Bamboo
Description
Bamboo is native to Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. Although the bamboo most commonly used for architecture is only native to Asia. While bamboo is not technically a wood but rather a grass, it has many similarities to wood and is commonly referred to as a wood alternative. Bamboo is a great building material as it matures in around 5 years growing 3 times faster than most plants. It has high compressive strength with little weight. Bamboo is technically stronger than steel. Bamboo is a prevalent building material especially where it grows naturally. A great downside to bamboo is that if it gets wet the bamboo will decay very quickly. Bamboo has many uses other than building such as food, clothing, paper, and fuel. Bamboo is harder than many kinds of wood such as oak and maple. Extracting the cellulose from the bamboo can be spun into thread making a very breathable lightweight fabric.
Environmental Impact
Bamboo is a great alternative to wood from an environmental standpoint. Due to the speed at which bamboo grows, it protects forests from deforestation. Bamboo also has a quick turnaround from harvest as it will sprout from the roots of the previous plant retaining the nutrients and keeping the surrounding area intact. Over 75 years a typical wood farm would only have 3 harvests while a similarly sized bamboo farm could have up to 25 harvests. Bamboo has a very large growing region making it very adaptable for farmers. Bamboo also grows without assistance. A downside to bamboo is that almost all of the production is in Asia requiring shipping across the world. Bamboo requires little upkeep after it's used in construction. When designing decomposable products bamboo is a great material as it decomposes very quickly.
Interior Uses
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Staircase - This staircase is a great example demonstrating how strong bamboo as a material can be. This shows that bamboo is an adequate material to use for structural elements.
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Wall Covering - Weaving bamboo is a common way to use the material. There are many different patterns that can be made by weaving bamboo. Weaving bamboo is a great way to add texture to a design.
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Chair - This line of bamboo chairs recreates popular designs in an eco-friendly manner. These chairs use bamboo's ability to decompose quickly to make it an eco-friendly product.
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Flooring - Bamboo flooring is considered a hardwood, that is very durable lasting for over 50 years with proper care. This flooring utilizes bamboo's unique linear grain pattern and its very light color.
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Curtains - Bamboo can be made into fabrics and thread. These curtains use bamboo fabric as an eco-friendly alternative to polyester.
Bamboo Countertop
Bamboo can be used in many different interior applications, bamboo is very commonly used as an eco-friendly alternative to various wood products. Bamboo like many other woods is used to bring warmth and nature to a space. Bamboo can also add a tropical or outdoor feel depending on how the material is used. Bamboo countertops are a common alternative to other materials because of their durability and antibacterial properties.
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ASTM, D5456-21e1, D3039