Summary Reader Response (Draft 1)

  In the article, “An Architect’s Guide to Building with Bamboo'', Vadot(n.d.), elaborates on how bamboo is an alternative material in the construction industry. He mentions that bamboo is a dependable, long-lasting, lightweight, and affordable material, which has the capability to grow quickly with minimal preservation. He states that the bottom part of the bamboo is suitable for scaffolding and civil works construction whereas the top part is suitable for accessorial parts such as ceilings. He notes that the variety in growth environments leads to the agriculture of different strands of bamboo, which resulted in not being listed in the civil building code, unlike wood. Bamboo is a brittle material which requires treatment and protection from natural conditions. It is prone to rotting as the nutrients in it consists of sugar, hence attracting micro-organisms. He shows an example on how bamboo is adopted in Columbia for the usage in construction.

  Although this article explains its advantages and disadvantages of using bamboo as a construction material, it does not give an in-depth elaboration on its other properties in different aspects.

  Firstly, bamboo is an eco-environmental material. According to a journal article by  Taylor and Francis (n.d), states that bamboo can be harvested every 3 to 4 years and this will keep the bamboo forest in good condition. Bamboo can also reduce environmental pollution, as it consumes carbon dioxide as it grows. When bamboo is used for building construction, carbon dioxide is stored and not discharged into the atmosphere until its end of life. Bamboo can be used as a solid wood alternative material in manufacturing and design usage, reducing the usage of pressure on forest resources. This will affect the production of bamboo as it uses low energy, hence decreases the greenhouse effects. In my opinion, bamboo can reduce carbon footprint in the construction industry if it is used in the industry. Therefore, bamboo is an appropriate material in the construction industry.

  Secondly, bamboo is a suitable construction material in terms of architecture aspects. According to Thi Bich Van (2018), bamboo flooring is suitable for any interior design, as it is easy to coordinate well with different types of designs and installation. This will make building becomes more aesthetic. Bamboo floor is good for health, as it does not produce or absorbs heat. This means it will be warmer in winter and cooler in summer. For people living with bamboo for ages will reduce the risk of diseases such as arthritis and cardiovascular. For people who have poor vision, living with bamboo can minimize myopia. By using bamboo flooring, it will create living space close to nature, help to feel relax, dispel all fatigue and tensions. In my opinion, bamboo is an appropriate material for use of construction industry due to its health benefits.

  Finally, bamboo has mechanical properties, which is beneficial to the construction industry. Janssen (2000) states that the mass of the material per density, is the most important mechanical property as the greater the mass volume, means the bamboo will be heavier. To add on, creep does not occur in bamboo, which means it does not increase deformation on the long term, unlike most timbers. He states that bamboo returns to its original form when a load place on it is removed. This would mean that a building made of bamboo will be able retain its shape when an earthquake occurs, despite the damaged of some bamboo elements. In my opinion, bamboo is an appropriate material for construction industry because of its remarkable mechanical properties.

  In conclusion, bamboo has variety of properties as mentioned previously. Hence, it is recommended for countries to consider using bamboo as a construction material.

 

References:

1.     Vadot, C. (n.d). An Architect’s Guide to Building with Bamboo. Journal. https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/how-to-bamboo/

2.     Taylor & Francis (n.d). Environmental, social, and economic sustainability of bamboo and bamboo-based construction materials in buildings. Journal https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13467581.2019.1595629

3.   Thi Bich Vân, N. (2018). Bamboo - the eco-friendly material – one of the material solutions of the sustainable interior design in Viet Nam. MATEC Web of Conferences, 193, 04014. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201819304014

4.   Janssen, J. J. (2000). Designing and building with bamboo (pp. 130-133). Netherlands: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan. http://cocolandia.org/resources/Building_with_Bamboo.pdf