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Introduction
Tree stumps cry out to the harsh beat of the sun and birds torn from lost homes fly aimlessly in the sky. Rains sweep black sediment into rivers. These are just a few of the adverse environmental circumstances caused by the phenomenon of deforestation, which has resulted from society's demand for material resources. As resources deplete and the environment deteriorates, people are looking towards alternatives such as bamboo to replace conventional materials. Bamboo is a giant grass commonly found in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa and South America. It comes in 1,500 varieties, from the popular household plant to ones that grow hundreds of feet tall. Bamboo is "the fastest-growing woody plant on Earth" [1]; it can reach maturity in months compared to other woods, which take decades. Bamboo is "a totally renewable resource;you can clear cut it, and it grows right back" [1]. Bamboo has been used in the eastern hemisphere for centuries. It is often labeled as the "poor man's timber" because developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America rely on it for food and as a building material. Bamboo can be used to provide shelter on a limited scale, mainly through its use in temporary and small structures. As environmental concerns rise, turning towards alternative sources is vital. Research is also being done to find ways to improve bamboo's structural capabilities to increase its value as a material resource. The increasing market for bamboo will hopefully also help stimulate growth in developing economies.
Applications of Bamboo
Historically, bamboo has been used to build numerous types of objects spanning from musical instruments to containers to housing frames. The "expanding movement in the West to start making better use of this amazing resource" [1] is expanding the market of bamboo. People all over the world are discovering innovative ways to use bamboo.
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For centuries, bamboo has been used for scaffolds, temporary platforms that support construction workers while they do exterior work on a building, in places like China and Hong Kong (Fig.1). Though used minimally in China now, bamboo is still relied upon heavily in Hong Kong. It is an art form to build these 60 foot scaffolds; few have learned to lash poles tightly and how to "scamper up swaying scaffolds with long bamboo poles slung over their shoulders" [2]. Many prefer bamboo scaffolds because they "bend in high winds, while steel scaffoldings break" [2]. On a smaller scale, bamboo is being used to build bicycles in Australia and Denmark. While a bicycle's basic design is almost flawless, there is much scope to improve the material it is made from. Conventionally, "light bicycles are made from aluminum, which is one of the most resource- demanding materials" in existence [3]. Bamboo bikes are lighter than, and just as strong, as bikes made using aluminum. Moreover, bamboo is a more readily available resource. During the 1980's, the International Development Research Center (IDRC) began to take note of people's reliance on bamboo. International wildlife expert Jane Stevens observes that strong IDRC
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support for bamboo research has resulted in funding to the tune of about 10 million dollars, used for national research programs involving more than 600 scientists and engineers in 14 nations [4]. These studies and experiments have helped define the capabilities and strengths of bamboo, with the additional goal of improving
Figure 1: Bamboo scaffolding is used in Hong Kong for its sturdiness and reliability.
Reformed Bamboo
One form of bamboo currently popular in the market is "laminated, or engineered bamboo lumber that makes gorgeous flooring, plywood and furniture" [1]. There are different types of engineered bamboo on the market, the most developed of which is reformed bamboo. In the future, reformed bamboo could fill some of the demand for industrial aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloy is an important resource used in making things like furniture, engines, rims and even the carrying case of Macintosh's newest laptop. Reducing the demand for aluminum alloy will help preserve the environment since lesser quantities of constituent metals will be extracted from the earth. There are several variations of reformed bamboo being produced: the plain reformed bamboo (RB), the reformed bamboo/aluminum composite (RB/Al), and the reformed bamboo/glass fabric/aluminum composite (RB/GF/Al). The basic RB is crafted by splitting the bamboo lengthwise, then heating it to adjust the moisture of the material and soften it. The bamboo is then compressed and pressurized so that its pores contract and the moisture is set. RB/Al and RB/GF/Al are variations where aluminum and glass fabric are layered onto the sheets of the RB. While these variations have proven to be stronger than RB, the cost and time length of the production process tends to increase because of the added variants. In the developmental phase of research and testing, reformed bamboo was shown to be stronger than normal bamboo. It is denser than normal bamboo, and thus contains more bamboo components within the same volume. This is analogous to comparing the density strength of a hollow tube and a solid tube; the hollow tube is brittle when compared to the solid tube. Due to its greater density, reformed bamboo is more flexible and compressible [5]. RB/Al is stronger than both aluminum and reformed bamboo; the combination of the two
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creates a stronger material. RB/GF/Al is the sturdiest of all three variations because it absorbs the least amount of water under different conditions [6]. With this ability to resist water, RB/GF/Al does not become saturated and weak. To use another analogy, a stiff piece of paper falls apart when it becomes drenched with water. All three types of reformed bamboo may be used in the future as a building resource. "RB/GF/Al is an environmentally friendly material, more than 80% of its content being reformed bamboo, which is biologically regenerated. Reformed bamboo can be directly degraded; glass fabric and aluminum are also recyclable" [6]. RB/GF/Al is the type of reformed bamboo with the most additives, yet it is environmentally friendly compared to other conventional resources. Therefore, using any of the three varieties of reformed bamboo as a construction material would help conserve precious resources.
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The unique characteristics of bamboo allowed these structures to withstand the earthquake, while the heavy, inflexible concrete structures did not. The bamboo used in the National Bamboo Project could support 500 kilograms per square centimeter; this is nearly twice the strength of concrete [9]. Handley adds that a top surface area of 10 square centimeters of this bamboo can support a 5000kg elephant [10]. In addition, the bamboo's flexibility and light weight allowed the homes to "dance" with the earthquake until the waves ceased.
References
[1] Derek Ferrar. "Believing in Bamboo." Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines V5N5, pp. 40-43, 48, October/November 2002. [2] Mark Landler. "For Raising Skyscrapers, Bamboo Does Nicely." The New York Times, March 27, 2002. [3] Steen Heinsen. "Bambucicletas." American Bamboo Society Internet: http://www.americanb amboo.org/GeneralInfoPages/BambooBicycle.html. [4] Jane Stevens. "Bamboo is Back." International Wildlife. v25(1), pp. 38, January/February 1995. [5] S.H. Li, S.Y. Fu, B.L, Zhou, Q.Y. Zheng and X.R. Bao. "Reformed bamboo and reformed bamboo/aluminum composite." Journal of Material Science, vol. 33, pp. 2147-2152, 1998. [6] S.H. Li, J.R. De Wijn, K. De Groot, Q.Y. Zeng and B.L. Zhou. "Reformed bamboo/glass fabric/aluminum composite as an ecomaterial." pp. 2147-2152, 1998. [7] Alan Mc Narie. "Home-Grown Homes: Can Bamboo's Promise be Fulfilled?" Hawaii Island Journal, Internet: http://www.hawaiiislandjournal.com/stories/1b03c.html. [8] Zongjin Li, Chun-Pong Liu and Tongxi Yu. "Laminate of Reformed Bamboo and Extruded Fiber-Reinforced Cementious Plate." Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, pp. 359-365, September/October 2002. [9] Jane Stevens. "Building with Bamboo." Technology Review v.97, pp. 17-19, August/September 1994. [10] Cathy Handley. "Building with Bamboo." Earthquake Hazard Centre Newsletter vol. 2(3). Internet: http://www.ehc.arch.vuw.ac.nz/newsletters/jan99/page6.htm, January 1999. [11] Joshua Levine. "The bamboo people." Forbes, vol. 155(13), pp.86, June 1995.
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