Steel…Concrete…Bamboo? Sustainable Construction With Tropical Style, For Any Climate

The article first appeared in HOTEL EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE it is reprinted here with permission.

By Sam Small, Vice President – Developing Markets, Bamboo Technologies
The Grass IS Greener!

Continuing on this comparison of Steel, Concrete and Bamboo; did I mention that bamboo structures are extremely “Green”? Bamboo is the fastest growing plant, technically it’s a “grass”. Compared to a hardwood forest the same size, bamboo produces 30% more oxygen and 20 times the biomass yield. Bamboo can be harvested annually after the first 5 to 7 years without replanting, compared to 25 to 50 years for trees, which then need to be replanted in bare soil. To put it in perspective, it takes 25 years and an acre of land to generate enough 2×4’s to build a typical American house, in just seven years that same acre can generate enough bamboo to build 20 bamboo houses, in 25 years that’s 80 bamboo structures!

LAND: Because of its wide spread root system and large canopy, bamboo retains twice as much water in the ground, which prevents soil erosion.

WATER: Due to its high nitrogen consumption, Bamboo is an excellent solution for excess nutrients in waste-water from manufacturing, livestock farming and sewage treatment.

AIR: Bamboo can sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare, which makes it an efficient way to replenish fresh air.

An environmental, financial and practical assessment of Bamboo as building material for bearing structures was presented at the 7th World Bamboo Congress in 2004. It compared the overall “environmental cost” of structural building elements made from Steel, Concrete, two types of sustainable hardwoods, and Bamboo. The most extreme contrast showed a steel column having an “environmental cost” over 300 times that of Bamboo! The sustainable hardwoods fared slightly better but the report notes that “timber from regular, non-sustainable woods will have a considerably greater environmental impact.”

Panelization is also a significant factor in the environmental and cost benefits of any prefabricated structure. A study sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, found that construction of a 2,600 sq. ft. home with trusses and panels used 26% less lumber, generated 76% less waste, and was constructed in just 37% of the man hours of a similar, stick-built home.

Time

With the site suitably prepared, the panelized structure can take as few as three days to assemble and get closed in, dramatically reducing the noise, dust and disruption to the location. Factory construction of a kit commonly takes from 6 to 8 weeks and since the kits are built from scratch inside an airplane hanger, exposure to potentially expensive weather delays is virtually nonexistent.

Transit

The pre-constructed panels themselves reduce the amount of divergent materials that must flow to the job site. In addition, Bamboo Technologies has designed all our building panels to fit into a standardized shipping container, this further facilitates the delivery of materials. Everything needed for the assembly arrives at once, no delays because of material shortages.

Heat and AC Savings

Bamboo is not “just tropical”: Panelized designs afford the opportunity for several different types of insulation to be built right into our structures. R values can vary accordingly to meet local requirements, and several different treatments and materials, including bamboo, are available so that your bamboo structure can function well in any climate.

Personnel

Local crew size is greatly reduced, lowering vehicular emissions from travel to construction sites. One recent study attributed to Kieran Timberlake Associates LLP found that factory workers commute significantly shorter distances than construction workers, who drive their pick-ups up to 100 miles daily to job sites. In comparison, most of Bamboo Technologies’ 150 skilled Vietnamese workers live within walking distance to our factory.

The National Green Pages™, from Coop America is a directory that lists nearly 3,000 businesses, like Bamboo Technologies, that have made firm commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including the support of sweatshop-free labor, organic farms, fair trade, and cruelty-free products. Not only do our workers get to walk to work, they are all Local Union Members, receive above average pay, healthcare, insurance, and even a daily lunch allowance.

Nothing says Eco Friendly like Bamboo! Air, Land, Water, People, Time, Fuel

Eco-Bug-proofing, so many factors come together to make Bamboo “Green” And it’s that extra effort to bring it all together at your resort that the growing segment of green tourists will appreciate. So, it’s not really surprising that “Sustainable Bamboo” would rank in a Google search right up there with Steel and Concrete. It may not be long before it outgrows them too. Good for us all.

Sam Small is Vice President of Developing Markets with Bamboo Technologies, based in Maui, Hawaii. After a successful career in mass media, culminating with 8 yrs service in the unique position of V.P. of Broadcast Production at Prudential Financial where he directed and edited over 200 national TV spots promoting the firm through one of the largest public offerings in the history of Wall Street, Sam Small has turned his sights towards promoting Bamboo as a sustainable and globally appropriate construction material. Originally a customer of Bamboo Technologies, Sam was so impressed with the product and the company that he became directly involved. He has so far supervised the assembly and finishing of three bamboo structures, and currently lives in a bamboo house on Maui. Mr Small can be contacted at 808-572-1007 or samsmall@bambootechnologies.com Visit http://www.bambooliving.com

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