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Monday, June 11, 2012

Bali, Indonesia: Seeing Green, Building Green

The Indonesian island of Bali, slowly but surely, had begun replacing its arcane buildings of concrete and steel with bamboo. In the country’s transformation, factories, businesses, and homes are all being revitalized by the firm and rigid qualities of the “grass”. The amazing part about it is that it is quicker to grow, and does not destroy the land that it sits on in comparison to timber. As a result, these qualities, in addition to the well-known fact of its industrial strength, has allowed for the burgeoning of construction utilizing the sustainable resource. The flexible yet rigid nature of the plant allows for a surprising amount of flexibility in designing structures and buildings. For example, here is a picture of a three storied school building built in Bali in 2008.

                  Even after the bamboo is cut, it will continue to produce shoots at a rapid pace. Timber on the other hand requires continual replanting, and waiting for the wood to grow to the proper size and dimensions for it to be used. However, while bamboo is excellent with respect to its strength-to-weight ratio, (a measure of how much pressure an object can withstand with respect to its weight), it does have some shortcomings which include being prone to catching to fire and rotting from overexposure to the elements. Given these drawbacks, with a creative insight into its remarkable properties, bamboo can, at the very least, be used as a substitute product or a supplement to building structures all over the world. The recognition and implementation of renewable products in the creation of such projects will help to make the world we live in healthier and more sustainable. To read more about bamboo structures in Indonesia, please check out http://phys.org/news/2012-06-bali-green-bamboo.html.

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