international bamboo housing training in India from Oct 5-15 2009

[Shyam K Paudel]

Dear all

 

This is a final reminder If you are interested to participate in international training on modern bamboo housing that is going to be held from Oct 5 to 15 in Dehradun India. Pls look at website for details http://www.inbar.int/show.asp?BoardID=171&NewsID=530

 

Shyam

[Irene Caltabiano]

Dear All,

I am Irene Caltabiano an Italian architect.

I’m making my PhD research on the use of natural materials to make roof in rural areas in “Low Human Development” Countries (I work at Polytechnic of Turin inside a Research Centre for Developing Countries).

I have visited some Chinas factories and last May I have spent some weeks in the INBAR offices in Beijing.

At the moment I am trying to produce mats with the bamboo sheath.

I ask to all of you if you can give me information about the bamboo sheath properties and if somebody else have tried to use these kind of mats to make roofs.

I know that in India there is a large production of bamboo mats roofs but I have the problem that without machines it is very difficult to cut the bamboo culms so thin to be able to make mats with them.

I know that perhaps my hands are not good enough to do it but I have to find a simple way to produce bamboo roofs in rural villages in which there isn’t yet the electricity.

I would like to propose other solutions apart that  made with the culms cut in two parts and used as tiles.

I thank everybody who can give me information about the bamboo sheath and, if there is a way to explain it by e-mail, also who tell me how to cut the bamboo culms in so thin strips that can be used also to make mats!!!!

Best Regards

Irene

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------
Centro di ricerca e documentazione in
Tecnologia Architettura e Città nei Paesi in via di Sviluppo
Politecnico di Torino
Corso Massimo D'Azeglio, 42

10125 Torino
tel 0039 011 090 6429
fax 0039 011 090 6442
www.polito.it/crd-pvs
 


 

[peeyush sekhsaria]

Hi Irene, I am a member of the Bamboo Housing Forum, where i saw your posting. I haven't completely understood what you mean by bamboo sheaths and the dfficulty of cutting through the culm. I am not any expert but can assure you that in lot of regions in the world traditionally and even today, simple hand held tools are used to make bamboo strips, which in turn are used to weave  a fantastic range of objects, make mats and so on. Cutting through the culm as such is no problem. So I am not sure whether this problem that you are facing is because you have spent time at industries (processing bamboo) and at the inbar office, but not seen artisans and traditional workers and users of bamboo. Now to what extent bamboo mats have been used for roofing is open to investigation. Bamboo is mostly found is high rainfall areas and without using of some impermeable membrane either used in addition to the bamboo mat the chances are that it wont really serve the purpose. I hope there are other people on this forum who can answer those questions Thanks Peeyush Sekhsaria --- On Thu, 3/9/09, Irene Caltabiano <irene.ca...@polito.it> wrote:

[jaime mok]

Dear Irene
Ypu can also see the turtle roof we are working in Peru
made of Bamboo tiles at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM5jgMorofg

Also I invite those spanish speaking interested in solutions to the
social housing in “Low Human Development” Countries
to join us in this red www.viviendaexperimental.ning.com

Jaime Mok
mokj...@gmail.com



On Sep 3, 10:36 am, "Irene Caltabiano" <irene.caltabi...@polito.it>
wrote:

>  <blocked::http://www.polito.it/crd-pvs>www.polito.it/crd-pvs

[Jules Janssen]

Dear Irene, your interest in bamboo as a good building material is fine, but as a roofing material it is not. A roof is exposed to rain and sunshine (UV light), and bamboo should be protected from both. "Keep the bamboo dry" is the key for any good building detail. I know they are trying in India to make corrugated woven bamboo mats; I have been there myself several years ago, and after that I have seen several articles about this subject. But the main problem, the rain, has not been solved. They tried to cover it with a lacquer, and that would be good, but each roofing material has to be fixed to the purlins, and that results in holes for the nails or whatever is being used for fixing. And from that hole the bamboo will start to rot! Unless you would be able to solve this problem, bamboo roofing sheets are not an option, and the same goes for split culms as tiles; the lifetime will be something like two years, and that is too short in most cases.

 

About your problem with splitting the bamboo into fine splits, this can be done manually, with a sharp knive; no problem. I have seen this many times all over India and Africa.

 

Much success with your PhD, kind regards, dr. Jules Janssen.

----- Original Message -----

From: Irene Caltabiano

To: bamboo...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 5:36 PM

Subject: [Bamboo Housing Forum] Bamboo sheath

---

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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
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[Irene Caltabiano]

Dear all,

thank to all who answered me with opinions and suggestions about my research.

Somebody said my mail wasn’t clear, it’s true, I try to explain what I’m doing in a better way.

 

The aim of the research is to propose in a rural village in Mozambique a roof system to avoid the use of iron corrugated roofs. In the area of the village there is a lot of bamboo so the idea is to use it to produce the roof elements. In the village I can try different solutions so every suggest is appreciated. I’ll try, for example, the bamboo singles suggested by Andry Widyowijatnoko.

 

At the same time I inserted this research into my PhD so I have to find a solution that I can test in laboratories.

What I am trying is to make my roof elements with bamboo mats and resins. I have tried to cut bamboo culms in slim strips but I haven’t managed to obtain good results because the elements are too thick, so I have started to make the mats with the bamboo sheath, easy to find and to work with.

 

In the future I hope to learn from Indian or other nation craftsmen how to cut the bamboo culms in the proper way.

Now I try to go on with the bamboo sheath mats. I’ll inform you about the laboratories results.

Thanks a lot and I remember you that every suggestion is welcome.

Ciao

Irene

 

 

--------------------------------------------------
Centro di ricerca e documentazione in
Tecnologia Architettura e Città nei Paesi in via di Sviluppo
Politecnico di Torino
Corso Massimo D'Azeglio, 42

10125 Torino
tel 0039 011 090 6429
fax 0039 011 090 6442
www.polito.it/crd-pvs
 


 

---

Da: bamboo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:bamboo...@googlegroups.com] Per conto di Jules Janssen
Inviato: venerdì 4 settembre 2009 12.09
A: bamboo...@googlegroups.com
Oggetto: [Bamboo Housing Forum] Re: Bamboo sheath

[Dave Hodgkin]

Irene the high tech solution of resins etc is not what i would recommend

using bamboo strips as thatching as practiced in Thai Burmese border camps probably makes much much more sense

(happy to send more images on request)

If you wish to persue the laminated panels then really i strongly suggest talking to Pak Purwito

cc'd here

(happy to translate if needed)

dave

Dave Hodgkin
Environmental Housing &
Emergency Shelter Consultant
BENCHMARK CONSULTING

Indonesia
Mobile +62813 92099666
Office +62274 6993636

Australia
Mobile +614 08816345
Office +612 61003312

2009/9/9 Irene Caltabiano <irene.ca...@polito.it>