India has the second largest resources of bamboo in the world, next only to China. Bamboo can be a potential source of employment generation in rural areas through manufacturing activity and utilization of local material in value added products. It offers considerable opportunities for local people to increase their economic independence and their self-reliance. Bamboo grows abundantly and specific species required can also be grown on a small scale, preservation can be done in a factory which does not require high investment, and construction executed with relatively simple tools.

Essentially a grass, there are hundreds of kinds of bamboo that grow abundantly in different regions of our country. Unlike timber, they are a fast growing species, and reach their mature height and full growth in about 5 years. Their life span is approximately of 40 years duration. Their size varies in length and width: upto 60 meters length and 25 cm diameter.

Facts and Features about Bamboo:
Some properties, which determine the best use of available bamboo are:
• The dimensions
• The total height of the culm before harvest
• The useful length of the culm
• The outer diameter at the bottom and the top of the length selected.
• The wall thickness at the same places
• The length of the internodes
• The straightness of the culm is an important factor
• The mechanical properties of the species available for us.
• The natural durability and preservations required
• The useful length

Advantages of Bamboo:
• Because of its hollow form bamboo is relatively strong and stiff and can be cut and split with simple tools.
• The surface of bamboo is hard and clean Bamboo can be grown on village scale and family scale.

Disadvantages:
• Low natural durability; bamboo needs preservation treatment, which in many cases is more difficult than for wood.
• Bamboo can hardly withstand contact with the soil; however, in dry soil it can last a long time provided there are no termites.
• Fire is a very big risk.
• A bamboo is not completely straight; it is tapered. The nodes occur at different distances; the prominence of the nodes can be nuisance when the material is being worked.
• Standardization is virtually impossible; because of the variation in sizes, only in the joints can standardization be attempted.
 

Agoli Bah Downloads:
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