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Structural Use of

Bamboo Buro Happold

The Colombian
experience

David Trujillo
MSc DIC civil engineer
What is bamboo?
’ It is a giant grass – part of
the Gramineae family .
’ It is not a tree!
Anatomy of Bamboo
’ Nodes and
internodes
’ No cambium
’ No bark
’ Hard skin
’ No radial fibres at
internodes
’ It is hollow
Life cycle of bamboo
’ 20 – 25m in 6 months
’ 3-5 years to mature

’ Roots “branch-off” to produce a


network of stems or culms and roots.
’ When a stem or culm is felled, the
clump still survives and will produce
more stems.
Why use bamboo?

Sustainable Strong

Cheap Beautiful
Why use bamboo?

Sustainable Strong

Cheap Beautiful
Sustainability
’ Rapidly renewable natural
resource
’ CO2 sequestration

’ Erosion control

’ Water cycle regulation

’ Preservation of local flora and


fauna
’ Livelihood to rural communities
The “Bambusa” housing
project
’ 80 houses
’ Donated by US-AID
for tenants that lost
their homes in the
Coffee-growing
region earthquake
of 1999 (Colombia)
’ Houses cost
US$2200
’ Area35m2
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a Guadua
House. Murphy et al (2004)

’ Masonry v bamboo
’ 2 storey houses

’ Bamboo house had 60%

’ They have similar roof and


foundations
’ …but walls, stairs and deck only
40%, mostly from cement mortar
render
’ If carbon can be fixed, bamboo’s
performance improves
Why use bamboo?

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Cheap Beautiful
Cost
’ At US$2200 approx
each (of 2001)
’ US$63/m2
’ 40% larger than
traditional build for
same money
’ US$95/m2
’ Note: the masonry
houses are
unrendered and
unplastered.
Why use bamboo?

Sustainable Strong

Cheap Beautiful
Strength
’ Some call it “the
vegetable steel”
’ Others call it
“seismically
indifferent”
’ But is this true?
Mechanical
properties
(for Guadua angustifolia Kunth)
’ Compression Parallel
to grain
’ fc.0,k = 28N/mm2
’ About the same as
C30 Concrete
’ …but concrete is 4 x
heavier!
’ Hollow cylinder is 10x
stronger in
compression than a
solid rod
Mechanical
properties
(for Guadua angustifolia Kunth)

’ Tension Parallel to grain


’ ft,0,k = 90N/mm2
’ 9x stronger than C16
softwood
’ Grade 43 steel is 3x
stronger but 12 x heavier!
Mechanical properties
(for Guadua angustifolia Kunth)
’ Bending
’ fm,k = 46N/mm2

’ 2x stronger than
C24 softwood
’ Similar to Oak
Mechanical properties
(for Guadua angustifolia Kunth)

’ Shear
’ fv,k = 4-5N/mm2
’ 2.5x stronger than
C16 softwood
’ 5x stronger than
concrete
’ Steel is 33 x
stronger
Mechanical properties
(for Guadua angustifolia Kunth)

’ Compression
perpendicular to
grain
’ fc,90,k = ?
Mechanical properties
(for Guadua angustifolia Kunth)

’ Tension Perpendicular
to grain
’ ft,90,k = 0.1N/mm2
’ 3x weaker than C16
softwood
’ Steel is 2750 x
stronger!!!!
Modulus of elasticity
’ Modulus of elasticity in
compression
’ Ec,0,mean = 15000 N/mm2
’ Modulus of elasticity in bending
’ Em,mean = 11800 N/mm2
’ As stiff as timber
’ RC is approx 4x stiffer
’ Steel is approx 13x stiffer
Summary
’ Good strength in bending, tension and
compression (parallel to grain)
’ Quite flexible which is good and bad
’ It is light, i.e. high strength to weight ratio
’ OK in shear, but splits a lot
’ Easily crushed perpendicular to its axis
’ Very weak in tension perpendicular to axis
’ Keep loads axial!
’ Connection design is tricky
General guidelines
’ Walls: as a concealed stud
’ Space frames: good in compression and
tension
’ Columns: works well but indoors. Fire?
’ Trussed rafters: look out for connections
’ Rafter: works well in modern roofs
’ Floor joists: vibrations and support crushing
’ Beams: deflections and support crushing
’ Seismic design: …
Seismic design
’ High strength to weight
ratio √
’ Flexible: flexibility is a
mixed blessing ≈
’ Not ductile X
’ …but ductile
connections can be
introduced √
’ Traditional techniques
have shown good Figure 2. A house at the “Experimental Centre for Bamboo Construction”.
results √ Other new bamboo structures also performed well during this earthquake

’ NB: Flexibility ≠ ductility


Why use bamboo?

Sustainable Strong

Cheap Beautiful
Bamboo structures can
be… …very large
’ The Peñalisa Golf Club by Simón Vélez
The Peñalisa
Golf Club

’ This is possibly the


world’s largest
bamboo structure.
…inspiring

’ The temporary cathedral of Pereira by Simón Vélez


…graceful
…impressive
’ Jenny Garzón Bridge by Simón Vélez
’ 45.6m span footbridge over one of Bogotá’s most important avenues.
Why not to use bamboo
1. It has poor natural durability
2. It burns
3. It crushes
4. It splits
5. It deflects
6. It can’t be readily pre-fabricated
7. There are no codes of practice or
standards
8. It grows in the tropics!
9. Procurement can be difficult
But these can be
designed out
1. Durability by design and preservation
2. Protect against fire
3. Adequate connection design
4. Use laminates
5. Support the code development
process
6. Help promote its use in the
developing world
Does it really have a
future?
’ Space frames
’ Laminates
’ It can replace
hardwood
’ Relief and
development
programmes
Many thanks
Any questions?

Buro Happold

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