Bamboo And Its Abundant Uses

Bamboo is one of the most useful plants on our planet and a member of the grass family. It grows in abundance, achieving maturity in only 4 to 7 years and reaching heights of 40 metres.  No fertilizers or pesticides are required to support and maintain growth. There is hardly a country in the world that has not embraced the use of Bamboo in some form.  For a member of the grass family, it has amazing structural properties due to interlocking fibres, it can withstand considerable loads. The uses of this valuable plant include; The staple diet for the loveable Panda Bear, scaffolding, formwork, textiles, furniture, flooring, fashion items such as watches, sunglasses and phone cases

The cutest of all Bears, the Panda; 99% of its staple diet is Bamboo.

In South Western Australia Bamboo plantations are being harvested and used to fuel small highly efficient power generators. Smouldering Bamboo generates enormous heat and at the same time, carbon emission is classified at acceptable levels by local and international regulatory and environment authorities. Even the waist product ash is used effectively as natural fertilizer. Similar to a cash crop, after harvest it sends out new shoots and ready for another harvest in a few years. Production, maintenance, and harvesting costs are very low in comparison to other forms of carbon fuel such as coal and there are virtually no adverse effects on the environment.

In Thailand and Hong Kong, the ancient form of Bamboo scaffolding is still used to this day. In one case reaching heights equivalent to eighty-eight floors.  It is hard to imagine how the entire structure supports itself let alone carry the weight of hundreds of workers.  But it works, lightweight, easy to cut to size and lash together; it’s more flexible and far quicker to erect than its modern steel counterpart. “It leaves us to wonder”

A couple of bright structural engineers assisted on a voluntary basis to develop methods of budget housing construction project in Brazil. They tested the structural properties of Bamboo and realised it was suitable to act as concrete formwork. This reduced the amount of structural steel.

Over the past five years Bamboo or so socks appeared on the retail shelves in vast numbers, colours, and styles. However, contrary to what is noted on the product information, the fabric is actually Rayon, which is a semi-synthetic fibre made by chemically reshaping cellulose. Cellulose extracted from Bamboo is suitable for processing into viscose rayon, which is typically used for lining suit jackets and women’s clothing, but sometimes the product information is misleading. Never the less it is still far more eco- friendly than synthetic fibres such as polyester.

Bamboo furniture is something we are all familiar with and flooring has grown in popularity over recent years. But the coolest emergence in the market is Bamboo watches and sunglasses. The interlocking structure of this natural material gives it great tensile strength and flexibility even when cut thinly. Its lightweight and looks and feels really great. And they are low-cost items so if you accidentally sit on your glasses or lose the watch replacement costs won’t break the bank.  If you’re looking to differ and move away from the luxury end of expensive timepieces such as Rolex, which perform exactly the same task as an inexpensive bamboo watch. The choices are endless and they will become a central point of discussion. But it doesn’t end there. Many other durable exotic timbers are being used to make beautiful timepieces. You can add an entire collection say ten different styles for a maximum of $200 and by rotating you’ll delight in many years of functional use.

And the real positive here is it supports a sustainable industry.