Using Bamboo Underwater for Floating House Design

I am working on a floating house design and would like to use bamboo as a floating foundation. Now my question is how long will bamboo that is partially underwater last? Is there a difference between permanently underwater and alternately underwater? And how can you best process the bamboo to stay in good condition for as long as possible? And is there a difference if the house is in fresh or salt water?

Comments

Fellow Villager Gary

I liked the only question here which was: (seemingly never answered) and which I copied and pasted as follows: I am working on a floating house design and would like to use bamboo as a floating foundation.

Now my question is how long will bamboo that is partially underwater last?
Is there a difference between permanently underwater and alternately underwater?
And how can you best process the bamboo to stay in good condition for as long as possible?
And is there a difference if the house is in fresh or salt water?
Where is money empowered science and research when you need it?

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What is the Durability of a Bamboo House?

I am facing a situation as I need to look for material to build some house(s) in Belize. My spouse asked a critical question: what is the durability of a bamboo house and how many years can you expect a bamboo home to last?

Also, what is a way to make a bamboo home to be hurricane 'resistant'? Proper joints and reinforcements or more bamboo elements put together in a technically mosaic?

Also, if you have a building team using a prefabricated house from bamboo it will take 2-3 days to assemble it again and another 1-2 months to finish. What is the time frame and level of effort needed to build a bamboo home using a same nice design but not a prefab kit and all the pieces cut on site?

Comments

Stéphane Schröder

A professionally build bamboo house with preserved bamboo poles will last a lifetime. Many bamboo homes can be found in South America and Asia that are older than 200 years!

Proper treatment of the bamboo is crucial along with specific building techniques and maintenance. It is for example most important to avoid direct contact with soil, sun or rain to ensure the durability of bamboo.

Highly trained and skilled workers can build a standard bamboo house from scratch in 2 months, all depends on the design of course.

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Stephen Saugnier

I also had a query in regard to the cost of building a bamboo house. I know it depends on a number of factors but can you give me some examples to make better estimates.

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Saanvi

Bamboo flooring is one of the fastest growing use of bamboo. This segment has been around for more than a decade or two, but it has managed to reach great popularity and success all over the world. Proper treatment of the bamboo is crucial along with specific building techniques and maintenance.

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Building Walls with Crushed Bamboo

Informative video on how to build walls with crushed bamboo mats and natural plasters (adobe). Preservation of the bamboo matting is of course required before using them in construction.

Comments

Victor Merino

Very well done, by any chance do you guys know the name of that blue substance and what is the purpose of using it? Thanks I really love this website!

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Stéphane Schröder

Thanks Victor, I'm going to write a whole page on building with bamboo and adobe soon. The blue liquid is some kind of filler/glue, also used when applying stucco to a concrete wall. More to come soon...

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AnoJack Vicajee Bertolinymous

Extremely interesting! Do you have any experience for building very cheap housing for the poor? What would be the construction time for a simple one/two room house-shelter type-mass produced?

As an architect I believe your information, and preservation could revolutionize mass, and cheap housing. Do you have any information concerning this aspect for the use of bamboo?

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Josh The Traveler

Great video... a little spotty the last 20 seconds or so.

Some Questions: What species of Bamboo are they using in this video? The wall thickness seems too low for it to be Guadua.

The women are seen chopping something about 1/2 way through the video. What is it? Is it the fiber scrapped from the inside of the culm? Is that what is used as a fibrous binder in the "plaster" applied to the wall.

In the video, one gets the idea that the man split & scraped the culm and it is IMMEDIATELY installed as a new wall. Is this the case or do these in fact need to be dried 1st?

Thank you again for all the help this website has given me.

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Stéphane Schröder

It is probably some sort of Guadua, although not of superior quality (black stain). As with any bamboo culm, the further you go toward the tip of the culm the less diameter and wall thickness. So this is a piece from the top middle section of the culm.

The bamboo mats should always be treated first before using in construction (and preferably dried as well). See this article for more information about the process of making crushed bamboo mats.

I'm not sure what type of adobe they are using but it might very well be that those woman are loosening the soil by chopping the existing roots.

The inner fibers of Guadua are very long and tough, unless they are split into hair like particles, I don't think they are a very good alternative to use as a binder.

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Benny

What is that man covering the wall with. Is it paint or something else? Then covering the wall with what? Is it cement with mud?

Great video and this whole way of living appeals to me very much.

Affordable Bamboo Housing

In his book, Oscar Hidalgo referred to bamboo as "The Gift of the Gods". Simon Velez titled his book "Grow Your Own House". Both titles invite dreams of affordable bamboo housing. Yet the reality is a disappointment. Why?

Green Gold Miracle

Bamboo has been called “Green Gold.” For a few that may be a reality. Modern day bamboo growers have discovered the “secret” the Alchemists of old never found. Through the process of immunisation, growers have discovered how to turn “green gold” into “yellow gold.”

Bamboo is The Solution

Bamboo is not the problem. Bamboo is the solution. A growing number of bamboo enthusiasts are frustrated at the high prices of materials and construction. Our frustrations are justified. After all, we see beautiful bamboo constructions at famous resorts. We appreciate the beauty and desire the same for our homes. We remember the promise held out by Hidalgo and Velez.

Why are “the Promise” and “the Reality” Opposites?

One possible reason could be that today there is a temporary lack of qualified bamboo specialists in the Western world. The demand for high quality bamboo construction out paces the supply of experienced construction personnel. We need more young bamboo structural engineers, bamboo architects and skilled workers.

This Will Change

We are on the verge of an exciting frontier. As more young professionals take up the challenge, the affordability issue will resolve itself as it has in Asia. Belgium, Germany, Italy and Colombia are doing serious research on quality construction techniques for the growing bamboo industry. Courses are being taught at schools dealing with environmental and sustainability issues surrounding bamboo. Construction skills are growing among young people with vision. We are on the frontier of an exciting beginning.