Bamboo As Reinforcing Wire?

[Issangeorge]

Yesterday I watched my next door neighbour’s son poring a concrete ramp up to his driveway. In place of using a wire mesh for reinforcement he used a bamboo lattice type mesh. Would this work, would it help to hold the concrete together and reinforce it? How long would it last before it rotted, or being completely encased with concrete would it rot? With the high cost of steel nowadays if this works, it should would be a lot cheaper. Issangeorge.

[Rinrada]

Very common method of substitute re inforcement in concrete slabs in LOS ..in fact our wee house in the Boonies in CM is built on a bamboo lattice encased in concrete and is still standing....8 x 16 mtrs.

Great,tough material and lots of different types and uses...I have thousands of them on our land ...almost 100 ft tall and looking into "ideas"....wots the word ..ECO..friendly....

[sezzo]

We also used bamboo latice for the reinforcing of our floors and carports when we built our house. That was 3 years ago and all seems fine. The guys building the house decided to do it this way as a means of saving a bit of money. They said as it is not carrying a heavy load it would be fine.

[Diablo Bob]

As far as I know, the first known fibrous concrete was the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, 1920 +/-. Frank Lloyd Wright used bamboo slivers in the concrete as fibrous reinforcement, a radical concept for the day.

Then again, Frank Lloyd Wright was never known to be a conformist.

[Issangeorge]

Thanks for the responses, after I posted I did a Google search and found this site http://www.romanconcrete.com/docs/bamboo19...reteFeb1966.htm it is way to technical for me, but it seems that bamboo can be used. I have been thinking a lot about using bamboo for construction and would have liked to have built my house from bamboo, but I don't think the wife would have gone for that. Issangeorge.

[Rinrada]

Doing a bit of surfing on Bam-Boo...and ......T shirts -Knickers...etc....... bit of info/facts.....cant knock the stuff...

Bamboo is Better for you

* Fabric made from bamboo is incredibly soft

* Bamboo fabric is smooth and luxuriously comfortable

* ‘Bamboo Dry’ – absorbs and evaporates sweat in a split second. It doesn’t stick to the skin. It’s extraordinary natural breathability keeps you comfortable and dry for longer.

* ‘Bamboo Thermo-control’ – bamboo fabric is highly breathable in hot weather and also keeps you significantly warmer in the cold. Keeping you more comfortable in all temperatures - ‘Air conditioned clothing’

* ‘Bamboo Fresh’ – bamboo is antibacterial, forever. By killing almost all bacteria, bamboo stays fresher and odour free for longer, is more hygienic and healthier.

* Bamboo clothing is also anti static, so it sits very well next to your skin, not clinging to it. It's also UV protective (it cuts out 98% of harmful UV rays) and anti fungal, so it's just better, whether it's on you in the Alps or stuffed at the bottom of your bag for days on end.

Bamboo is incredibly soft..

That's just the way it is, naturally. Wearing a bamboo T-shirt for example, is like wearing cashmere, but for next to the skin.

Bamboo is smooth and luxuriously comfortable

At a microscopic level, bamboo fibre has a round surface.

Because of this, it’s very smooth and sits perfectly next to the skin.

Petrol based synthetic fibres can sometimes irritate the skin and they also start to smell really quickly!

‘Bamboo Dry’

Wicks away moisture keeping you comfortable and dry.

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, mainly because it has extraordinary water absorbency which helps it to grow fast. In fabric form it retains this unique, remarkable property.

It’s 3-4 times more absorbent than cotton. It 'wicks' away moisture from the body which then evaporates, keeping you - naturally - drier and more comfortable.

When combined with 'Bamboo Thermo-control' qualities, you have an incredibly flexible addition to your wardrobe..

‘Thermo-control’

Bamboo is remarkably breathable. In the heat, bamboo is naturally cool to the touch and this property is maintained in it's fabric form. The cross-section of the bamboo fiber is filled with various micro-gaps and micro-holes. It has much better moisture absorption and ventilation.

It's also very warm in cold weather, because of the same micro structure; as a base layer, warm air gets trapped next to the skin.

‘Bamboo Fresh’ – Antibacterial function

Bamboo is antibacterial, antifungal and anti-static. In the wild, bamboo thrives naturally without using any pesticides or fertilisers. It is seldom eaten by pests or infected by pathogens. Why? Scientists found that bamboo owns a unique anti-bacteria and bacteriostasis bio-agent named "bamboo kun".

This substance bonds tightly with bamboo cellulose molecules during the normal process of bamboo fibre growth. This natural feature is retained in fabric form.

Organically grown clothing made from bamboo has particular natural anti-bacterial functions, bacteriostasis and deodorization value. Its test results shows over 70% death rate after bacteria was incubated on bamboo fibre fabric. In addition, tests by the Japanese Textile Inspection Association found that, even after fifty times of washing, bamboo fabric still possessed these functions.

Therefore all our products are guaranteed to be odour resistant, staying fresher for longer, because the fabric – naturally - stops bacteria from spreading. As a result, they’re also healthier and more hygienic.

Bamboo clothing’s natural anti-bacteria function differs greatly from that of man-made chemical antimicrobial fabrics, which often tend to cause skin problems.

Bamboo clothing is strong and durable.

Repeated tests show this, and also that bamboo fibre has a high abrasion-proof capacity and also tenacity. The same bamboo used for scaffolding to build skyscrapers in Hong Kong was always going to be strong!

For sensitive or allergy prone skin, bamboo is perfect

-Lack of harsh chemical treatments which can irritate skin

-Fibre is smooth and round, so is a non-irritant

-Naturally occurring, antibacterial ‘bamboo kun’ resists the spread of bacteria on the skin without any adverse affects, such as abrasion or irritation.

[Issangeorge]

OK, I'm sold where can I get this stuff? Issangeorge

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

sounds interesting but I have never seen it for sale as clothing. Is it readily available?

[Boo]

quite a big trend in resuable nappies has take hold in the UK & one of the more popular brand is a bamboo nappy. Supposed to be really soft on babies skin, hard wearing (for rewashing) as well as being breathable.

http://pure-nappies.com/retail/index.php?m...b6af8efc18f4e3a

[mickj88]

Nappies made from bamboo are indeed very soft. My friedns wife has a small reusable nappy business and sells them .She actually wanted me to source the materials and see if I could arrange manufacure of them in Bangers.Great idea I thought ,but to be honest her business just hasn't taken off and unless it does I dont intend spending my time trawling round Bangers doing the research for her( unless she stumps up some funds for hotels etc.

[gpdjohn]

Ah heck...

I thought it said "bamboo for reinforcing wife".

[Smithson]

Bamboo has been widely used as reinforcing in Thailand. It's strong enough, but from what I've been reading it's not every effective. The problem is the bamboo absorbs the water from the concrete causing it to swell. When it dries it shrinks creating air pockets in the concrete.

Bamboo has a lot of other uses, especially for building. There is a growing movement in South America making bamboo building and bridges. Do a Google search and you'll see some amazing stuff.

I'm also keen to building with bamboo and would be like to hear from others with a similar interest, the main issues are joinery and preservation. Here are some pics I took over the weekend.

[thedi]

Nearly every house in our village has a water tank to store rain water from the roof: 2.5 meter in diameter and about 3 meter high, which means they store about 18 ton of water when full.

They were made 25 years ago (an Australian development aid project) with concrete, reinforced with bamboo.

15 years ago was a campaign to reinforce them with three rounds of strong wire, covered with concrete. This was a Thai government action, lead by the phu yai baan.

After 25 years, this tanks still do their job. None of them leaked.

Regards

Thedi