Even the scabbards for the weapons were constructed from bamboo. No ifs, ands or buts. Bamboo is renowned for being a highly sustainable material, because it grows very quickly in moderate to poor soil conditions—some varieties can grow up to a foot a day!

Hawaiian bamboo ('ohe) is a kinolau or body form of the Polynesian creator god Kāne. In this species, all plants of the same stock flower at the same time, regardless of differences in geographic locations or climatic conditions, and then the bamboo dies. Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, with reported growth rates up to 910 mm (36 in) in 24 hours. To accomplish this, the fibers are broken down with chemicals and extruded through mechanical spinnerets; the chemicals include lye, carbon disulfide, and strong acids. The boats are small and maneuverable, allowing fishing to take place in narrow areas where commercial vessels typically can’t go. Bamboo is also used to make blades for wind turbines. [16], Natural forms of bamboo treatment such as soaking in water and exposing to smoke may provide some limited protection against beetles, however, there is little evidence to show they are effective against termites and rot, and are therefore not typically used in modern construction.[18]. Bamboo is a brittle material and therefore cannot itself absorb energy in an earthquake, unlike steel. As described above, bamboo also needs to be kept dry in order to protect it from rot, and many existing bamboo structures are showing signs of rot because they did not follow the principles of durability by design.[20]. It could, therefore, take over the population, establishing a flowering interval that is an integer multiple of the previous flowering interval. While it is not advised that you take a newly sharpened knife to a floor constructed of … The story ends with the happy marriage of the farmer and the landlord's daughter after the landlord agreed to the marriage and asked to be separated from the bamboo. Forget Arm & Hammer baking soda!

Most bamboo species are native to warm and moist tropical and to warm temperate climates.

Artwork created with or from bamboo is still very much part of a living tradition and practiced by cultures throughout the world. When finely ground and contained, it naturally kills odors in refrigerators and other small places such as closets or cabinets. is expected to be worth $25 billion by 2012. A simple blanket ladder for your bathroom. The Indian state of Sikkim has promoted bamboo water bottles to keep the state free from plastic bottles [45]. In modern times, some see bamboo tools as an ecofriendly alternative to other manufactured utensils. Bamboo is not only a symbol of a gentleman, but also plays an important role in Buddhism, which was introduced into China in the first century. Clumping bamboo species tend to spread slowly, as the growth pattern of the rhizomes is to simply expand the root mass gradually, similar to ornamental grasses. This beverage is naturally enjoyed in Asia where bamboo is plentiful, but is also found extensively in Africa, though only during rainy seasons. Harvesting of bamboo is typically undertaken according to the following cycles: Bamboo has long been used as an assembly material in Hong Kong because of its versatility, A bamboo and palm thatch house in Ecuador, Chakma woman weaving on balcony of bamboo house, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Media related to Bamboo houses at Wikimedia Commons, Modern use of bamboo round poles for construction, Modern use of laminated bamboo for construction, Common myths and misconceptions in the use of bamboo for construction, Learn how and when to remove this template message, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, "Hong Kong Journal; For Raising Skyscrapers, Bamboo Does Nicely", "Bamboo Architecture and Construction with Oscar Hidalgo", "Quasi-static reversed cyclic testing of multi-culm bamboo members with steel connectors", "Bamboo reinforced concrete: a critical review", Elora Hardy: Magical houses, made of bamboo, Arup: Full-scale shake-table test of earthquake-proof housing for El Salvador, Bambutec Design: Deployable Bamboo Structure Pavilion, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bamboo_construction&oldid=976821366, Articles needing additional references from June 2014, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

In Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality timber.[7]. Durability of bamboo in construction is directly related to how well it is handled from the moment of planting through harvesting, transportation, storage, design, construction, and maintenance.

Singapore: Singapore University Press. They’re found predominantly in Asia and Africa, but are gaining popularity in North America. Bamboo products like this are also known for anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Its leaves are commonly used for thatching. [16][15], In order to protect bamboo from decay, two design principles are required:[16], Both principles must be applied to a design in order to protect bamboo. Some species contain cyanide, and require proper preparation to be consumed. In the South Seas, bamboo blowguns and darts were staples of indigenous hunters and ancient Samurai warriors utilized bamboo to construct the hilts of their katana blades. The sap of young stalks tapped during the rainy season may be fermented to make ulanzi (a sweet wine) or simply made into a soft drink.

The bamboo fire cycle hypothesis is considered by a few scientists to be unreasonable; they argue[23] that fires only result from humans and there is no natural fire in India. Bamboo is an alternative to plastic that is renewable and can be replenished at a fast rate. A few laboratory tests have shown some parts of some species of some culms to have ultimate strengths in tension approaching mild steel (250N/mm.

In reality, bamboo does not function well as a replacement for steel in concrete for the following reasons:[26], Bamboo was used for the structural members of the India pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Many Nepalese restaurants around the world serve this dish as aloo bodi tama. Examples include the xylophone and the angklung—an Indonesian instrument comprised of tuned bamboo tubes on a bamboo frame. [41], Bamboo used for construction purposes must be harvested when the culms reach their greatest strength and when sugar levels in the sap are at their lowest, as high sugar content increases the ease and rate of pest infestation. [58], Bamboo has a long history of use in Asian furniture. There footbridges made with bamboo planks and binding materials span chasms and river systems to enable the travel and commerce of locals living in remote areas. However, references in earlier texts surviving on other media make it clear that some precursor of these Warring States period bamboo slips was in use as early as the late Shang period (from about 1250 BC). [13], A typical bamboo shows a nonlinear stress-strain behaviour。It can restrain strain of up to 0.05 until it breaks at which the stress level can be about 300 MPa.

It is also made into pancakes using rice flour as a binding agent. In addition, they tend to be more hazardous for the treatment workers and the end user, and therefore are less appropriate for developing countries, which is where bamboo is currently mostly used. [8][9], Bamboos have long been considered the most primitive grasses, mostly because of the presence of bracteate, indeterminate inflorescences, "pseudospikelets", and flowers with three lodicules, six stamens, and three stigmata. Bamboo fiber has been used to make paper in China since early times. 31 genera: Acidosasa, Ampelocalamus, Arundinaria, Bashania, Bergbambos, Chimonobambusa, Chimonocalamus, Drepanostachyum, Fargesia, Ferrocalamus, Gaoligongshania, Gelidocalamus, Himalayacalamus, Indocalamus, Indosasa, Kuruna, Oldeania, Oligostachyum, Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus, Pseudosasa, Sarocalamus, Sasa, Sasaella, Sasamorpha, Semiarundinaria, Shibataea, Sinobambusa, Thamnocalamus, Vietnamocalamus, Yushania. The greatest advancements in structural use of bamboo have been in Colombia, where Universities have been conducting significant research into element and joint design and large high profile buildings and bridges have been constructed. Bamboo, like wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures. As compared to forest trees, bamboo species grow fast.

One such bridge in the area of Qian-Xian is referenced in writings dating back to 960 AD and may have stood since as far back as the third century BC, due largely to continuous maintenance.