Booming Bamboo - Fully Revised Edition

Pablo van der Lugt

BOOMING BAMBOO

THE (RE)DISCOVERY OF A SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL WITH ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

A circular economy is an economic system in which production and consumption are based on the reusability of products and their parts, the recyclability of materials and the sustainable extraction of any other resources required. It is based on three key principles: (1) design out waste and pollution, (2) keep products and materials in use, and (3) regenerate natural systems. Adoption of a circular economy should lead to lower consumption of resources while increasing the biobased percentage, damage (measurable for example through life cycle assessment) and increasing socio- economic development.

REQUIRED TRANSITION TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

1.2.1

A NEW ECONOMIC MODEL: DESIGNED FOR CIRCULARITY

In response to increasing global warming and material scarcity, a transition from the traditional linear make-take-waste production scenario to a more circular and renewable model is essential to be able to meet the needs of future generations. This explains the popularity of the

Understanding the Circular Economy Principles

In a perfect circular economy, products are made using 100% renewable energy and are designed in such a way that their components can fow back in the end-of-life phase as nutrients to either the bio-cycle based on renewable sources or to the techno-cycle based on non-renewable sources, whose fnite stocks need to be secured. Consumption products with their short lives should ft in the bio-cycle, which means they are based on renewable resources and are biodegradable after use, thus serving as nutrients in a new natural cycle.

Material usage for durable products with their long lifespans should be reduced or managed smartly, in particular when it comes to non-renewable abiotic materials with fnite reserves (techno-cycle materials). This can be done through the adoption of several circularity strategies as identifed in the so-called R-ladder shown in fgure 1.6. As a rule of thumb, the higher the aggregation level in the R-ladder, the higher the circularity level and thus the lower the use of resources and the lower the environmental pressure. In a circular economy, fnite abiotic materials should be replaced by renewable biobased alternatives where possible. This is also known as moving to a biobased economy.

When developing a new product chain or designing a new durable product or building, the end-of-life phase should be taken into account based on material use, fnishing, connections, etcetera, as well as the potential for reuse, repair, disassembly and recycling.

When strategies relating to product function (R0 – Refuse, R1 – Rethink & Reduce and R2 – Redesign) and product use (R3 – Reuse and R4 – Repair) are no longer applicable, strategies relating to useful application of materials come in place (R5 – Recycle and R6 – Recover). Under strategy R5 – Recycle, it is important to adopt a cascading strategy, like recycling the material in various product cycles with as little value loss as possible in each new cycle. Because of their easy workability, cascading is particular useful for biobased materials.

1.6

Re-using secondary materials

The offce of Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Civil Works Agency), featuring a timber bearing structure, had to be demolished in 2017 and was reused for 90% in new projects. The main part was reused in the new youth clinic Emergis in Kloetinge, the Netherlands (designed by Rothuizen Architects) including a complete reuse of the window frames and shingles. The latter came from old harbor poles, making this the third durable lifetime of

In a linear economy most materials are lost after use. In a circular economy materials are kept in loops in either the bio-cycle or the techno-cycle. The R-ladder on the right defnes several strategies for increasing circularity in a product chain. Adapted from PBL 6

Figure

Multi-story CLT building

The apartment building Mooijburg in Amsterdam (designed by Natrufed Architecture) features a CLT bearing structure and is fnished with thermally modifed softwood and thermally modifed form (Bamboo X-treme) and partly with a charred surface (yakisugi fnishing). Due to the compression, the bamboo reaches Euro-class B regarding fre safety and does not need additional impregnation with fre retardants.

CLT and bamboo house

The family home of architect Bart Spee (designed by Spee Architecten) is made of a CLT shell and fnished with thermally modifed bamboo (Bamboo X-treme) for the façade and roof cladding, installed on a demountable rail system to facilitate reuse in end-of-life.

Cladding and decking system

The Grad installation system makes it suitable to click and decking boards onto a subframe, which can also be easily uninstalled in endof-life, facilitating potential high-end reuse.

BAMBOO, A GIANT GRASS

It Runs in the Bamboo Family

From a botanical point of view, bamboo belongs to the grasses, the Graminea, and is therefore not a tree. Bamboo is a collective name for a group of botanical species. Although the complete taxonomy of bamboo is still evolving, current estimations are that over 1600 different species of bamboo exist. There are considerable differences between species in size, color, node distribution and confguration, mechanical properties and climate preferences. Some giant species reach up to 30 m with cross sections of up to 30 cm per stem, whereas some species do not reach above 1 m in height and 1 cm in diameter. Depending on the climatic circumstances, there can also be a lot of variation in size and quality of bamboo stems from the same species. Stems are larger in fertile, moist climates and smaller in dry, sandy climates.

Fundamentally Different from Trees

In general, bamboo stems are hollow (although some solid species exist), with separate sections at irregular distances formed by transverse diaphragms in the cavity of the stem. These diaphragms are visible on the wall of the stem as ring-shaped protrusions and this is also where the branches with the leaves sprout from, usually from the higher nodes. Bamboo plants have a root system consisting of underground parts called rhizomes, from which the stems grow above the ground. The rhizomes anchor the plant to the soil and supply it with food and water to produce new rhizomes. One single bamboo plant therefore has multiple stems. The extensive rhizome network also helps to hold soil and restore water tables, making bamboo very suitable for reforestation on poor grounds (more about this in chapter 4.3). Unlike a tree trunk, the bamboo stem does not grow in thickness. The thickness of the sprouting shoot determines the thickness of the mature stem, as cell growth only occurs in longitudinal direction. The various sections of a mature bamboo stem are already present right from the start and during growth extend from each other like the tubes of a sliding telescope.

Grow Bamboo, Grow!

One of the most interesting features of giant bamboo is its unsurpassed growing speed. During the growing season, the bamboo shoots will sprout from the ground and reach their fnal length of up to 30 m height within a couple of months, with a maximum recorded growing speed of up to 1 meter a day. In fact, bamboo holds the Guiness worldrecord of fastest growing plant Lignifcation (hardening of the stem) occurs within 2-3 years, while maturity is attained after about 5 years, which is the moment the stem is ready for harvesting and for use in durable products in the building industry. Because of its fast growth, the bamboo plant absorbs a large amount of CO2 from the atmosphere, providing oxygen in return, which is locked for a long time, not only in the plantation, but also in the high number of building materials produced from harvested bamboo (annual yield, see also chapter 4.2).

Sprouting bamboo

During the growing season various stalks will sprout at high speed from the mother plant.

Giant clumping bamboo

Various giant tropical bamboo species, such as ‘Guadua Angustifolia’ from Latin America, belong to the so-called ‘clumpers’, growing together in thick patches.

BAMBOO MYTHS

Because of the strong associations connected to bamboo it often provokes strong reactions in people: they seem to either love or hate it. This has led to various myths about bamboo that either overqualify (believers) or underqualify (skeptics) bamboo.

‘Bamboo is stronger than steel.’

Bamboo is only stronger than steel when looking at the tensile strength of the bamboo fber per weight unit.

‘Bamboo is a weed that spreads quickly.’

Some bamboo species do spread very quickly (runners). However, many bamboos belong to the ‘clumpers’, growing together in thick clumps.

‘Bamboo is not strong because it bends easily.’

Bamboo has a low E-modulus but a high breaking/bending strength. This means that compared to wood, in general, bamboo has a higher fexibility and thus can bend further without breaking – very useful in housing in earthquake prone areas, and in the form of laminated beams in vertical structural applications such as curtain walls and window frames.

‘Panda’s will be exterminated because of the industrialization of bamboo.’

The survival of the panda is not a matter of lack of bamboo (bamboo grows quicker than pandas can digest) but of ecosystem destruction. There is more than enough bamboo resource available in China.

‘Bamboos fast growth depletes forests and soil.’

On the contrary, bamboo is very suitable for reforestation to revitalize poor, eroded grounds by restoring the canopy and retaining soil and water tables through its extensive rhizome network. Unlike trees, bamboo is a grass and therefore grows in a totally different manner, including a different distribution cycle of key nutrients. Therefore, although at commercial bamboo plantations pesticides and fertilizers may be used for achieving higher yields, it is not mandatory.

‘Bamboo plantations lead to tropical deforestation.’

Tropical deforestation occurs in those places where tropical forests are not protected and more money can be earned through other land uses, often by conversion of tropical forest to land used for cattle farming, infrastructure or high-yield crops such as soy or palm oil, while the cut tropical logs provide an economical bonus. However, once the true (economic) potential of bamboo is noted, the danger exists that tropical forests will be cut to plant bamboo, and this should be prevented. Currently, this is not the case. On the contrary, the growth of the worldwide bamboo area comes from natural expansion (runners) and reforestation of

particular in India and China, and recently also in Europe.

‘Due to the fast growth, bamboo captures more CO2 and produces more oxygen than trees.’

Not necessarily. This depends on the bamboo species, the trees species, and the growth circumstances. In ideal circumstances (soil and climate conditions, proper management, right giant bamboo species) bamboo sequestration (and thus also oxygen production – the two parameters are linked through the photosynthesis formula) compared to several tree species. This particularly applies when bamboo is used as pioneering plant on degraded land. However, if unmanaged or when compared to fast growing tree species (Eucalyptus, Paulownia, Radiata Pine), in several cases, trees might produce more biomass and thus sequester more carbon and produce more oxygen. It also depends for which application the harvest is used, and how effcient the processing is. In case of durable products for the building industry, the substitution effect and Construction Stored Carbon may also come in play, see also chapter 4. Thus a nuanced and customized comparison needs to be made before this claim can be made.

‘Bamboo forests are always mono cultures.'

Bamboo grows quickly and can therefore sometimes overpower other plants. However, a bamboo forest can be very biodiverse in fora and fauna, and as pioneering forest can have a far higher biodiversity compared to other plantations. A recent study in Portugal noted 52 plant species in a 5 year old bamboo plantation (see also page 57).6

LAMINATED BAMBOO 5.2.1

Figure 5.2.1

Laminated bamboo

fnger-jointing on strip level

Note that although the E-modulus is in general somewhat lower compared to that of wood (mean value: 9721 N/mm2) because of the higher fexibility, the bending strength is relatively higher (characteristic value: 56,7 N/mm2). 9

How It’s Made

After planing the strips, they are sorted according to color and size, after which they are dried. Glue is applied on the dry strips, which are then hot-pressed to produce a one-layer panel. Subsequently, glue is applied on the separate one-ply panels to press them into a multilayer panel or beam. The panel or beam is then sawn and sanded to become the fnal product.

An interesting development in China is fnger-jointing (hook joint) on strip level instead of on beam level, resulting in a beam with a more homogeneous strength distribution, seemingly very interesting for structural applications (see box 3.3 for more information). An alternative production path for laminated bamboo is to slice thin sheets of veneer from a giant laminated bamboo block. Rotary veneer in bamboo is also possible, although its quality and output is considerably lower than that of block veneer, explaining its lower popularity.

Application Area

Because it is made of thin strips serving as building blocks, laminated bamboo can be used to create aesthetical, high-quality, semi-fnished materials in many different dimensions, from thin veneer sheets to medium-size fooring planks to large panels and beams. It can therefore serve as base material for many architectural and interior design applications, such as bearing structures, fooring, walls, ceilings, window frames, table tops, but also for several user goods ranging from cutting boards to laptop housings.

Design Challenge

A promising niche market is to combine laminated bamboo with several kinds of color fnishes as well as other materials, such as fabrics.

TARANTULA

Year 2 1

Location

Architect Jan Detavernier

Photography Nathalie Belpame

Tarantula is a dance temple made out of bamboo and created for the festival Tomorrowland. This temporary structure gives the pleasure of dancing in open air and offers the visitors a spatial experience. The bamboo grid shell defnes an architectural space set out by organic shapes. These tensile surfaces get their dynamic strength by tightening bamboo slats while being bent into one solid shell. The shell is held into position by the inner bamboo construction that serves as a skeleton.

This huge construction of 6 m high and 20 m long that can serve as a dancefoor for 400 people can be reduced to a construction kit that fts on one trailer and is set up in a couple of days. The waste after building is only a small box of metal wire.

PARKHAUS ZOO

Year 2

Location Leipzig, Germany

Architect

HPP Architects

Photography

HPP Architects, Punctum, B. Kober

With around 1.3 million visitors per year, Zoo Leipzig is one of the favorite animal parks in Germany. This new garage was completed in 2004 to provide the zoo’s visitors with enough parking space. The project’s focal point is its ‘wrapper’ made of thousands of bamboo stems. The result is not only an eco-friendly facade for a type of construction that is typically un-green and un-attractive, it also strengthens the relationship with the adjacent zoological gardens, preparing people for their visit to the exotic world of Leipzig’s zoo before they even leave the parking lot.

PANYADEN SPORTS HALL

Year 1

Location

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Architect

Chiangmai Life Architects (CLA)

Photography

Markus Roselieb, Alberto Cosi

Chiangmai Life Architect’s Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School combines modern organic design, 21st century engineering and a natural material – bamboo.

The design was based on the lotus fower as Panyaden International School is in Thailand and uses Buddhist teachings to infuse values into its academic

mechanisms of the human mind. The brief was to build a hall that should be big enough to hold the projected capacity of 300 students, but still smoothly integrates with the previous earthen and bamboo buildings of the school as well as the natural hilly landscape of the area. It should provide modern sports facilities and use only bamboo to maintain the low carbon footprint and the “Green School” mission of Panyaden.

The hall covers an area of 782 m hosts futsal, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, as well as a stage that can be lifted automatically. The backdrop of the stage is the front wall of a storage room for sports and drama equipment. On both long sides balconies provide space for parents and other visitors to observe sporting events or shows.

ASICS EMEA HEADQUARTERS

Year 1

Location

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Architect

Powerhouse Company

Photography

Hans Gorter Fotografe

The design of the building by Powerhouse Company, in partnership with RED Company, features an effcient and fexible lay-out with an integration of the latest health and sustainability standards. In particular the atrium, which functions as an informal meeting place and public exhibition space, aims to promote a healthy indoor climate and physical activity through the use of environmentally friendly materials, natural light and open staircases.

Solid bamboo beams and panels cover walls and stair cases in addition to the bamboo fooring. As well as being sustainable and healthy material choices, these products also create a warm, natural and inviting atmosphere. The sustainability efforts of ASICS were rewarded with the WELL Gold and LEED Gold certifcations.

BU WATER BAMBOO FILTERED WATER BOTTLE

Designer

Photography

Bu Products

Using an ancient Japanese method, the bamboo is transformed into activated carbon by placing the bamboo stems in a kiln. This charring process opens up millions of tiny pores within the bamboo’s structure, creating a huge surface area of activated carbon with countless bonding sites. Chemicals and bad odors in the water can thus be absorbed by the activated carbon flter. After use, the flter can be crushed and buried in the garden, releasing nutrients into the soil and helping plants grow.

BAMBOO PACKAGING

Designer

Dell Photography

Dell

Regular paper/cardboard and plastic may be the most common packaging options, but they are not the only ones. Dell has pioneered the use of bamboo-based cardboard to protect certain devices and cushion some of its lightweight products. The bamboo used for this packaging material is grown close to the facilities that manufacture the products, which should further reduce the packagingrelated carbon footprint. According to Dell, the bamboo packaging is easy to recycle and should even be compostable following ASTM standards.

BAMBOO PACKAGING

Designer

Dell Photography Dell

Regular paper/cardboard and plastic may be the most common packaging options, but they are not the only ones. Dell has pioneered the use of bamboo-based cardboard to protect certain devices and cushion some of its lightweight products.

The bamboo used for this packaging material is grown close to the facilities that manufacture the products, which should further reduce the packagingrelated carbon footprint. According to Dell, the bamboo packaging is easy to recycle and should even be compostable following ASTM standards.

BOOMING BAMBOO

Fully Revised and Expanded Edition

Discover the boundless potential of bamboo in its updated form! Booming Bamboo returns with a wealth of new insights and inspiration, completely revised by author Pablo van der Lugt. Featuring 30 additional projects and an extra 16 pages of captivating content, this edition delves even deeper into the remarkable versatility and sustainability of bamboo.

In an era defned by resource scarcity and environmental urgency, Booming Bamboo presents a compelling case for embracing bio-based materials. From its humble origins to its modern applications in architecture, design, and beyond, bamboo emerges as a powerful contender in the quest for a more circular and biobased economy.

Explore the fundamental principles of bamboo growth, properties, and cultural signifcance, illuminated by the latest research and fndings. Discover how this fast-growing, renewable resource holds the potential to mitigate climate change and restore ecosystems through innovative approaches to reforestation facilitating the development of new local industries worldwide.

Illustrated with abundant detail, the revised edition showcases the diverse array of materials and fabrics that can be derived from bamboo, demonstrating its adaptability and ingenuity. From practical applications to awe-inspiring projects, Booming Bamboo celebrates the most magnifcent, innovative, and inspiring uses of this remarkable material and provides the required roadmap for bamboo to become a cornerstone in a future, biobased economy.

Join us on a journey of (re)discovery as we unlock the full potential of bamboo—a sustainable solution for the challenges of our time.

Cover photo: Iker Zuñiga Alonso