Bamboo: A sustainable alternative to wood

Mr. Nripal Adhikary

Global Bamboo Housing Programme

Contents

•Introduction of INBAR

•Bamboo as a construction material

•Our work in Nepal

•Bamboo for reconstruction

INBAR Mission

To Improve the well-being of the producers and users of bamboo and rattan within the context of a sustainable bamboo and rattan resource base

INBAR Member Countries

INBAR Member Countries

Global Bamboo Construction Programme

• Consolidate, coordinate and

support strategic and adaptive research and development

• Disseminate knowledge on how bamboo-based construction can be applied to poverty reduction and more resilient homes and communities

•Support the development of markets for bamboo-based construction

Bamboo matures in 3-6 years.

It takes 60 days for bamboo to grow 60 feet.

As strong as steel in weight to strength ratio

Earthquake resistant properties e.g. Costa Rica (7.6 Richter Scale)

High insulating property.

Economical

Why Bamboo?

Bamboo uses at different ages

• <30 days it is good for eating

• 6-9 months for weaving baskets

• 2-3 years for bamboo boards or laminations

• 3-6 years for construction of houses and bridges

• >6 years bamboo gradually loses strength up to 12

years

• Its like a fruit, if you don’t eat it, it will die.

Pulp

Charcoal

Fiber boards

Fuels

Lumber

Leftovers & processing

waste

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Blinds, Mats, Carpet

Flooring

Vegetable

Handicrafts

Brooms, Cloths8

Manure, Fodder

Extracts, Medicine

Bamboo poles

Laminated furniture

9

Charcoal, Pulp

Handicrafts

Chopsticks, ToothpicksMiddle upper

Middle lower

Base

Shoots

Sheath & Rhizome

Scaffoldings

Chopsticks, Toothpicks

Twigs

Leaves

Top

4

Source: Zhu 2005

Building

Materials

Density Modulus of Elasticity Yield

Strength

Ultimate

StrengthStrength

Over Density

p/cf ksi Mpa psi Mpa psi Mpa 1/ft.

Carbon Fiber 110 21,800 150,305 n/a n/a 819,463 5,650

1,072,752

Structural Steel 490 29,000 200,000 36,2

60

250 58,000 400

17,045

Aluminum Alloy 170 10,000 68,947 26,1

06

180 29,000 200

24,565

Cast Iron 435 27,500 190,000 n/a n/a 29,000 200

9,600

Bamboo pole 25 2,694 18,575* n/a n/a 8,700 60*

50,112

Timber 40 1,600 11,000 n/a n/a 5,800 40 20,880

Concrete 150 3,000 20,684 n/a n/a 435 3 418

* Janssen, 1991

Structural Feasibility

Bamboo Pole = 1.5 higher strength than Typical Timber

Some modern bamboo structures especially Shanghai Expo

Some Modern Examples

• More than 54 species of bamboo• Bambusa balcooa (haroti), bambusa tulda (taru, chap),

dendrocalamus strictus (lathi bans)

• Considered NTFP.

• Included in NBC 203, 204

• Affordable and easily available

• Earthquake resistant

Opportunities in Nepal

• Supply Chain

• Lack of public awareness

Challenges to making bamboo mainstream

Challenges to supply chain

Creating a Database

Training

Validation

Validation

Alternative Building Lab in Nepal

• Creating State-of-the art laboratory for material

testing

Future industry Modern industry