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Posted by Kris Krieger on June 28, 2008, 3:18 pm
I'm working on a design for a glass piece and was searching for Bamboo
pics, and came across a few links to Bamboo Buildings, and related design
innovations. Since sustainable architecture has been a topic here, I
thought I'd post a couple links that I found interesting:
http://www.ursispaltenstein.ch/blog/weblog.php?/weblog/comments/3419/
http://www.bamboocompetition.com/
http://www.bambooliving.com/
http://www.bambootechnologies.com/bbhomes.htm
I know that, in the tropics, huts and scaffolding are commonly built of
bamboo because it's plentiful there (esp. teh large species), but I've
never thought of it as something to use for other (as in, more "wester")
types of housing.
Some of the buildings are interesting, but I'm wondering whether there is
data re: whether bamboo building methods could be adapted to cooler
climates.
- Kris
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Posted by Troppo on June 28, 2008, 5:42 pm
show/hide quoted text
> I'm working on a design for a glass piece and was searching for Bamboo
> pics, and came across a few links to Bamboo Buildings, and related
> design innovations. Since sustainable architecture has been a topic
> here, I thought I'd post a couple links that I found interesting:
>
> http://www.ursispaltenstein.ch/blog/weblog.php?/weblog/comments/3419/
> http://www.bamboocompetition.com/
> http://www.bambooliving.com/
> http://www.bambootechnologies.com/bbhomes.htm
>
> I know that, in the tropics, huts and scaffolding are commonly built
> of bamboo because it's plentiful there (esp. teh large species), but
> I've never thought of it as something to use for other (as in, more
> "wester") types of housing.
>
> Some of the buildings are interesting, but I'm wondering whether there
> is data re: whether bamboo building methods could be adapted to cooler
> climates.
>
Hi Kris,
Yeah, strength to weight ratio is good. Not expected to last long of
course, and difficult to treat. We have a stand in the back yard. Goes on
growing, never gets irrigation. This is the 'dry' tropics, and the soil
is poor - saltpan clay with dune sand and shale underneath. We keep it
because it looks nice - a little bit of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon".
I've tested it with the local termites and as expected they go straight
up the interior hollow cores. Spectacular in a fire - if the segments
haven't already split, they explode. People next door burnt some once and
the police were called - gunshots reported from up to 2km away :-)
Here in Oz it's reprocessed into flooring boards, but I am yet to be
convinced. Costs a bomb and is not particularly durable - easily damaged
by stiletto heels and the like.
Cheers
troppo19 aka Martin Clark
http://people.aapt.net.au/jclark19/
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Posted by Kris Krieger on June 30, 2008, 1:59 pm
show/hide quoted text
>
>> I'm working on a design for a glass piece and was searching for
>> Bamboo pics, and came across a few links to Bamboo Buildings, and
>> related design innovations. Since sustainable architecture has been
>> a topic here, I thought I'd post a couple links that I found
>> interesting:
>>
>> http://www.ursispaltenstein.ch/blog/weblog.php?/weblog/comments/3419/
>> http://www.bamboocompetition.com/
>> http://www.bambooliving.com/
>> http://www.bambootechnologies.com/bbhomes.htm
>>
>> I know that, in the tropics, huts and scaffolding are commonly built
>> of bamboo because it's plentiful there (esp. teh large species), but
>> I've never thought of it as something to use for other (as in, more
>> "wester") types of housing.
>>
>> Some of the buildings are interesting, but I'm wondering whether
>> there is data re: whether bamboo building methods could be adapted to
>> cooler climates.
>>
>
> Hi Kris,
>
> Yeah, strength to weight ratio is good. Not expected to last long of
> course, and difficult to treat.
Inknow that the exterior surface is very hard, but I geuss that it's low
permeability doesn't translate to longevity as a structural element...
OTOH, tho', isn't exposed wood pretty much the same? What would the
situation be if giant bamboos (some of them develop a dimaeter greater
than that of most of the wood I've seen used for building houses...) were
usedto replace teh "stick" part in "stick built" houses? Being protected
by sheating and so on, would it not last as long as wood? Or is the main
probelm that it can't take nails, or some other quirk of the material?
show/hide quoted text
Babmoo grows so much faster than trees that it seems <?> like it ought to
be a potential material that could ease some of the stress placed upon
forests.
show/hide quoted text
> We have a stand in the back yard. Goes
> on growing, never gets irrigation. This is the 'dry' tropics, and the
> soil is poor - saltpan clay with dune sand and shale underneath. We
> keep it because it looks nice - a little bit of "Crouching Tiger
> Hidden Dragon".
For the yard, yeah, I have some Clumping Bamboo myself, one only gets to
about 15' (about 4.75m??) tall and the other about 25' tall. If I had a
large yard, I'd go for some of the ones that get twice as tall (or more).
Fr a yard/garden, I like the movement and sound of it - even the
slightest breeze can set ti off. ((For similar reasons, I also have soem
tall, glaucous cultivars of native Switch Grass - the foliage alon is, so
far this year, about 6.5'.)) Mine have yellow stems, which I don't liek
a lot in and of themselves (I lean towards silvers, blues, greys, and
whites), but the most attractive (IMO ;) ) bamboos get way too large for
my lot :(
show/hide quoted text
>
> I've tested it with the local termites and as expected they go
> straight up the interior hollow cores.
What if the bottoms were set into cement or otherwise sealed? Can the
termites still chew easily through the outside? Can they get through it
more easily than they can get through wood?
show/hide quoted text
> Spectacular in a fire - if the
> segments haven't already split, they explode. People next door burnt
> some once and the police were called - gunshots reported from up to
> 2km away :-)
Well, I hope that is neve tested in my yard =:-o
show/hide quoted text
>
> Here in Oz it's reprocessed into flooring boards, but I am yet to be
> convinced. Costs a bomb and is not particularly durable - easily
> damaged by stiletto heels and the like.
THat sort of product is also in the US. I'd've considered it, had it
been an option (I don't wear, or permit, shoes in the house, so heels of
any sort aren't a problem) but it wasn't an option. I haven't looked at
many prices, butI'm not sure that, locally at least, it's more expensive
than hardwood or laminate flooring, tho' I'd have to check. THe otehr
aspect, tho', is that it wouldn't really fit in well with the "neo-
pseudotraditional-pseudocontemporary-mishmash" that nearly all houses
these days seem to be. I prefer something that's more creative, but
there's little, if any, land near any sort of employment (or grocery, or
hospital, or so on) which hasn't been bought up by developers. WHich is
a differnt issue, of course...
But looking at how places are built, I have to wonder whetehr large-
diameter bamboo might not be a possible replacement for, or adjunct to,
standard building wood? Maybe the joining methods are problematic? I
don't know whetehr bamboo can withstand being nailed or even screwed.
- Kris
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Posted by Troppo on June 30, 2008, 4:48 pm
show/hide quoted text
>
>>
>>> I'm working on a design for a glass piece and was searching for
>>> Bamboo pics, and came across a few links to Bamboo Buildings, and
>>> related design innovations.
>>> [...]
> Inknow that the exterior surface is very hard, but I geuss that it's
> low permeability doesn't translate to longevity as a structural
> element... OTOH, tho', isn't exposed wood pretty much the same? What
> would the situation be if giant bamboos (some of them develop a
> dimaeter greater than that of most of the wood I've seen used for
> building houses...) were usedto replace teh "stick" part in "stick
> built" houses? Being protected by sheating and so on, would it not
> last as long as wood? Or is the main probelm that it can't take
> nails, or some other quirk of the material?
Never actually tried connecting bamboo structures together other than by
the traditional method, eg vine lashing. This is time-consuming even if
the vine is plentiful, but helps to prevent splitting, provides a torsion
joint etc.
show/hide quoted text
> Babmoo grows so much faster than trees that it seems <?> like it ought
> to be a potential material that could ease some of the stress placed
> upon forests.
It's not that hard to make durable particle board out of sugar cane
residue (bagass). Just requires a bit of natural or synthetic rubber, a
small amount of tepol and a press. So bamboo has to have potential as a
fibre base at least.
show/hide quoted text
>> [...]
> What if the bottoms were set into cement or otherwise sealed? Can the
> termites still chew easily through the outside? Can they get through
> it more easily than they can get through wood?
Went out to have a look - no, they leave it alone unless there's a split,
But the experiment was flawed - there was some untreated pine in the same
area, and that's what they prefer. But termites are unpredictable
critters. Around here they seem to be able to work through hair-line
cracks in concrete slabs. In one case, they went up the frame and ate the
paper covering to the gypsum board ceiling. A few years ago they started
on the underground electricity cables - main supply stuff out in the road
reserve. No issues yet with mass-concrete post bases. With these, they
track up the concrete upstand and are easy to see.
The best protection seems to be vigilance, or a drum or two of the stuff
you're not supposed to use any more ...
show/hide quoted text
>> [...]
> But looking at how places are built, I have to wonder whetehr large-
> diameter bamboo might not be a possible replacement for, or adjunct
> to, standard building wood? Maybe the joining methods are
> problematic? I don't know whetehr bamboo can withstand being nailed
> or even screwed.
It certainly splits if you hit it with a framing gun, and sometimes the
nails shoot off sideways.
The bamboo building websites don't seem to show how the stuff is joined
together :-)
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Posted by Kris Krieger on July 1, 2008, 1:53 am
show/hide quoted text
>
>>
>>>
>>>> I'm working on a design for a glass piece and was searching for
>>>> Bamboo pics, and came across a few links to Bamboo Buildings, and
>>>> related design innovations.
>
>>>> [...]
>
>> Inknow that the exterior surface is very hard, but I geuss that it's
>> low permeability doesn't translate to longevity as a structural
>> element... OTOH, tho', isn't exposed wood pretty much the same?
>> What would the situation be if giant bamboos (some of them develop a
>> dimaeter greater than that of most of the wood I've seen used for
>> building houses...) were usedto replace teh "stick" part in "stick
>> built" houses? Being protected by sheating and so on, would it not
>> last as long as wood? Or is the main probelm that it can't take
>> nails, or some other quirk of the material?
>
> Never actually tried connecting bamboo structures together other than
> by the traditional method, eg vine lashing. This is time-consuming
> even if the vine is plentiful, but helps to prevent splitting,
> provides a torsion joint etc.
I noted what you said below about it slitting under a nail gun, and nails
tending to slip and fly off. Now I know ;)
OTOH, maybe strapping...? As you noted, those websites (with the bamboo
buildings) didn't seem to go into the joining methods.
show/hide quoted text
>
>> Babmoo grows so much faster than trees that it seems <?> like it
>> ought to be a potential material that could ease some of the stress
>> placed upon forests.
>
> It's not that hard to make durable particle board out of sugar cane
> residue (bagass). Just requires a bit of natural or synthetic rubber,
> a small amount of tepol and a press. So bamboo has to have potential
> as a fibre base at least.
They do make fabric out of it, as with wood. It's very soft to the
touch, not as sticky in humidity as silk, much more supple than linen. I
assume there are also bamboo-based paper products. Versatile stuff.
show/hide quoted text
>
>>> [...]
>
>> What if the bottoms were set into cement or otherwise sealed? Can
>> the termites still chew easily through the outside? Can they get
>> through it more easily than they can get through wood?
>
> Went out to have a look - no, they leave it alone unless there's a
> split, But the experiment was flawed - there was some untreated pine
> in the same area, and that's what they prefer. But termites are
> unpredictable critters. Around here they seem to be able to work
> through hair-line cracks in concrete slabs.
Them and ants. They don't know enough to give up - if one doesn't make
it, there are billions more behind it. Termites and ants are also
significant pests here (Gulf Coast area).
show/hide quoted text
> In one case, they went up
> the frame and ate the paper covering to the gypsum board ceiling. A
> few years ago they started on the underground electricity cables -
> main supply stuff out in the road reserve. No issues yet with
> mass-concrete post bases. With these, they track up the concrete
> upstand and are easy to see.
Oh, joy :p
show/hide quoted text
>
> The best protection seems to be vigilance, or a drum or two of the
> stuff you're not supposed to use any more ...
Seriously.
But, given their difficulties with intact bamboo, it'd be something if it
was more adaptable to differnt building techniques. I guess it's alerady
been well-researched.
show/hide quoted text
>
>>> [...]
>
>> But looking at how places are built, I have to wonder whetehr large-
>> diameter bamboo might not be a possible replacement for, or adjunct
>> to, standard building wood? Maybe the joining methods are
>> problematic? I don't know whetehr bamboo can withstand being nailed
>> or even screwed.
>
> It certainly splits if you hit it with a framing gun, and sometimes
> the nails shoot off sideways.
> The bamboo building websites don't seem to show how the stuff is
> joined together :-)
>
Too bad :(
I'll try to remember to look into it more - it's IMO an interesting idea.
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> pics, and came across a few links to Bamboo Buildings, and related
> design innovations. Since sustainable architecture has been a topic
> here, I thought I'd post a couple links that I found interesting:
>
> http://www.ursispaltenstein.ch/blog/weblog.php?/weblog/comments/3419/
> http://www.bamboocompetition.com/
> http://www.bambooliving.com/
> http://www.bambootechnologies.com/bbhomes.htm
>
> I know that, in the tropics, huts and scaffolding are commonly built
> of bamboo because it's plentiful there (esp. teh large species), but
> I've never thought of it as something to use for other (as in, more
> "wester") types of housing.
>
> Some of the buildings are interesting, but I'm wondering whether there
> is data re: whether bamboo building methods could be adapted to cooler
> climates.
>