IS BAMBOO BETTER THAN STEEL?

Before the metal age, bamboo was used as a core construction material. But with time, steel has replaced bamboo in almost everywhere. Now you can also find steel scaffolds instead of the age-old bamboo ones.

But are we doing the right thing by replacing bamboo? Is steel more efficient than bamboo? Or is it just in our minds, that we don’t consider bamboo modern enough to match our high standards?

                        

HOW BAMBOO SURPASSES STEEL?

Yes, you read it right. Bamboo is actually stronger than steel in terms of tensile strength. The tensile strength of steel is 420MPa whereas for bamboo, it is 930MPa. Tensile strength is basically the resistance offered by materials to break under tension. And yes, bamboo is stronger than steel in this case due to the tightly-packed molecular structure.

OTHER PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO

·       One of the greatest things about bamboo is, we can use all the parts of the plant for different purposes.

·       Certain bamboo species are the fastest growing plant.

·       Bamboo can be used for building construction, furniture, frames, scaffolds, etc.

·       When weaved with epoxy, the composite is stronger than any carbon fibre.

·       Bamboo is earthquake resistant due to its elastic properties.

       

Today, at many places bamboo is being used as a construction material. There are many countries like Columbia, China, Vietnam, Mexico, etc. which are using bamboo successfully in constructing amazing structures.

The production of steel includes a process which causes atmospheric pollution and environmental degradation, and also is costly. Bamboo, on the other hand, can be produced at lower costs and has many environmental benefits. Despite all this, we cannot completely replace steel by bamboo, as the tensile strength is not enough. The plant is prone to insect attacks and can degrade in long term contact with water.

                                

There are many types of research being carried out in different countries to resolve these shortcomings. Bamboo composites (BambooTECH) by the Swiss Federal Institute is being developed, which can replace steel with its strength, durability and versatility. Not only this the scientists and architects of MIT are researching the properties of bamboo to develop it into a better construction material.

With the current scenario of environment, it is time to promote construction with bamboo due to its excellent properties and oxygen emission capacity. The high tensile strength, compressive strength and bending properties make it an ideal material. All these factors give us hope that one day, bamboo can be successfully used as an alternative to steel.

 

To learn more facts about bamboo construction, check out my previous post.

 https://ishitecture.blogspot.com/2020/06/bamboo-building-construction-material.html