Richard,Thanks for bringing up the consumer side of the equation. Not many
people buy "green" products simply because they're "green," and never
mind the cost.
It seems to me that bamboo is harder and more rigid than the soft pine,
fir, and spruce that is normally used. If bamboo plywood is more rigid,
it might deflect less and would therefore be a better material for
subfloors, especially those that will be tiled. I've read that bamboo
has a very low moisture absorbency rate, which might also make it
appealing for marine use, as well as for exterior use or use in
bathrooms and other damp areas. This, and other aspects, needs to be
proven by independent laboratories.
The hardness of bamboo might make it a bit more difficult to install, as
it may split when screws are driven through it. If pilot holes are
required, that adds to the cost of installation. The type of adhesive
will be critical, because it seems that glue is less able to penetrate
the fibers. I tested a piece of bamboo plank by leaving it lay outside
in the sun and rain. It didn't last long, less than three months. The
glue let loose and all the slats curled up in a pile.
Then there is the question of how bamboo will assemble. Soft-wood
plywood is made from sheets continuously peeled off "peeler logs,"
producing broad sheets of material. Depending upon the quality of the
peeler logs, these sheets may have voids caused by knot holes, and poor
grades of plywood may have numerous voids that weaken it considerably.
Bamboo will not produce the same sort of broad sheets of material, and
will require much more handling and fitting together of pieces. The
potential for unwanted voids in bamboo plywood, it seems to me, is much
greater than for soft-wood plywood, unless all pieces are properly
milled so they fit together seamlessly.
Something else of interest is whether bamboo lends itself to the
construction of other ply materials, such as in bows, bent wood
furniture, kayaks, canoes, aircraft spars, ceiling beams, etc.
Naturally, each application will need to be tested and compared to
existing materials and methods.
There are many more concerns to address when comparing products, and I
hope the research is designed not only to measure bamboo plywood's
characteristics but also to find ways of improving those characteristics.
Doug Harrison
Minnesota
> Raphael,
>
> You make a very valid point (as usual!). However,
> where bamboo seeks to compete head to head with a
> specific wood product (particle board or plywood
> for example) independent, academic studies are
> essential and I believe the absence of these
> studies will limit bamboo's growth (pun
> intended). A customer needs to know how a bamboo
> product compares with it's wood equivalent before
> purchasing, especially if the bamboo product is
> more expensive. He simply will not buy unless he
> knows the M of E or the results of screw pull
> tests. Unless bamboo does the minimum job
> intended - and is proven to do so - all the
> "sound advantages of bamboo" will not matter.
>
> Richard
>
--- Get FREE High Speed Internet from USFamily.Net! -- http://www.usfamily.net/mkt-freepromo.html ---
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
*********************************************
*********************************************
I M P O R T A N T A N N O U N C E M EN T
The VIII WORLD BAMBOO CONGRESS
will be held in Bangkok, Thailand
from 16-18 September 2009
For more details about this important event
visit http://www.worldbamboo.net
*********************************************
*********************************************
http://www.bamboo-plantations.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
bamboo-plantations-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bamboo-plantations/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bamboo-plantations/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:bamboo-plantations-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:bamboo-plantations-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
bamboo-plantations-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
