Steel...Concrete...Bamboo? Sustainable Construction With Tropical Style, For Any Climate
By Sam Small, Vice President – Developing Markets, Bamboo Technologies
Mr. Sam Small Researching
what's up and coming in sustainability in resort construction, I ran a
few specific Google searches; "Sustainable Steel" got two million
on-line mentions, "Sustainable Concrete" also got two million hits,
"Sustainable Hardwood" got one million hits but I knew I was in the
right niche in today's construction industry when "Sustainable Bamboo"
got 1.7 million on-line mentions. Steel, Concrete, Bamboo! When did
that happen???
Well,
specifically it happened in November 2004 when the International Code
Council certified that Structural Bamboo Poles produced by Hawaii-based
Bamboo Technologies comply with International Building Code (IBC),
International Residential Code (IRC) and Uniform Building Code (UBC)
standards.
Since then,
the Bamboo Technologies factory in Vietnam has constructed and shipped
over 100 building-code compliant bamboo structures used as homes and
vacation resorts around the world, including Belize Island Resorts,
Belize, Central America, Kalani Oceanside Retreat, Big Island, Hawaii,
Bamboo Village Beach Resort, Phan Thiet, Vietnam and The Magic Waters
Resort, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (where the bamboo structures have
successfully stood up to three hurricanes).
This
was the first time a species of bamboo was approved as structural
building material for permitted residential and commercial buildings
and it paved the way for the legitimate use of structural bamboo by
architects, designers and builders worldwide.
The
international certification was the result of decades of research and
testing in conjunction with the International Bamboo Foundation, the
Environmental Bamboo Foundation, The University of Hawaii and
Washington State University, to name just a few.
So
far, only two types of thick-walled bamboo are suitable for
construction and they need to be vacuum pressure treated in an
earth-friendly Borate (salt) solution, altering the sugars and starch,
which both hardens the bamboo and protects it from insects. Additional
treatments with non-toxic, earth friendly, fungicides protect the
bamboo from molding and finish coats are made using water based acrylic
with no VOC's.
Untreated
bamboo is extremely susceptible to powder post beetles and often lasts
as few as two years. Treated bamboo however has a life expectancy as
long as any protected hardwood. Independent laboratory strength tests
show that structural bamboo is 50 times stronger than oak and in fire
tests it performed significantly better than wood both in terms of
flame spread, fuel contribution and structural performance.
Basically,
any four-by-four post can be replaced with a three-inch round bamboo
pole. Bamboo poles have an efficient strength to weight ratio, and when
joined properly, can create a structural horizontal beam or vertical
column over 165 ft long that's just as strong as steel and
significantly lighter in weight. Treated Bamboo poles are currently
being used as trusses, beams, columns, posts, joists and rafters. The
high fiber strength of bamboo makes it a particularly appealing
material for use in composites as well.
The
joining of the bamboo poles is key to structural designs that are
basically endless. Methods of steel tabbing the ends of bamboo poles
allow them to be bolted together like tinker toys. This structural
frame is then surfaced with bamboo plywood and filled with insulation
(which can also be made from bamboo) and viola, you get a
pre-fabricated wall panel that allows for all sorts of affordable, yet
structurally sound buildings for any climate!
Computer-aided
modular design has allowed for economical factory assembly of
pre-engineered and pre-fabricated bamboo home and commercial structure
"kits" that are supremely affordable (around $170 per square foot),
exceed all local building code requirements for earthquake and
hurricane zones, are fully insurable and mortgage-able, and are really
cool to look at and live in.
And
because they are hand built and fully assembled in the factory before
they are broken apart into panels, elaborately documented (insert tab
"A" into Slot "B"), and then packed into standard shipping containers,
when they do get to the construction site, wherever in the world that
may be, local crews can usually accomplish the kit's basic assembly in
just three days.
The Grass IS Greener!
Did
I mention that bamboo structures are extremely "Green"? Bamboo is the
fastest growing plant, technically it's a "grass". Compared to a
hardwood forest the same size, bamboo produces 30% more oxygen and 20
times the biomass yield. Bamboo can be harvested annually after the
first 5 to 7 years without replanting, compared to 25 to 50 years for
trees, which then need to be replanted in bare soil. To put it in
perspective, it takes 25 years and an acre of land to generate enough
2x4’s to build a typical American house, in just seven years that same
acre can generate enough bamboo to build 20 bamboo houses, in 25 years
that’s 80 bamboo structures!
LAND:
Because of its wide spread root system and large canopy, bamboo retains
twice as much water in the ground, which prevents soil erosion.
WATER:
Due to its high nitrogen consumption, Bamboo is an excellent solution
for excess nutrients in waste-water from manufacturing, livestock
farming and sewage treatment.
AIR: Bamboo can sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare, which makes it an efficient way to replenish fresh air.
An
environmental, financial and practical assessment of Bamboo as building
material for bearing structures was presented at the 7th World Bamboo
Congress in 2004. It compared the overall "environmental cost" of
structural building elements made from Steel, Concrete, two types of
sustainable hardwoods, and Bamboo. The most extreme contrast showed a
steel column having an "environmental cost" over 300 times that of
Bamboo! The sustainable hardwoods fared slightly better but the report
notes that "timber from regular, non-sustainable woods will have a
considerably greater environmental impact."
Panelization
is also a significant factor in the environmental and cost benefits of
any prefabricated structure. A study sponsored by the National
Association of Home Builders, found that construction of a 2,600 sq.
ft. home with trusses and panels used 26% less lumber, generated 76%
less waste, and was constructed in just 37% of the man hours of a
similar, stick-built home.
Time
With
the site suitably prepared, the panelized structure can take as few as
three days to assemble and get closed in, dramatically reducing the
noise, dust and disruption to the location. Factory construction of a
kit commonly takes from 6 to 8 weeks and since the kits are built from
scratch inside an airplane hanger, exposure to potentially expensive
weather delays is virtually nonexistent.
Transit
The
pre-constructed panels themselves reduce the amount of divergent
materials that must flow to the job site. In addition, Bamboo
Technologies has designed all our building panels to fit into a
standardized shipping container, this further facilitates the delivery
of materials. Everything needed for the assembly arrives at once, no
delays because of material shortages.
Heat and AC Savings
Bamboo
is not "just tropical": Panelized designs afford the opportunity for
several different types of insulation to be built right into our
structures. R values can vary accordingly to meet local requirements,
and several different treatments and materials, including bamboo, are
available so that your bamboo structure can function well in any
climate.
Personnel
Local
crew size is greatly reduced, lowering vehicular emissions from travel
to construction sites. One recent study attributed to Kieran Timberlake
Associates LLP found that factory workers commute significantly shorter
distances than construction workers, who drive their pick-ups up to 100
miles daily to job sites. In comparison, most of Bamboo Technologies’
150 skilled Vietnamese workers live within walking distance to our
factory.
The National
Green Pages™, from Coop America is a directory that lists nearly 3,000
businesses, like Bamboo Technologies, that have made firm commitments
to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of
sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free
products. Not only do our workers get to walk to work, they are all
Local Union Members, receive above average pay, healthcare, insurance,
and even a daily lunch allowance.
Nothing says Eco Friendly like Bamboo! Air, Land, Water, People, Time, Fuel
Eco-Bug-proofing,
so many factors come together to make Bamboo "Green" And it’s that
extra effort to bring it all together at your resort that the growing
segment of green tourists will appreciate. So, it's not really
surprising that "Sustainable Bamboo" would rank in a Google search
right up there with Steel and Concrete. It may not be long before it
outgrows them too. Good for us all.
Sam
Small is Vice President of Developing Markets with Bamboo Technologies,
based in Maui, Hawaii. After a successful career in mass media,
culminating with 8 yrs service in the unique position of V.P. of
Broadcast Production at Prudential Financial where he directed and
edited over 200 national TV spots promoting the firm through one of the
largest public offerings in the history of Wall Street, Sam Small has
turned his sights towards promoting Bamboo as a sustainable and
globally appropriate construction material. Originally a customer of
Bamboo Technologies, Sam was so impressed with the product and the
company that he became directly involved. He has so far supervised the
assembly and finishing of three bamboo structures, and currently lives
in a bamboo house on Maui. Mr Small can be contacted at 808-572-1007 or
samsmall@bambootechnologies.com Visit http://www.bambooliving.com
