fehn and the Aaltos (Aino, Elissa and Alvar), among others. It is structured around the ideas of organic design principles that influenced them and allowed their work to evolve from one building to another. Erik Champion argues organic architecture can be viewed as a concerted attempt to thematically unify the built environment through the allegorical expression of ongoing interaction between designer, architectural brief and building-as process. With over 140 black and white images, this book is an intriguing read for architecture students and professionals alike.

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– The utilization of bamboo as a manufacturing material is becoming globally attractive in the wood and wood product industries today. This is due to the numerous industrial applications and uses of the bamboo plant from its fast growth, availability, unique appearance and strength. Bamboo has been popularly known for its traditional uses such as poultry cages, vegetable baskets, incense sticks, skewers and chopsticks, woven blinds and handicrafts. Very little has been done on the industrial processing of bamboo into boards. Several authors have studied and reported on the utilization, processing and the properties of this emerging material as an alternative to the increasing decline of wood in the forest. This review aims to compare and contrast some of the works done on the advancement in producing laminated bamboo timber. The properties of bamboo and its laminated products attest to its potency in substituting wood. Bamboo utilisation has increased significantly in the wood and wood product industries, with adequate retooling in most processing firms in the sector. In line with the development and use of bamboo-laminated timber for the purpose of wood in furniture production, the creation of bamboo plantations on degraded lands will meaningfully support production and mitigate the degradation of forest. Introduction The continuous decline of forest resources requires the use of non-wood materials such as bamboo-laminated timber (LBT) in many structural and non-structural applications previously dominated by wood. Currently, bamboo-laminated products can be safely used in the application of furniture, interior panelling, floor parquet, etc. (Chaowana, 2013). The properties of LBT have comprehensively studied. Many researchers have investigated the properties of this emerging material (Anwar, Zaidon, Sukhairi, & Rasat, 2013). Most of them found variations in the physical and mechanical properties within the bamboo culm. However, their studies mainly focused on individual species at different locations.

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Foreword Dear reader, This issue being number one of the second volume, we can celebrate the completion of the rst! Congratulations to all of you. Flipping back through the more than 370 pages of the rst volume, I feel sure we are on the right path. When I check the aims and scope (see inside front cover), I see we covered nearly all items mentioned.

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