Full-sized House using GluBam Technology

Filed in archive Other Biotechnology News on April 15, 2009

In Changsha, Hunan Province, China now stands a full-sized California-style home made of bamboo, using the GluBam® technology, tagged by Popular Science in 'Best of What's New in 2008'.

Xiao's GluBam® technology utilizes the modern processing procedures to integrate the round, non-dimensional bamboo into bamboo fiber reinforced composites, like plywood, which can be designed, sized and suitable for modern construction.

The structural design of the demonstration house followed US design codes for timber structures. The wall panels were made with GluBam® two-by-four studs, capable of resisting severe earthquakes. All the beams, columns and trusses were assembled by bolts and nails, similar to timber buildings.

"Construction was much easier than conventional reinforced concrete structures or masonry structures in China," said Xiao: "the whole house took a crew of eight workers in an estimated equivalent construction period of three months."

He added that, iIn terms of cost, the new bamboo house is also very competitive compared with the conventional concrete structures in the local market.

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