| Bamboo has been used as material for roofing, | | | | America, but bamboo's greatest potential may lie |
| walls, floors, scaffolding, and supports in the Orient | | | | in its ability to become a timber substitute. With |
| and other places around the world for millennia, | | | | the world's forests depleting, bamboo may soon |
| due mainly to its strength and wide availability. | | | | become the main alternative to expensive timber |
| However, bamboo went through a period of | | | | in the construction trades. Here are a few |
| neglect by modern builders, but with improved | | | | examples: |
| technology, this amazing plant is enjoying a | | | | After bamboo has been split and treated with |
| resurgence in popularity, and new uses seem to | | | | glue, the resulting bamboo boards could be used |
| be coming along every day. | | | | for nearly any purpose where lumber is currently |
| One of bamboo's strongest points is that it's | | | | used. Bamboo that has been sliced into slivers, |
| inexpensive, even though it's superior in strength | | | | woven, and hot-pressed can be formed into a |
| to many other traditional Western building | | | | mat board that's superior to plywood in both |
| materials. For example, bamboo buildings in Costa | | | | strength and durability. The same general |
| Rica withstood a serious earthquake that | | | | technique can be employed to flatten round types |
| demolished other buildings several years ago. | | | | of bamboo, which can then be hot-pressed and |
| India seems to be leading the way in much of the | | | | glued into strip boards and used as flooring for |
| research being done into creating bamboo | | | | truck bodies, railway carriages, and containers of |
| construction products. For instance, in 2001, the | | | | various sorts. The advantage to using bamboo is |
| Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training | | | | that the strip boards allows a larger unbroken |
| Institute began developing bamboo mat roofing | | | | breadth larger than could be achieved with most |
| materials that have allowed roofers to put on a | | | | timber products that are available today. Those |
| strong, durable covering at a much lower cost | | | | boards are also stronger. |
| than other roofing materials. India's Bamboo | | | | The uses of bamboo seem to be growing |
| Development Agency is also working on the | | | | exponentially, and will only continue to increase as |
| development of bamboo concrete technology | | | | modern technology makes more options possible |
| that shows promise, as well. | | | | for the age-old, yet futuristic building material. |
| In India, bamboo has been used to reinforce | | | | We've only scratched the surface of what this |
| roads, and bamboo has also been employed to | | | | amazing plant can do. |
| create check dams and retaining walls in South | | | | |