Comments on: OSU research may boost bamboo business

By: John O

John O — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 06:14:13 +0000

Bamboo can help save the planet in another way: as reinforcement for concrete, replacing expensive, filthy to make, high-carbon-footprint steel rebar. It may not do for bridges, but for one- or two-storey residential structures it is plenty strong, and can be made to last far longer than any wood-frame house. It is best to use solid pieces for this–splints, not whole, hollow culms. I wonder if the branches of Moso–or any other bamboo–are solid, not hollow, and if so might replace small rebar/reinforcing wire with less processing?

Also, building green means avoiding Portland cement like the poison that it is. I believe magnesium oxide cements are especially compatible with vegetable reinforcement? I wonder if any other “geopolymer” cements, some of which can replace Portland cement in any application, are stronger, less expensive to make, last far longer, and put maybe 1/10 the CO2 into the atmosphere (Geo Blue II; lime and “pozolans,” like pumice; others), are also especially compatible with bamboo reinforcement?

Hemp hurds–the short-fiber core of the hemp plant after the long “bast” fibers in the bark have been harvested–can be made into newsprint–or mixed with lime, whereupon the silica-rich plant matter apparently basically turns into a lightwieght, strong stone with some insulation value, so that a wall of the stuff a foot or 16″ thick makes for a well insulated home with the durability of stone construction. Combiine that with a sort of bamboo timber frame, and bamboo splints or branches as reinforcement in the hempcrete, and you might end up with a fairly economical, very “deep” green home.

And if Oregon farmers don’t bring hemp on line fast enough–and they seem to be dragging their feet and I’m not sure why– about Fall harvest time 2016, Oregon is going to be awash in now-legal marijuana sterms and branches that right now have no more value than they have THC, but which may have bast and/or hurd fibers just as useful as industrial hemp. I’d like to find out, and it would tickle me to design homes made of ‘boo and “boo.”

By: Luke D Schuette

Luke D Schuette — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:02:16 +0000

If you want to see what bamboo can be used for visit we are leading the world in testing and have already determined that it is an excellent replacement for wood in a higher performance applications like curtain walls, windows, doors and most definitely beams. We are leading the world in testing and are already partnered with the top fabricators in Oregon including Western Structures which leads the US in high quality domestic and export of engineered Glu Lam beams as well as other fabricators around the world. Lamboo is leading all of the testing for ASTM under the D07.02.03 for ASTM 5456 testing methods as well as international standards like ICC-ES, CE, TUV, and BBA.

I thought the West Coast got the news first!! Climb out of your wood log and see what is going on.

Regards.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:12:43 +0000

By: Latest Remodel Portland News :: Remodeling Portland

Latest Remodel Portland News :: Remodeling Portland — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:37:11 +0000

[…] OSU research may boost bamboo business Mike Pullen, owner of Portland-based Bamboo Revolution, is donating materials for Oregon State University research concerning the use of bamboo in structural applications. (Photo by Sam Tenney/91��Ƶ) As architects and builders search for innovative … Read more on Daily Journal of Commerce […]

By: Claudia Ingham

Claudia Ingham — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:32:09 +0000

Bamboo is a fantastic grass and provides us many great aesthetic and structural products like landscape plants, furniture and flooring.
Please manage your bamboo carefully within the bounds of your own farm acreage. Many species of this grass are invasive outside their native ranges & spread both broadly and rapidly into adjacent sites.

Best wishes in your venture!
Claudia Ingham, PhD