Comments on: Bamboo Reinforced Concrete http://apptechdesign.org The Appropriate Technology Collaborative Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:18:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Charlie Rendall http://apptechdesign.org/technologies/bamboo-reinforced-concrete/comment-page-1/#comment-7174 Charlie Rendall Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:18:44 +0000 http://apptechdesign.org/?page_id=183#comment-7174 They've tried spraying the bamboo with bitumen/tar/asphalt and then sand, which increases both the longevity of the bamboo and the adhesion between the bamboo and the concrete. Unfortunately it costs about the same to do this as to buy steel, so it wasn't ever very popular, even though bamboo's renewable and steel is not. Don't forget that steel eventually rusts in cement too, especially in rural areas where sand often isn't quality controlled for its silt and clay content. Rot can also be prevented to some extent using borax and boric acid then penta (a cheap wood preservative that's banned in the US because it was overused for many years and so contaminated the groundwater, however I can't see that happening inside reinforced concrete...). Burnt motor oil is a good cheap recyclable alternative we treat bamboo with here, although that leaves the adhesion problem... Part of the problem is also that the bamboo swells when the cement is poured and then contracts when it dries, so the bond isn't so great without the bitumen. Hope this helps. See the book Bamboo: The Gift of the Gods for more info on these techniques, They’ve tried spraying the bamboo with bitumen/tar/asphalt and then sand, which increases both the longevity of the bamboo and the adhesion between the bamboo and the concrete.

Unfortunately it costs about the same to do this as to buy steel, so it wasn’t ever very popular, even though bamboo’s renewable and steel is not.

Don’t forget that steel eventually rusts in cement too, especially in rural areas where sand often isn’t quality controlled for its silt and clay content.

Rot can also be prevented to some extent using borax and boric acid then penta (a cheap wood preservative that’s banned in the US because it was overused for many years and so contaminated the groundwater, however I can’t see that happening inside reinforced concrete…). Burnt motor oil is a good cheap recyclable alternative we treat bamboo with here, although that leaves the adhesion problem…

Part of the problem is also that the bamboo swells when the cement is poured and then contracts when it dries, so the bond isn’t so great without the bitumen.

Hope this helps. See the book Bamboo: The Gift of the Gods for more info on these techniques,

]]> By: Richard Crow http://apptechdesign.org/technologies/bamboo-reinforced-concrete/comment-page-1/#comment-5155 Richard Crow Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:10:17 +0000 http://apptechdesign.org/?page_id=183#comment-5155 I am very interested in your research and use of bamboo to reinforce structural concrete. I do a lot of work in South Asian countries and this would be very helpful both cost wise and availability wise. Can you please send me the specifications and any information that I can use to implement this on my projects. I am very interested in your research and use of bamboo to reinforce structural concrete. I do a lot of work in South Asian countries and this would be very helpful both cost wise and availability wise. Can you please send me the specifications and any information that I can use to implement this on my projects.

]]> By: Martin http://apptechdesign.org/technologies/bamboo-reinforced-concrete/comment-page-1/#comment-4900 Martin Sun, 05 Jun 2011 17:55:33 +0000 http://apptechdesign.org/?page_id=183#comment-4900 Sorry, I can not access to the paper on Bamboo Reinforced Concrete. I don't know whether ther is anything wrong about the link. However, I am from the southern part of China. Some of recidents there use your method when they can not afford that much steels. And those kinds of structures are not durable in such humid climate there, becuase water will permeate through the concrete and finally rot the bamboo inside. How can you prevent this situation? Sorry, I can not access to the paper on Bamboo Reinforced Concrete. I don’t know whether ther is anything wrong about the link. However, I am from the southern part of China. Some of recidents there use your method when they can not afford that much steels. And those kinds of structures are not durable in such humid climate there, becuase water will permeate through the concrete and finally rot the bamboo inside. How can you prevent this situation?

]]> By: Laura Y http://apptechdesign.org/technologies/bamboo-reinforced-concrete/comment-page-1/#comment-1782 Laura Y Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:53:37 +0000 http://apptechdesign.org/?page_id=183#comment-1782 This is awesome and quite applicable to many parts of the world. This is awesome and quite applicable to many parts of the world.

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