International conference on engineering and product design education

5 & 6 September 2013, Dublin institute of technology, dublin, ireland

 

CAN BAMBOO BECOME THE ULTIMATE SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL FOR TODAY’S DESIGN?

MALIZA ISMAIL JAMAIL

 

abstract

The objective of this paper is to discuss the significance of bamboo and its potential as the ultimate sustainable material for today’s design and construction. With all the concerns about global warming and the trend towards environmentally friendly designs, the use of green materials such as timber, bamboo, stones, cork, hemp and other “growing” substances are extensively applied. Among all these common green materials, bamboo is one of the most intriguing green materials which are becoming popular today. Bamboo is widely available in mostly tropical climate countries and have been used by generations which cover many aspects of human life such as basic utilities, medicines, food, weapons, artwork, papers, musical instruments, furniture, landscape and construction. It is used in many applications; from very traditional handicraft to contemporary products that are completely industrialised such as floor boards, floor mats and panels. Significantly, bamboo is well known as a building material with many opportunities since it can be processed, reprocessed, added with or topped with in making things more unique and desirable. The most obvious characteristics which make bamboo as a potential sustainable material are its renewability and remarkable environmental and ecological protection. Besides that, it has natural durability, high flexibility and wide versatility. In terms of construction, bamboo is a material that is lightweight yet has good structural and mechanical properties. Compared to other green materials, it seems that bamboo complies with majority of the sustainable qualities, making it the most promising material for today and future design.

 

1      Introduction

The term bamboo describes all tree-like or bush-like grasses having a durable woody or branched stem. They often have a tree-like habit and can be characterized as having woody, usually hollow culms, complex rhizome and branch systems, petiolate leaf blades and prominent sheathing organs. Contrary to wood, the bamboo has a hard outer surface and is soft inside [1].Most bamboo species grow at temperatures of - 28°C to +50°C. Basically, they grow abundantly in most tropical and temperate climatic areas. However, bamboos are also adaptable to various types of habitat [4]. They grow in plains, hilly and high altitude mountainous regions. In other words, it grows at sea level and can be found at altitudes of up to 3800m. Interestingly, it accepts most kinds of soils particularly sandy loam to loamy clay soils, except alkaline soils, desert, and marsh. Bamboo is suitable on well drained sandy to clay loom or from underlying rocks with pH of 5.0 to 6.5 [4].

 

The main area of bamboo distribution is the tropics especially South-East-Asia. Accordingly, 64% of the varieties of bamboo species grow naturally within the Southeast Asia regions, 33% of the species grow in Latin America, and the last 7% species grow in the Africa and Oceana regions of the world. NIFANT PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO?

Bamboo is one of the most versatile and sustainable building materials available. It grows remarkably fast. Depending on the species, bamboo can be harvested in one to five years. Hardwoods like oak take at least forty years to mature before they can be harvested. Almost 1 million acres of forests are lost each week worldwide to deforestation. Bamboo's versatility as a substitute for hardwood offers a chance to protect the forests that we are left with [1].

 

Besides being a good source of renewable material, bamboo has been used for centuries because of its strength. It is exceedingly strong for its weight and can be used both structurally and as a finish material. Bamboo is extremely strong due to its’ cellular structure and makeup. The tensile strength of the fibers in bamboo is higher than that of steel [3]. Unlike steel which is considered heavy, bamboo is a very lightweight material which can make ease in the process of transporting and constructing structures using it.

 

Bamboo is also a very good fire resistant material due to its high content of silicate acid [3]. Furthermore, as a material to be used externally, it fulfills those qualities such as weather and water resistance. It is naturally durable and can withstand external natural forces especially earthquakes. The enormous elasticity of bamboo makes it to be a very good building material for earth-quake areas.

 

Bamboo grows in a variety of conditions. Bamboo can grow in arid regions where droughts cause other crops to fail and since the roots are left in place after harvesting, it helps to preserve vital moisture in the soil. In fact it can be grown in areas (such as hillsides) where other crops cannot be grown. From low wetlands to higher elevations in the mountains, bamboo thrive in a wide range of climates.

 

Most bamboo grows well without the use of pesticides or fertilizers and so growing it doesn’t contribute to these chemicals entering groundwater. Bamboo plants can actually stabilize the earth with its roots, preventing erosion.

 

Bamboo will absorb more carbon dioxide and produce oxygen to the surrounding environment which effectively helps clean the air of pollution and toxins. It actually absorbs 35% more carbon dioxide per hectare than equivalent trees. Interestingly, it is also a biodegradable element.

 

The delicate grain of bamboo, whether natural or amber-toned, makes it a distinctive, elegant, and subtle material for fine furniture and flooring. All these contributing properties of bamboo as main material for designs and constructing can be summarized in figure 1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. The Significant Properties of Bamboo

 

Bamboo as a material provides a completely closed loop system. As shown in figure 2, every part of the plant can be used, and is practical to do so. Thus, the beauty of bamboo as a raw material is that there are literally thousands of ways to use it such as furniture, musical instruments, artwork, handicrafts, food product, constructional material, constructional scaffolding, lighting appliances, papers, textiles and clothing applications. You can eat it, you can eat with it, you can eat on it, you can wear it, and you can live under it [1].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Bamboo Components and Its Varied Utilizations

 

The beauty of the material is the fact that it can be processed, reprocessed, added with this, topped with that, with the net result of making something unique and desirable [2]. Bamboo has had a long and rich history. It will be used for years to come in everything from household products to even fabrics. As a raw material, there is not one with a much better future than bamboo.

 

3      What are the traditional and modern bamboo UTILISATIONS?

Bamboo has been utilised by worldwide generations covering almost every aspect of human life such as from basic utilities, medicines, food, weapons, artwork, papers, musical instruments, furniture, landscape and construction. In other words, its application consists of traditional handicraft to contemporary products that are completely industrialised. Therefore, this paper is intended to discuss the different ways bamboo has been used in the past and its changing role today.

 

3.1 Traditional Bamboo Applications

Bamboo is one of the oldest building materials used by mankind. The bamboo culm, or stem, has been made into an extended diversity of products ranging from domestic household products to industrial applications. Traditionally, bamboo has been used as source of food, containers, skewers, chopsticks, handicrafts, furniture, pulp and paper, boats, charcoal, musical instruments and weapons. Figure 3 below shows the different utilizations of bamboo around the world.

• Culinary - The bamboo shoots or new bamboo culms that come out of the ground are edible. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, both fresh and canned version. Besides the shoots, the empty hollow in the stalks of larger bamboo is often used to cook food in many Asian cultures. Soups are boiled and rice is cooked in the hollows of fresh stalks of bamboo directly over a flame. In addition, bamboo is frequently used for cooking utensils within many cultures and used in the manufacture of chopsticks.

• Medicine - Bamboo is used in Chinese medicine for treating infections and healing. It is a low-calorie source of potassium. It is known for its sweet taste and as a good source of nutrients and protein.

• Musical Instruments - Bamboo's natural hollow form makes it an obvious choice for many instruments, particularly wind and percussion. There are numerous types of bamboo flutes made all over the world such as the dizi, xiao, shakuhachi, palendag, jinghu and the angklung.

• Weapons - Bamboo is used in several East Asian and South Asian martial arts. Basically, it is used in making weapons like swords and archeries. Besides that, bamboo was in widespread use in early China as a medium for written documents.

• Basic Utilities and Handicrafts - In Asian countries, bamboo are often used in the handicraft items such as jewelry boxes and baskets. Besides that, it is also often used in hat-making for farmers and fishermen.

• Interior Elements - Bamboo is used for a variety of items in the furniture sector, such as chairs, tables, curtains and mats

• Exterior Elements - In Asia, bamboo is quite common for bridges, scaffolding and housing, but it is usually a temporary exterior structural material. In China, bamboo is used to hold up simple suspension bridges, either by making cables of split bamboo or twisting sufficiently pliable bamboo together. In Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. Traditional Bamboo Applications

 

3.2 Contemporary Bamboo Applications

The contemporary application of bamboo into building elements and products are very much due to the new technology of commercializing the bamboo materials. Besides the bamboo stem, today we have different form of industrialized bamboo such as the bamboo boards, bamboo mat boards, bamboo ply boards, bamboo strip boards, bamboo strip boards, bamboo corrugated mat sheets and bamboo particle boards [2]. Bamboo can be cut and laminated into sheets and planks. This will offer a wider range of choices in utilizing bamboo as main materials for today’s constructions. Significantly, today bamboo can be processed into fabric, grown organically and made into underwear, t-shirts, towels etc. Textiles made of bamboo have natural antibacterial, antifungal and odour resistant properties. It actually has quite a few advantages over cotton.

 

With these new industrialized bamboo materials, a lot of existing products can be designed using bamboo which makes them greener and aesthetically pleasing. Contrary to the conventional design of bamboo products and constructions, today we can find very elegant and sophisticated look of those products as shown in figure 4. This would definitely fulfill today’s demand on environmental friendly designs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4. Bamboo Components and Its Varied Utilisations

 

4      BAMBOO AND IT’S ROLE FOR TODAYS’ DESIGNS

Our world today is faced with very serious environmental issues that need to be addressed in order to save it for our future generations. One of the most practical solutions is the implementation of sustainability towards every aspects of human life. Basically, sustainability is a general reaction to the global environmental crises, the rapid growth of economic activity and human population, depletion of natural resources and damage to ecosystems [6].

 

It is a philosophy that ranges from small objects for everyday usage to as big as our environment. It can be applied in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, urban planning, engineering, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, and fashion design.

 

The concept of sustainability has recently become dominant in the field of designs with the implementation of few common principles such as robust eco design, energy efficiency, designing in relation to the natural environment and with minimum impacts on the surroundings [5]. Besides that, the use of natural and renewable resources is one of the keys to sustainability which has become the current trend in the designs of buildings and products.

Sustainable materials are renewable and plentiful whereby there won’t be any shortage of resources. In fact, most of them can be recycled or reused for continuous performance. Sustainable materials are very beneficial to both human and environment since they reduce severe impacts to the surrounding environments and eventually lead to improved health and productivity of the people.

 

Besides that, sustainable materials consume less energy throughout the whole production and manufacturing process of the material which contributes to energy conservation. Most sustainable resources are durable and high quality which helps to reduce maintenance and replacement costs over the life of the buildings or products. In fact, the careful selection of materials can actually create products comparable in price and better performance compared to non-sustainable products [6].

 

With all the concerns about global warming and the trend towards environmentally friendly designs, the use of green materials such as timber, stones, cork, hemp and other “growing” substances are extensively utilized in buildings and products. Among all these common green materials, bamboo is one of the most intriguing green and renewable material that is becoming popular today[8]. Table 1 below shows the comparisons of common sustainable materials available today. As compare to other sustainable materials, bamboo conforms to the majority of the sustainable qualities making it the most promising sustainable material.

 

Table 1. Materials and Their Sustainable Qualities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5      CONCLUSION

Bamboo is the most beautiful plant growing on the planet. Not only is it ravishing in appearance, but it also serves as a valuable resource to mankind. The benefits it contributes to society are vast; ranging from medicine to weaponry. Its utility and value has been a significant theme in Asian literature for centuries, and this notion is rapidly spreading into the western world. Today, more and more designers are seeing the beauty and intelligence in using bamboo extensively for exterior structural elements as well as the use of it in interior elements and products.

 

Over the past years, the popularity of using bamboo products has significantly increased due the trend of environmental-friendly designs. Bamboo proves to attain most of the sustainable qualities of a material which makes it more and more popular today. Some of the significant features of bamboo are its renewability, ecological protections, strength, durability and versatility. Todays’ manufacturers consider bamboo as a highly sustainable material that has qualities comparable to other commonly used materials. With the advancement of science and technology, new methods are available for the processing of bamboo to make it more durable and aesthetically pleasant than before. Accordingly, the overall objective of this paper is to analyze and determine the potentials of bamboo as the ultimate sustainable materials for today and future designs.

 

References

[1]   Dransfield S. and Widjaja E. A. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 7. Bamboos, 1995, pp.89 (Backhuys Publishers, Leiden)

[2]   Lugt P. V., Vogtländer J. and Brezet H.  Bamboo, a Sustainable Solution for Western Europe Design Cases, LCAs and Land-use, INBAR Technical Report No. 30, 2009,

[3]   Klaus D. Bamboo as a building material, 1992, in: IL31 Bambus, Karl Krämer Verlag Stuttgart

[4]   Farrelly D. The book of bamboo, 1984 (Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, California)

[5]   Fan Shu-Yang, Freedman B. and Cote R. "Principles and practice of ecological design". Environmental Reviews, 2004

[6]   McLennan J. F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, 2004 (Ecotone Publishing, Kansas City, Missouri)