Bamboo as Sustainable Building Materials: A Systematic Review of Properties, Treatment Methods, and Standards

Abstract

Bamboo is the building material of the past and future. It offers numerous properties that make it versatile for various applications, including construction. Its impressive strength-to-weight ratio enables it to bear substantial loads and stresses, while its good elasticity allows efficient energy absorption. However, its mechanical properties can vary based on factors such as species, age, locations, methods, and treatment. Treating bamboo is essential to enhance its properties and durability. The literature provides various natural and chemical treatments that enhance some of the properties but also reported drawbacks regarding higher temperature, content, and duration. This paper reviewed 57 articles from the Scopus database, specifically focusing on article–document-type publications from the years 2003 to 2023. Additional references were also incorporated to address concerns in properties, treatment, and standards to provide systematic understanding. With extensive assessment of the articles, the following gaps and concerns were observed, and recommendations for further study and assessment were made: the bamboo’s properties, the development of centralized guidelines and procedures for the preparation and processing; the exploration of alternative materials to reinforce bamboo without compromising its ductility; and the development of joint connections, and testing of mechanical properties considering seismic, wind and vibration. For treatment methods, the standardization of procedures using natural, chemical, or a combination. Lastly, for bamboo codes and standards, the assessment of existing codes and standards for testing the mechanical properties of bamboo, highlighting the potential limitations and areas, uniformity, and differences with all existing similar standards. By filling these gaps, it can support the reliability and robustness of bamboo as a sustainable material, fostering its promotion and adoption in the construction industry.

Study on the Mechanical Properties and Design Method of Frame-Unit Bamboo Culm Members Based on Semi-Rigid Joints

“…Bamboo and wood are two common natural building materials that have been widely used in construction projects, where bamboo has higher carbon sequestration efficiency [1] and better mechanical properties than wood [2,3]. A series of studies and engineering examples have proved the feasibility of bamboo as a building material [4,5]. Compared with engineered bamboo, raw bamboo culms do not require the use of adhesives and are more environmentally friendly as a building material.…”

Advances in Connection Techniques for Raw Bamboo Structures – A Systematic Review

“…Utilizing Scopus, we employed keyword searches with Boolean operators such as AND, AND NOT, and OR to refine our search results [29]. Moreover, Scopus offers advanced search functionalities, citation analysis tools, and author metrics, enabling in-depth investigations, assessments of prior research impact, and the identification of influential authors [30]. The first step in the process involved selecting a combination of general and specific keywords.…”

“…Leveraging the Matlab Text Analytics Toolbox facilitated the extraction of textual data from the documents and provided insightful visualizations. These visual representations included word clouds, topic mixtures, and graphical displays illustrating the yearly and country-wise distribution of published papers [30]. Figure 2 illustrates a word cloud generated from the imported documents, prominently featuring the term ʺbamboo,ʺ underscoring its pivotal role as a sustainable construction material.…”

Geopolymerization Method to enhance the compressive strength of Stabilized Silty Clay Utilizing Coconut Husk Ash, Rice Husk Ash and Sea water for Wall Construction

“…In response to this pressing concern, Limco et al [1]emphasized the urgent need for the development of green and eco-friendly alternatives, with a particular focus on materials derived from biodegradable plant sources. The exploration of various materials as viable alternatives in construction is evident, as presented by Adier et al [2], who discussed bamboo as a sustainable building material, and Macmac et al [3] who delve into the utilization of tire waste steel fibers in reinforced self-compacting concrete.…”