Bamboo can be utilized as a building material for scaffolding, bridges, houses and buildings. Bamboo, like wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures. Bamboo's strength-to-weight ratio is similar to timber, and its strength is generally similar to a strong softwood or hardwood timber.
Bamboos are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow up to 91 cm within a 24-hour period, or nearly 4 cm/h.[1]
Bamboo boards[edit | edit source]
Bamboo drying[edit | edit source]
A very simple method of drying bamboo that is used at New Dawn school in Costa Rica is to cut the bamboo and leave it vertical in the stand from which it was cut. You will want to prop it up on a rock (or some other non-wooden or bamboo substance) so that it will not wick moisture from the ground. The piece of bamboo leans in its home stand for a few months. The bamboo cures and is protected from rotting and pest invasion by the rest of the stand. When ready for use it is a good idea to set the bamboo in the sun for about a week. If there is any issue with pests you can cut a small home in the bamboo and pour about 1 tablespoon of diesel fuel in the hole and plug is back up.
Bamboo "cured" by this method has been used in construction in the area and holds up if it is well protected from the elements.
