Protection of Bamboo | SSR | Smart Shelter Research

Exterior Protection of Bamboo Elements

Detail of the Vietnamese Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, by Vo Trong Nghia.
Protecting bamboo against termites by soaking the poles in brackish water.
Preservation of bamboo by soaking the poles in basins filled with a borax solution. But what happens with that polluted water afterwards?
Weathered and blackened bamboo fence.
Fungus and moss on a woven bamboo mat, that has been exposed to the weather.
When exposed to direct sunlight, bamboo becomes white, it splits and looses its strength.
Varnished door before and after exposure to sunlight.
Flattened bamboo roof when new; and the same roof after 6 months of exposure to the sun.
Detail of ‘The Great Wall’ by Kengo Kuma. Many bamboo poles have split over their full length.
Detail of the Vietnamese Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, by Vo Trong Nghia. Will the paint provide for sufficient protection of the UV radiation?

Requested Research

An overview of all methods of bamboo preservation such as protection against insects, and an assessment of their effectiveness.
An overview of all available methods for protection of exterior bamboo that is exposed to the weather elements, and an assessment of their effectiveness.
Assessments of the quality of bamboo used at striking bamboo architecture, buildings and features; right after completion of the project, and especially after some period of time and use.
Design solutions to prevent bamboo from exposure to the sun, as well as from weathering, molding and deterioration otherwise.

Status of Research

Open for students and professionals of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Building Science. Send us an email to request the full assignment sheet via this link.

Background: Preservation of Bamboo

If we want to use bamboo for construction purposes, we need to improve its durability and protect it against termites and insects. For this several methods can be used. Some soak them for a number of weeks in seawater or brackish water, while others cure the poles in smoke chambers. A very popular method is to treat the bamboo with a natural chemical called borax, diluted in water basins.

We are interested to find out which of these methods is most effective; in terms of level of protection, as well as in terms of costs of the whole operation. We are also interested in the side-effects, such as generated pollution levels of the method; before, during and after the process.

Background: Exterior Protection of Bamboo

When using bamboo for construction, two other important problems must be taken into account; moisture and sunlight. Especially bamboo that is directly exposed to these elements needs to be treated and must be protected well. The UV radiation of sunlight makes the bamboo weak. It becomes white, old and starts to split, thus losing its strength. Moisture may cause molding, moss, blackening, stains, and other types of weathering, which are not good for the health and interior living quality.

We want to find out what solutions the architects worldwide have come up with, to sufficiently protect all the exposes bamboo against the above mentioned effects of sunlight and moisture.