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Bamboo - Steel Of The Future?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Glenn Simon Inc.

The image of bamboo for tropical huts is rapidly changing as the hollow stemmed grass is being used to build churches, bridges and luxury homes.

"The relationship to weight and resistance is the best in the world. Anything built with steel, I can do in bamboo faster and just as cheaply," said Colombian architect Simon Velez

Velez has developed special techniques to ensure that weight bearing and bugs are no problem for structures made of bamboo. The environmental material is taking the world or architecture by storm and buildings made from the super grass are going up from Hawaii to China to Bali.

Read more about the amazing building material

Comments (7)

1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK
You are very  very correct.  I have been reading about bamboo for years.  We have some planted and it's stalks are very impressive.
Feb 15, 2008 12:42 PM
Don McCoy
John L. Scott Real Estate - Medford, OR
Southern Oregon EcoBroker for John L. Scott R E
Cool article Todd..While I realise there are many applications for bamboo in building science I am not so sure about the comment "anything built with steel, I can do in bamboo"....I would much rather travel in my car across a bridge made of steel. I would much rather be in a high rise framed in steel then bamboo.
Feb 15, 2008 12:57 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices
Wow, I did not know that. I have a gorgeous bamboo floors, which I adore. Interesting stuff, good to know, thanks.
Feb 22, 2008 03:40 AM
Todd and Danielle Millar
Glenn Simon Inc. - Edmonton, AB
Nineteen years of excellence!
Jon- Bamboo floors I have never heard of that before! Are they inordinately strong?
Feb 22, 2008 07:27 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Todd,

They come in different types. The planks come in two width. They are actually a combination of narrow strips glued (or pressed) together. The junctions (like the bamboo 'knees') create a wonderful pattern. The ones that I have a natural bamboo. I have also seen engineered bamboo, with a thin layer of bamboo glued to the plywood. THey say it is stronger, but in Florida I did not want to have plywood as the base. Bamboo is water resistant, it does not swell. It is stronger than red oaks, and high heels are not the problem, because bamboo is not wood and does not have cellular structure, where sharp heels just smash the cells.

I am sure you can find it on the net. Here we can buy it in Home Depot. Sometimes you can get it dirt cheap. But looks very nice, everyone notice it.

Feb 24, 2008 04:15 AM
Todd Clark - Retired
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon

Bamboo has taken over here also, but in the form of flooring. You can't go anywhere without someone saying look at our new Bamboo flooring it was only $1.76 per square foot.

Mar 02, 2008 04:36 PM
Todd and Danielle Millar
Glenn Simon Inc. - Edmonton, AB
Nineteen years of excellence!
Todd - I didn't know it was that big. After reading your comment I took a look and it looks incredible! I'm renovating!
Mar 03, 2008 11:15 PM