Eco-friendly Architecture Bamboo: An ecological building material
Name: Ankita Mehta Department of Architecture Gogte Institute of Technology Belgaum, India USN: 2GI11AT008 anya.ankita@gmail.com
Abstract— Bamboo is a renewable and versatile resource material, characterized by high strength and low weight. Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing woody plant which grows three times faster than most other species and is widely recognized as one of the most important non-timber forest resources. Apart from the other substances already in practice, bamboo appears to be the most promising material due to the high socio-economic benefits from bamboo based products. This study puts forth that bamboo has several advantages as a green machine that includes its high strength to width ratio comparable to steel and wood, bamboo's short duration allows for renewable architecture to turn over more rapidly. Ecological buildings made up of natural organic materials like bamboo can help prolong the lifespan of living earth. Bamboo as a ecological material can positively influence lives. Index Terms—Bamboo, material.
ecological,
renewable,
building,
I. INTRODUCTION Bamboo is one of the oldest building materials used by mankind. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, however, many are in a sense going retro, abandoning modern construction materials for traditional bamboo. There are numerous reasons why so many people are going green with bamboo products. Some are practical, while some are cost effective, while still others simply do so for the health of the earth and bamboo’s many ecological benefits. The bamboo culm, or stem, has been made into an extended diversity of products ranging from domestic household products to industrial applications. Examples of bamboo products are food containers, skewers, chopsticks, handicrafts, toys, furniture, flooring, pulp and paper, boats, charcoal, musical instruments and weapons. In Asia, bamboo is quite common for bridges, scaffolding and housing, but it is usually a temporary exterior structural material. In many overly populated regions of the tropics, certain bamboos supply the one suitable material that is sufficiently cheap and plentiful to meet the extensive need for economical housing. Bamboo shoots are an important source of food, and a delicacy in Asia. In addition to its more common applications, bamboo has other uses, from skyscraper scaffolding and phonograph needles to slide rules, skins of airplanes, and
diesel fuels. Extractives from various parts of the plant have been used for hair and skin ointment, medicine for asthma, eyewash, potions for lovers and poison for rivals. Bamboo ashes are used to polish jewels and manufacture electrical batteries. It has been used in bicycles, dirigibles, windmills, scales, retaining walls, ropes, cables and filament in the first light bulb. Indeed, bamboo has many applications beyond imagination. Its uses are broad and plentiful. With the advancement of science and technology and the tight supply of timber, new methods are needed for the processing of bamboo to make it more durable and more usable in terms of building materials. Studies have been done on the basic properties, and processing bamboo into various kinds of composite products. More studies are needed to aid and promote its application in the modern world[1]. II. ORIGIN OF BAMBOO The plant known as bamboo to the entire world has been around and used for centuries. Records dating back more than seven thousand years talk about products made of bamboo such as arrows, paper, building materials, and books[2]. Because of its origins, the current way it is used, and the economic sustainability of the plant, bamboo is an excellent resource. While bamboo grows everywhere in the world except those places with extremely cold climates, it is thought to have originated in China (Fig.1), where the first use of bamboo to make every day items was recorded. The species of bamboo that we know today evolved from prehistoric grasses between thirty and forty million years ago, long after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Bamboo has been used through history not only because of the strength of the material, but also through the renewable prospects[15].
Figure 1: Origin of bamboo - China
III. HISTORY OF BAMBOO Bamboo has been implemented in about 1500 different ways since 3500B.C. It is fast- growing and provides for every necessity in life, be it building, food, or amenities. Some of the uses of bamboo are landscaping, construction, bridges, fencing, trellis, interior architecture such as vent screens, separation spaces, staircases, chairs, containers for food, trough for transporting water, food, paper, furniture, mats, baskets, medicines, aircraft fuselage, seven-stories tall hillside houses, and lots more. In the western world, bamboo was a major factor in lighting homes as it was a pan of the first electric light bulb invented by Thomas Edison. Bamboo is also used as charcoal which removes odour, purifies water, preserves food and acts as a dehumidifier. Bamboo is used for everyday living in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. Around 9000 years ago, the Americas, most parts of Asia, and certain areas of Africa began using bamboo. The Incan Empire had developed a basic platform-construction method still used today. 3000 years ago, the same group of civilizations had started to use bamboo in engineering.
Figure 3: Diagram of Bamboo plant
V. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES A. Tensile strength The fibres of the bamboo run axial. In the outer zone are highly elastic vascular bundle, that have a high tensile strength. The tensile strength of these fibers (Fig.4) is higher than that of steel, but it's not possible to construct connections that can transfer these tensile strengths[4]. Figure 2: Distribution of Bamboo (World)
Some of these uses are: suspension bridges and pontoon bridges, tension bridges, gabions (basket of bamboo secured at the banks) to dam rivers and streams, large 100feet communal houses, corbelling ten meters technology, scaffolding for highways construction tied with 1 mm strips, traditional tea houses and vernacular architecture in China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia especially in Indonesian Celebes Island, Japan, Borneo, the Naga Hills of India, Central and South America[3]. IV. FEATURES Even though bamboo can reach up to 35m high it is not considered as a tree or bush, but rather the fastest growing grass in the world. This plant appears in every various climate of any continent except arctic Antarctica and Europe. It's because of its extensive underground network. Like a regular grass in our lawns, when bamboo is being cut, this underground roots can grow to another stem which is professionally called clum (Fig.3). It can never happen to any kind of a tree. It can grow to its maturity up to 3 years and then it is ready for harvesting. The plant is mono-carpic, which means that it flowers and gives fruit once in their lifetime and then dies[14].
Figure 4: Cross-section of Bamboo
B. Shrinking
Bamboo shrinks more than wood when it loses water. The canes can tear apart at the nodes. Bamboo shrinks in the cross section ca. 10-16 %, in the wall thickness ca. 15-17 %.
Bambusa nutans: House construction, basketry and craft. Bambusa pallida: Mainly used in for making baskets, and mats. Bambusa polymorpha: It is a bamboo with many uses as edible shoot, in woven form for handicrafts, and for house construction. It is also used for pulping. Bambusa tulda: Traditionally favoured for basketry and woven applications. Dendrocalamus brandisii:House construction and basketry, and to make handicrafts. Dendrocalamus giganteus: Used for construction purposes and to make boat masts. Dendrocalamus hamiltonii: Used as edible shoot, for roofing and construction purposes.
Figure 5: Cross-section of Bamboo
C. Fire resistance The fire resistance is very good because of the high content of silicate acid. Filled up with water, it can stand a temperature of 400° C while the water cooks inside. D. Elasticity The enormous elasticity of bamboo makes it to a very good building material for earth-quake endangered areas. Another advantage of bamboo is its low weight. It can be transported and worked easily, the use of cranes is mostly unnecessary[4].
Figure 7: Various Bamboo Species
Figure 6: Bamboo fibre
E. Species
Bambusa balcooa: The most common use of this sturdy and strong bamboo is in house construction. It is a good bamboo for scaffolding and ladders. Bambusa bambos: It is used as raw material for pulp and paper, to make panel products and handicrafts, and for thatching and roofing.
Dendrocalamus strictus: The culms are used as building material and for making furniture, mats, basketry and implements. Oxytenanthera stocksii: Suited for construction purposes. Also used for making furniture, ladders and supports. Melocanna bambusoides: Used in the construction of houses and for making woven products. An important source for paper pulp. Ochlandra travancorica: Used for basketry, matmaking and decorative handicrafts. Schizostachyum dullooa: Making baskets, mats and small boxes. Thyrostachys oliveri: Suited for sports good applications because of its dimensions, solid nature, flexibility and other mechanical properties[12]. VI. BAMBOO AS ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIAL
The world becomes more environmentally conscious, abandoning modern construction materials for traditional bamboo. Eco-friendly is relating to or concerned with the relation of living organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. Because of Bamboo’s many ecological benefits, so many people are going green with bamboo products[5].
F. Bamboo helps control soil erosion A. Bamboo grows incredibly fast Although it’s heartier than many trees, bamboo is actually a grass. In fact, it’s the fastest growing plant in the world. Bamboo’s fast growth enables frequent harvesting without causing damage to the ecosystem of bamboo forests. On average, bamboo can grow up to about 24 inches in a single day, while some species can grow nearly 48 inches. Bamboo has the potential to achieve its full height and thickness in a 3-to-4-month growing season. Bamboo is best harvested sustainably between the 3rd and 7th years of a growing cycle. After the second year, bamboo forests continue to harden and grow into more mature bamboo plants, although they will start to die and decay after 7 to 8 years. The plant roots, however, remain healthy, so after the older bamboo die, new shoots take their place, growing even bigger and thicker than the previous generation. Compare that to hardwood forests, which can take hundreds of years to recover after logging[11].
Figure 8: Bamboo Monopodial root
Bamboo has a widespread root system(Fig.8) as well as an enveloping canopy, which makes it a great water barrier to control soil erosion. Bamboo is widely used in a number of developing countries to protect crops and villages from washing away. Bamboo’s high nitrogen consumption helps mitigate water pollution, and its roots are good for the soil. 7. Bamboo is highly versatile
B. Bamboo plants produce a high yield In a single harvest, you can get 20 times more building material from bamboo than you can with hardwood trees. A harvest of a single bamboo stand can yield over 200 poles in 5 years, so there’s no scarcity. Bamboo’s abundance keeps prices low, making it much more affordable. C. Bamboo is stronger than hardwood Bamboo is stronger than steel and heartier than most hardwoods, so you know you are buying a high-quality material with high durability. Not only is it more affordable, but bamboo produces a higher quality of wood than hardwood trees do — making it a valuable building material. D. Bamboo production creates livelihoods in impoverished countries Bamboo grows best in tropical conditions and has the ability to provide economic sustenance to developing countries, improving stability for impoverished populations. As bamboo’s popularity increases, it offers a sustainable way of making a living — all from a grass that grows like a weed.
Bamboo can be used in a wide range of products, from paper to construction materials and flooring. There’s bamboo furniture, bamboo sheets, bamboo yoga blocks and more. Some of the first paper products were made from bamboo, and today it is widely used to make a soft but durable bamboo clothing as well as to build fences, walls, bridges, bicycles, skateboards, helmets and computer keyboards. As bamboo’s popularity increases, it’s being used in more and more products, creating many beautiful ways for you to green your home and your lifestyle[6]. VII. CASE STUDIES A. Bamboo Symphony Bamboo symphony is an office building in Bangalore that promotes the use of more natural building material like bamboo. The curvilinear office building extensively made use of locally sourced, recycled and natural building material like Bamboo, fly ash, recycled wood, metal and stone.
E. Bamboo is better for the air Bamboo produces more oxygen and absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees, combating global warming with each bamboo shoot that is planted. Because the use of bamboo as a building material saves more hardwood trees from logging, the push for bamboo can help combat climate change.
Figure 9: Bamboo symphony office building
C. Housing Bamboo symphony (Fig.9, Fig.10) is basically open air structure is built out of mud blocks made on site with locally available material and concrete shell roof over a lattice grid of bamboo provides shade and thermal mass. This office building attempts to use bamboo in place of wood or steel and even reduces the weight of the concrete by adding bamboo fibers in to the concrete mix. For walls Bamboo Crete precast wall panels are used. The office floors are made from bamboo[7].
Figure 12: Vernacular bamboo housing project, Haiti
Simplicity infused with a traditionalistic virtue defines this interesting design concept of a housing project proposed for Port au Prince, Haiti (Fig.12). St Val Architect studio have supposedly been inspired by the prevalent traditional art of making cocoon-shaped baskets, composed from weaving natural plant fibers available from the local habitat. The buildings will maintain a vertical alignment so as not to increase the overall structural density of the area[8]. C. Multi storey building Figure 10: Bamboo symphony office building
B. Noodle Restaurants
According to structural engineering tests, bamboo has a higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel, and a higher compressive strength than many mixtures of concrete. It also has a higher strength to weight ratio than graphite. Taking advantage of such properties, Dutch architect Robert Venturi along with Indian architect Shefali Balwani of Architecture Brio designed a 3 storied building (Fig.13) with bamboo as the most important supporting member[10].
Figure 11: Noodle Restaurants in Bamboo structure
Minimalist in its form, organic in its bearing and utterly beautiful in its appeal, this is an outdoor. Japanese Noodle restaurant (Fig.11) designed by DSA+s. The naturalistic and sustainable conception just provides the basic essence of shelter in form of shades from sun, wind and rain. The fabricated nature of the construction also allows it to be assembled and disassembled just as easily[9].
Figure 13: Multi storey building using Bamboo
C. Inspirational Office The Inspirational Office (Fig.14) premises in Cochin, Kerala, covering an area of 2750 Sft, is a first of its kind structure and an experiment where we have attempted to develop a technology (bamboo and reinforced plaster) for using bamboo in floors, walls and roofs in ways that meet our contemporary needs[13].
ACKNOWLEDGMENT We avail our opportunity to thank our Principal Prof. Dr.A.S.Despande and HOD Ar.Pratap Patil for encouragement of the Paper Presentation in Avalanche. We are deeply obliged by the support and guidance of our Prof. ArRupali D. Kavilkar. We thank teaching, non-teaching and technical staff of our department for their support. This Paper is incomplete without the blessings of our parents and good wishes of friends. REFERENCES
Figure 14: Inspirational office, Kerala
VIII. CONCLUSION Since time immemorial, bamboo has played an important role in the development of mankind. It is used for a wide range of day-to-day purposes, both as a woody material and as food. It has been the backbone of much of the world’s rural life and will remain so as the population increases. This study puts forth that bamboo has several advantages as a green machine that includes its high strength to width ratio comparable to steel and wood, bamboo's short duration allows for renewable architecture to turn over more rapidly. Ecological buildings made up of natural organic materials like bamboo can help prolong the lifespan of living earth. Bamboo as a ecological material can positively influence lives. Its high valued utilization not only promotes the economic development, but also saves forest resources to protect our ecological environment as a wood substitute.
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