Pa floris the development conventional american building elements made from bamboo

The development of "Conventional" American building elements made from bamboo Floris Keverling Buisman, Msc Common Ground Community/Blue Moon Grantee 505 Eighth Ave, 15th Floor New York, NY 10018 Phone: +1 212 389 9364 Fax: +1 212 389 9312 ABSTRACT Bamboo, the fast growing grass it is, combined with its wood resembling properties, has large potential to contribute to a more sustainable construction industry and world It not only has the potential to reduce the footprint that construction leaves on our environment, it also has the ability to become a sustainable income generator all over the world Not only for farmers, but the whole local economy can profit from it In this research, distinct factors were studied in order to explore possible approaches to the development of this abundant natural resource The factors were: • • • • Marketing factors for bamboo based product in the USA To improve bamboo’s material performance by using sustainable technologies The introduction of improved designs to create functional products with a wide market potential Scope of market for building materials and their price range Exploration of these factors led to the development of several possible construction element/modules that have a synergize bamboo fast growing aspects, can be produced locally in China and won’t require construction practices in the USA to change their customs to drastically Implicating that the bamboo products will both bring income to the producing county, as well will be easily implemented in the conventional building industry in the USA Taking all the factors together, the hybrid level (combination of elements of traditional processes with elements of advanced treatments, non-traditional processes and the design input) of technology should result in a win –win situation Generating more local benefits in China while providing the USA with a better-engineered and more sustainable construction product To introduce these materials on the USA market, various tests will have to be done on the different materials, so that they conform to the required standards as demand by the (local) building codes The end result of this research is a recommendation of which bamboo based materials (studs, in- and exterior panels and doors) will be feasible to be introduced in the USA Table of Contents Abstract Table of Contents Introduction USA Bamboo marketing factors 2.1 Sustainability 2.2 LEED certification 2.2.1 Materials & Resources 2.2.2 Indoor environmental quality 2.3 Raw material physics 2.4 Engineered material physics 2.4.1 The adhesives 2.4.2 Plantations Bamboo construction materials 3.1 Dimensional lumber replacement 3.2 Studs 3.2.1 Wood 3.2.2 Steel 3.2.3 U-shaped bamboo stud walls 3.2.4 Columns & beams 3.2.5 Conclusions 3.3 Engineered wooden products 3.3.1 Glulam beams 3.3.2 I-joists 3.3.3 Trusses 3.4 Panels 3.4.1 Exterior panels 3.4.2 Interior panels 3.4.3 Bamboo sandwich panels 3.4.4 Doors 3.5 Conclusions US market for industrial bamboo construction products 4.1 Demand and prices of wood based products 4.1.1 Studs 4.1.2 Glulams 4.1.3 I-joists 4.2 Exterior panels 4.3 Interior panels 4.4 Doors 4.5 Conclusions Marketing opportunities Literature 8 11 11 14 16 16 17 17 18 19 27 28 29 29 31 32 33 33 36 37 38 40 41 41 41 42 42 43 44 44 44 46 47 INTRODUCTION Introducing bamboo construction materials in the USA, has to overcome one big hurdle: the conventional western building tradition This grid-lock which is formed by design customs (architects), building codes (officials and legislation) and the building industry (manufacturers, suppliers and contractors) make introducing new and more sustainable products a challenge To overcome this problem, the products will either have to have an aesthetic or practical appeal and to ‘break the ice’ have a sustainable appeal, which preferably can be combined with the crucial aspect: competitive pricing This implies the following (D Larasati, 2003):“Although these (sic: products) are promising, there have been no other official test results on bamboo board’s endurance against weather, fire and chemical substances Bamboo board is commonly used only for indoor construction, therefore the many other obvious possibilities, such as cabinetry and furniture applications need to be explored This is where designers can contribute their knowledge Industrial design is one of the professions, or knowledge fields, that can be expected to uncover the potential for more creative applications People in urban areas, who responded to the questionnaire concerning attitudes toward bamboo products, welcomed the idea of improved bamboo products and expected that an exploration of bamboo would lead to new high quality products Design professionals can be expected to come up with creative, intelligent and appropriate uses of the material With modern applications that can expose its superior qualities, bamboo material will be able to perform efficiently and prove itself as a competent and exciting material.” What qualities and potentials of bamboo that can be merged into a successful material, for which there is demand in the USA construction market? This paper first explores the US marketing factors for bamboo in general Followed by a research of the production process of ‘western’ bamboo products and which improvements can be made for the US market After which common building materials of the USA construction market will be identified, for which (potential) designs will be identified of their bamboo based counter parts The market potential of these will then be determined in the next chapter, by looking at the prices of conventional building products, with which it will have to compete and this will help to set the (target-) price for the bamboo based product Influencing the market potential on a different level are sustainability, the building codes to be met/the costs of testing and if applicable aesthetics USA BAMBOO MARKETING FACTORS Why would there be a demand for bamboo product in the USA? What would be the interest of architects and owners, to have this un-conventional material in their projects, houses and offices? An easy answer could be, the looks If the aesthetics are appealing to professionals in the design industry and/or the people that have purchasing power (owners); the product will get sold So making a modern/wanted product is one method to market a visible building product in the construction industry The cost and other influences are in that case of secondary concern As one can see with Plyboo, (see figure and 2) which is used in luxury cabinetry and furniture in the USA Figure Plyboo production direction of slits (www.plyboo.com) The refined properties of this material, the attractive edge and its wood-like handling, offer carpenters options for intrinsic connections/details (see figure 2) Figure Hybrid bamboo miter joint (RISDviews – Fall 2005) The appearance of this material initially has a familiar wood feel to it But up close it is distinctively different (see figure 3) This grain like appearance is in general considered attractive and can thus can be left visible under a protective clear-coat (paint), protecting it from scratches and preserving the aesthetic value of this natural product Figure Front and side of vertical core cross laminate The high-end look and marketing in that field has had its financial implications for this product The consumer cost of this material is presently $180 per 4’x8’x3/4’ sheet (1220x2440x18mm), which is high when compared to high-quality birch plywood ($75) The reason the product sells must be that it has ‘extra’ qualities that plywood doesn’t have What are these other factors, besides aesthetics, that makes bamboo so attractive, exclusive and thus expensive? After investigating and getting a price quote from FUSTAR, it seems that prices of Bamboo panels shouldn’t be more $50 This is a wholesale price but a 300% mark-up for shipping, storage and profit margins from the USA Bamboo panel importers raises the price to far to be competative Ways improve price competitiveness with high end plywood is either direct sales (over the internet) by the Chinese bamboo manufacturers or using the economy of scale and the free market (as has worked tremendously for bamboo flooring that is now less expensive (as a result demand is growing) than hardwood in the USA) Meaning that if more bamboo panel importcompanies will compete for the consumers, based on quality and price, the price will go down and quality will be assured At the moment there is only one company importing bamboo panels to the USA, enabling them to artificially keep the prices high as there is no competition 2.1 Sustainability In the building industry, the selection of a building material is mainly determined by its costs and durability However, as sustainability is emerging as a key issue in the last decade, especially in western countries, the environmental aspects of building materials have also become a significant selection criterion Bamboo, as a fast growing renewable material with a simple production process, is expected to be a sustainable alternative for more traditional materials like concrete, steel and timber (P.van der Lugt, 2004) Sustainable development is the most vibrant and powerful force to impact the building design and construction field in more than a decade (www.usgbc.org dec 2004) The sustainable properties that are listed above are reasons that demand for bamboo flooring and other bamboo based products is growing since the public is becoming more aware of ‘green’ architecture and thus the demand for ‘green’ construction products is rising Bamboo can thus being market as sustainable, but as P van der Lugt’s (2004) states: Life-cycle-assessment study shows, one has to be careful to call bamboo sustainable because it grows so fast One also has to take into consideration the production process and transportation of the product that can have a large ecological impact and thus diminish the advantageous aspects of bamboos rapid growth Compared to wood, bamboo can have certain advantages: The amount of wood required for construction purposes is taxing the regenerative capabilities of this resource, as well as depleting a critical component in ecological balance Trees affect water quality, rainfall, and air quality, both in the immediate region and on a global scale The principles of sustainability, which underpins the Green Builder Program favors, forest management practices that retain natural forest ecosystems Some of the options associated with this approach are difficult to implement There are very few "certified" sustainably managed wood sources and certifying groups are still in the process of determining universal guidelines for certification (www.greenbuilder.com, dec 2004) One can conclude that bamboo from well managed plantation can have the competitive edge over wood First it has faster regenerative properties than wood and secondly could fill the void of the lack of certified wood 2.2 LEED certification “The LEEDv2.1 (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings” (www.usgbc.com, 2005) Point are given in catergories; sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials & resources (M&R), indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and innovation & design process A total of 69 different credits can be achieved A minimum score of 26 points, will get a building a bronze certification Bamboo based construction materials can help the design/building attain credits in the M&R and IEQ categories 2.2.1 Materials & resources “Rapidly Renewable Materials Intent: Reduce the use and depletion of finite raw materials and long-cycle renewable materials by replacing them with rapidly renewable materials Requirements: Use rapidly renewable building materials and products (made from plants that are typically harvested within a ten-year cycle or shorter) for 5% of the total value of all building materials and products used in the project “ (Green Building Rating System, LEED v 2.1, USGBC 2003) 2.2.2 Indoor environmental quality “Low-Emitting Materials: Composite Wood Intent Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, potentially irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants Requirements Composite wood and agrifiber products must contain no added ureaformaldehyde resins.” (Green Building Rating System, LEED v 2.1, USGBC 2003) See paragraph 2.4.1 2.3 Raw material physics For the most part, the bamboo culm is valued for the solid (wood like) material obtained from the lower part of the plant, and the jointed stems that give the plant its distinctive segmented appearance (see figure 4) Figure Parking Garage in Germany (www… ) It is supremely strong, durable, stable, and flexible Certain species of bamboo possess a tensile strength (or resistance to lengthwise stretching) that's stronger than steel In addition, bamboo has a hardness comparable to maple wood yet is more far more stable-bamboo materials typically experience half as much contraction and expansion as hardwoods Bamboo is also one of the fastest growing plants on earth Figure The bamboo culm as a finishing material (Hulshof architects) From an environmental perspective, the benefits of bamboo don't stop with its almost instant renewability There are a host of other factors that make bamboo an ideal raw material in a sustainable world Because bamboo is a grass, it grows from the base up Unlike trees, which grow from their tops and therefore die at harvest, bamboo isn't killed when it's cut Instead, new sections simply grow up from whatever portion is left, and a living root system remains between harvests to hold soils together, prevent erosion, and stop rain run-off (www.gaiam.com dec 2004) Figure Bamboo used as an exterior finishing material in a Parking Garage in Germany “The main concern of any actual or potential user of a bamboo house or product is the short durability of the material The service life of bamboo is generally considered as being too short for any worthwhile investment This, unfortunately, is true to a large extent Bamboo has less natural durability than most woods, owing to a shortage of certain chemicals that occur in 10 Figure 18 Exterior mat board panels at School in (Xiaoli Tang) Facades The aesthetic appearance of mat bamboo board doesn’t have a aesthetic look that will suit the US market in the same manner as plyboo (and veneer) Another consideration is the practicality of the material and the connection to the faỗade Breaks in the faỗade leave room for thermal expansion and slight tolerances during construction (see Figure 19) Reducing onsite labor cost significantly Figure 19 Spaced Trespa panels (www.trespa.com, dec 2004) 34 This is one of the reasons that a new building material has been successfully introduced on the USA construction market, It is the panelized faỗade material, made by Trespa or Prodema, that are with a standard hanging system It is a faỗade material with a wood like appearance, made from a composite back with a veneer for its appearance (see figure 11) The advantages of this combination are that it is durable, has a thermally stable back, with the attractive front that is and which is consistent since it is prefabricated in a factory Figure 20 Prodema exterior panel (www.prodema.com) “ High-density panel composed of a thermosetting phenolic resin-bonded cellulose fibre core faced with natural wood that has been coated with our in-house formulated acrylic resin-PVDF* protective finish, which ensures a panel colour fastness of 3-4 after a 3000-hour xenon lamp test Specially designed to resist attacks by chemicals (anti-graffiti).” (www.prodema.com, dec 2004) Again the fire rating, especially for these faỗade elements is crucial for the successful introduction on the USA market As it is a mayor concern in US building codes that flames will spread from on floor to the other, through the faỗade The VTEC-proposal, addendum II, clarifies the cost implication these test have At least the ASTN E-86 and the Pittburgh Protocol test have to be performed, to get materials accepted for the US construction market, for applications where a fire rating is needed Structural insulating panel system (SIPS) This low-rise construction system is used by a considerable amount of energy efficient builders in the USA “SIPs are high-performance building panels for floors, walls and roofs in residential and commercial buildings Each panel is typically made using expanded polystyrene (EPS), or polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB), but other surfaces are also available to meet your needs The result is a building system that is very strong, predictable, energy efficient, and cost effective (www.sips.org, oct 2005) OSB panels can be replaced with BMB, to create a bamboo SIPs It would be 35 even more interesting, it the EPS core, could be replaced with a bamboo based product Figure 21 Conventional SIPS with exterior finish (www.winterpanel.com, oct 2005) 3.4.2 Interior panels Interior panels, although less likely to be influenced by thermal stresses, need an even higher level of aesthetic appeal Off-gassing is of course a greater concern here Again plyboo could be used for this purpose But also different options can be employed to create a bamboo interior, among them are: • • • • • Veneer Bamboo MDF with veneer Doors Door-frames Consumer goods As a veneer If a veneer is less than 0.0036” thick (as per NYC building code req) on a fire rated material This material doesn’t need to conform to fire ratings This will enable to apply a bamboo veneer on fire rated plywood/MDF, while keeping the aesthetic appearance, the testing cost are avoided in this manner Bamboo MDF (with bamboo veneer) The possibility of making bamboo MDF, is something that arose while having a discussion with Pablo van der Lugt It is a natural follow up from the production processes Since al the left over bamboo that is created while producing plyboo and flooring, is normally wasted, just as happened with sawdust of wood It now can become a valuable commodity that is used to create another product for the construction market that has ideal properties: 36 • • Very consistent properties ‘free’ source of material Thus making MDF bamboo from the waste that is no matter what created, with a non-toxic resin, will again create a ‘green’ building product for which there should be demand Another consideration can be if it is faced with a bamboo veneer Which will make it a cost effective alternative to plyboo, with almost the same aesthetic attractive exterior 3.4.3 Bamboo Sandwich Panels Light Natural Sandwich (BLNS) “Manufacture of LNS: A number of test products of natural sandwich materials have already been produced and strength parameters, e.g bending strength, bending module transverse compression, transverse tension, k-value have been tested for single stems or LNS specimen The current production path for LNS can be described and summarised as follows: • • • • Arranging of stems into blocs Embedding of the stems in a foam matrix Sawing the blocs into slices Gluing of the covering material Depending on the application of the sandwich, the core material can be made from stems from a number of different plant species with differences in stem characteristics markedly influencing the stability, flexibility and the weight of the final LNS product Miscanthus and bamboo have, so far, given the best results concerning stem handling and the production of the core materials (…)The development of a plant based foam made from polyol showing good hardening properties would enable the currently used gelatin foam (hardening takes too long) to be replaced Presentation and production of LNS specimens: It is aimed to substitute sandwich materials made from plastics or light metals regarded as 'high-tech' products and used in vehicle construction and transport systems Other applications are also considered Many companies have already expressed their interest in using LNS In economic terms, the introduction of LNS to the market stands a good chance The production costs of LNS at a technical scale are estimated to be 175 - 350 Euro/M3, far below those for plywood (500 - 850 Euro/M3) or sandwich materials based on plastics (beginning at 1500 Euro/M3) However, the production of LNS is still on a laboratory scale Upscaling to commercial 37 applications is still hampered by a wide variation in stem quality and the lack of a harvesting technology for miscanthus.” (www.biomatnet.org, oct 2005) This material can probably be used as a SIPS like exterior application It might have an advantage over it, because the sandwiched culms in-between the panels take the structural load, that the foam can be totally engineered to be insulating Making it probably less expensive and thus more feasible Since the edges of this material are ‘solid’, Bamboo Sandwich Panel (BSP) Quite similar to BLNS, but produced in a different manner Short lengths of culm could be glued to bamboo matboard, plywood, chip board, BMB etc., as part of the process for constructing something similar to a honeycomb sandwich panel (see Figure 22) Gluing a panel to the tops of the culms would complete the process Figure 22 Bamboo sandwich panel (http://www.deeshaa.net/node/281 oct 2005) As the edges aren’t solid, they would have to be finished to prevent dirt, insect’s etc to migrate into the material and for visual appeal A good use gold be for prefabricated standardized materials, that need hardly any modifications, like doors The next paragraph will show address this issue 3.4.4 Doors Doors are typically 1-3/4 (4.4cm) thick and either solid (higher fire rating) or made with an internal (paper) frame (hollow core doors) The solid doors of course can be made of ‘cheaper’ interior bamboo fill and high en veneer on the outside This would be a way to create a fully bamboo door with an esthetic appeal The bamboo doors are made in India (www.bambootech.org , oct 2005) are made, to my knowledge, from BMB This is probably visually not attractive enough for the American market But considering their low cost, it could be a competitive product for this US market The finish could either be a bamboo veneer, or a solid (colored) coat of paint, which would make it acceptable for the US market BSP Doors 38 The BSP 3.4.3 could be prefabricated, to have a solid 2” (50mm) rim at a 3’x7’ door (app 900x2100mm) which would enable slight modifications and the hardware mounting on The stem could have size variations, as long as there is an even spread and continuous connect between both sheets (see Figure 23) Figure 23 BPS door – panel with bamboo stems – solid edge – 2nd panel Making this a very promising use of the bamboo stems The solid edges will have to be made of easy an easy workable material (pine wood or BMB that allows screwing with out splicing) Since the product is most likely to be stronger than hollow core (with cardboard interiors) doors and can be faced with an array of materials The product great potential in a growing sustainable market, from entirely/mostly sustainable, towards and old fashioned looking door (wood) with a bamboo core Door frames/stairs etc Many other elements can be made from solid bamboo, among them doorframe, stair elements (see Figure 24) and trim 39 Figure 24 Bamboo - Stair nosing, riser and tread (www.teragren.com , oct 2005) Consumer goods Toilet seats have to be made to fit typical toilet sizes As wooden toilet seats are seen as luxury commodities and plastic toilet seat have a small life span Price is crucial for successful introduction “Ikea” like furniture Smart, flat packed furniture that will be assembled by the consumer themselves at the final destination Practical uses are beds, chairs, bookshelves and closets made from ‘planks’ (solid, or veneer bamboo) 3.5 Conclusion More than 70% of construction in the US, mostly houses, still uses stud frames as the method of construction So the introduced a bamboo alternatives are almost all are based on common wooden material used in such buildings This will assure that the construction industry can rapidly adapt it customs The research in this chapter has shown, that the most feasible proposals are: • • • • • U-shaped studs from bamboo mat I-joist made from bamboo mat Sheathing panels (bamboo mat board) MDF bamboo (from bamboo pulp) Bamboo sandwich panel doors These materials are all part of the culm that is normally not used for plyboo/floor production, thus creating a greater efficiency of the plantations and a better return on investment (of time and money) Hence my recommendations to investigate their properties They have to be price competitive to a certain level, as only the sustainable appeal and not particularly their aesthetics, can offset some of the price difference 40 US MARKET INDUSTRIAL BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS The sustainability of bamboo is of course one of its biggest selling point in the present USA construction market But affordability is still the key factor for successful introduction The first costs of introducing bamboo product on the USA market, is the testing of the various products, so that it can be certified and legally used in construction An example of the costs of needed test (for fire rating: ASTM E-86 and the Pittsburgh portocol) are listed in addendum II (VTEC proposal) All prices are FOB 4.1 Demand and prices of wood based products Without demand, products won’t get sold How can we create demand for bamboo products? For one, the consumer (contractors/architects/owners) will have to aware of the product and that it is readily available Furthermore it helps, if they know what its advantages are (properties, looks, sustainability, durability) Thirdly, their eager to buy has to be matched with the price they are willing to pay I have tried to identify the current (fall 2005) prices for the different products that bamboo based product are going to compete with on the market As these market prices fluctuate significantly, this is just a momentary overview of the present USA market One should be aware of current market conditions, when one wants to successfully introduce products on the USA market Marketing considerations can mostly justify a higher price, which is not reflected in the prices derived from these calculations, as these are impossible to quantify and up to the free-market 4.1.1 Studs The average single family detached home consumes some 11,000 board feet of lumber (Thousand board feet (MBF) = 2.36 Cubic meters (CBM) The framing in such a house consists of joists, roof trusses plus exterior and interior walls which accounts for approximately 85% of the lumber used in construction of such a structure The use of wood framing for residential construction constitutes some 60% of the U S softwood lumber consumption (Yost, 1995) Demand for (wooden) studs is likely to remain at this level, if bamboo Ushaped stud, can overtake a small percentage of this market, this would immediately create a huge demand Price: Framing lumber: Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price= $365 per MBF (oct 28-05 www.randomlengths.com) 41 At current steel prices, the steel framing materials required to frame a typical house (average 2,150 sq ft.) will be less expensive than the wood framing materials required to frame the same house when the Random Lengths Composite Index is $359 or higher However, if the builder, framing contractor or other subcontractor is new to steel, then labor costs could account for a $1.00 – 2.50 per square foot premium over wood ( www.toolbase.org, dec 2004) Meaning that material costs for steel and wood framed houses don’t differ substantially We will derive a UBS target price from the cheapest framing 2x4 on www.randomlenghts.com (oct 04-oct 05) Green Douglas Fir Std&Btr 2x4 R/L (Portland) - $338-$360 – per stud $1.48-$1.58 A target of less than $2 per 2x4 stud, or less than $458 per MBF (or $194 per M3), seams a reasonable goal the successfully introduce a good quality UBS (U-shaped bamboo stud) into the US market As BMB-panels under 12mm costs $550 per m3 (Fustar sept 05), a straight conversion of this material into 3mm studs, would cost $0.55, this is not a just assumption as all the extra labor, machinery etc etc is omitted But at least it shows, that from a pure material input (woven bamboo mats and adhesives) it is, before necessary processing, under the price range 4.1.2 Glulams Glulam production in North America in 2000 was 377 million board feet (356 million board feet U.S., 21 million board feet Canada) Over half (52%) of U.S glulam goes to new residential and remodeling uses (Ecolink, volume 11, number 4) However glulam product has been stagnating since 2001, as fierce competition from Europe has had the competitive edge in exports (www.sbcmag.info) The market for glulams is thus highly competitive Glulams made from the lower part of the culm (plyboo like), are not likely to be economically competitive with wood The alternative of bamboo mat based beams, finished with a veneer is more likely to be introduced successfully Prices: “(solid) Glulam beams of sight quality lingers around 375 €/m³ to 385 €/m³ – sometimes even lower“ (www.timber-online.net , oct 2005) 4.1.3 I-joist I-joist use has seen significant growth in all markets during the past decade as design professionals and builders became more familiar with the product’s inherent advantages They 42 are used primarily as floor joists In 2000, 866 million linear feet of I-joists were produced in North America (693 million linear feet in the U.S and 173 million linear feet in Canada) Forecasts estimate market share gains of about to 10 % per year for the next several years.(Ecolinkg, volume 11, number 4) This is fueled by the growing residential floor market Last year, about 83% of I-joists were used in new residential floor construction North American output is expected to reach 1.17 billion linear feet by 2008 (www.sbcmag.info) The rapidly growing market offers great opportunities for the relatively cheap bamboo mat based I-joists Especially since aesthetics are of hardly any concern Price: 09-2003 southern Californian I-joist (11-7/8”), $ 0.95 cents per LF (www Woodmarkets.com) 4.2 Exterior Panels “OSB competes with plywood and has seen significant growth due to a lower price and competitive performance in many uses “ (www.unitedsoybean.org) it has even become more expensive during 2004, but this will probably only a temporary exception OSB (or plywood) can of course be replaced with bamboo mat board as decribed in paragraph 3.4.1 As I they both will be hidden under roof/wall covers, aesthetics are not of concern This is purely a price based decision www.randomlengths.com oct 2004-oct 2005 prices psr M.S.F.: Southern (west-east) 15/32” 4-ply ext sheat plywood $280-$495 7/16-inch Oriented Strand Board in between $210 and $395 Resulting in a price range for 12-15mm BMB of $200-$400 per m3 – A price quote from Fustar came to $500 m3 as of oct 05) 43 4.3 Interior Panels An estimated 230 North American mills annually produce approximately 40 billion square feet of Combined particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) Particleboard and MDF are composed of lowvalue wood byproducts such as sawdust bound with UF resins Prices: (10-05 www.randomlenghts.com) all sheets 1220x2440mm 3/4 “ sanded Western exterior Plywood $790-$950 per MSF ($750-900 per m3) 3/4 “ MDF $400 per MSF – ($360 per m3) Quotation from Fustar in april 05 for 19mm horizontal or vertical bamboo panels - $41.5/sheet - $ 730 m3 Implying this could be cost competitive with high-grade plywood Quotation from Smith & Fong representatives (Bettencourt wood in Brooklyn, fall 04, 19mm bamboo panels cost $180-$200/sheet - $3000 per m3 Totally pricing bamboo outside of most construction projects budgets Again this shows that direct marketing will allow bamboo products to become price competitive 4.4 Doors 7’x3’ BMB Doors (2100x900x40mm) cost $32 (www.bambootech.org, sept 2005) This would make these solid BMB doors highly competitive Door prices normally range in the USA from $37 for a simple laun faced, hollow core door, to $250 for a solid wood door Door frames cost are listed on the bambootech website for $2 per SF (probably should be LF) Price ranges in the US are $5 and $20 per LF 4.5 Conclusions It is hard to determine which materials will truly be successful when introduced in the USA, because this is dependant on many factors However, the direct quotations for solid bamboo panels show that direct marketing (cutting out one or two relaying parties), will be able to greatly reduce the price and get it within affordable range of many projects 44 Both UBS, plyboo and doors seem to be able to compete on a price and quality basis with conventional American construction elements This is a hopefull fact to start doing the necessary research to further develop some of these materials to test and introduce them to the ever expanding USA construction market 45 MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES Through my work as a Blue Moon Grantee at Common Ground Community (CGC), there is an excellent opportunity to create a win-win situation for both the Chinese bamboo manufacturers and CGC I have asked our architect to identify building elements that could be bamboo panels If this can be profitable for all parties, it can be a great success How will this be achieved? : • • • • Since Polshek Partnership Architects and CGC names are well known, national (and probably international) media attention for the project and this new construction material (bamboo) will be assured The design for the Schermerhorn House has won a Citation in the AIA New York Chapter 2005 Housing Design Awards Plyboo will be used as paneling in the highly visible lobby and entrance of the building All the apartments will have a plyboo desk and wardrobe Besides this opportunity, which is likely to be published about nationally and probably internationally There is also an array of conferences and trade shows where buildings materials are presented (Green Build, ICFF, etc) that could be used to introduce the new products to architects and owners Proposals for workshops are one of the possibilities to engage in these conferences, most likely combined with a stands of manufacturers in the exhibition hall 46 LITERATURE Green Building Rating SystemFor New Construction &Major Renovations (LEED-NC)Version 2.1, USGBC 2003 Larasati, Dr Jules J.A Janssen,Ir E.L.C Egmond-de Wilde de Ligny, INBAR Working Paper 31 - UNCOVERING THE GREEN GOLD OF INDONESIA A Design Research on Bamboo’s Potential van der Lugt, Pablo, Andy van den Dobbelsteen1, Ruben Abrahams2 Bamboo as a building material alternative for Western Europe? 1: Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, The Netherlands 2: NIBE Research, Naarden, The Netherlands L Silander – Adventures in furniture design, RISDviews, fall 2005 Design marketing collaborative, Meridian printing RISD Ramsey/Sleeper, Architectural Graphic standards, 2000, John Wiley and Sohns, New York Waite, T (1994, July)., Alternative framing materials in residential construction: three case studies Upper Marlboro, MD: National Association of Home Builders Research Center Internet http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_007300_ball oonframe.htm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bambooplantations/message/6332?viscount=100 - Doug Harrison Minnesota, USA http://www.bamboocomposites.com/Bamboo%20Mat%20Corrugated%20S heet.htm (http://www.bambootech.org/tslink.asp?subsubid=110&subid=42&sname= USAGE&subname=STRUCTURAL&lid=258, oct 2005) http://www.biomatnet.org/secure/Fair/F644.htm#proghttp://www.gaiam com/retail/gai_content/learn/gai_learnArticle.asp?article_id=1030 http://www.edcmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP Features Item/0,4120,139794,00.html http://www.environet.com/Guide_to_Formaldehyde1e.htm 47 http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/formald2.html http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/DimensionalLumber.html http://www.jm.com/engineered_products/wallcoverings/indoorair.pdf http://www.nol.org/home/NEO/home_const/factsheets/min_use_lumber.h tm http://www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?DocumentID=2188&CategoryID=114 http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Resources/BDCWhitePaperR2.pdf 48 ... U-shaped studs from bamboo mat I-joist made from bamboo mat Sheathing panels (bamboo mat board) MDF bamboo (from bamboo pulp) Bamboo sandwich panel doors These materials are all part of the culm that... Corrugated bamboo mat boards (www.bamboocomposites.com) These mats are made from the higher part of the culm, that is more flexible and cannot be used for bamboo flooring and plyboo Using the higher part... 4) The bamboo based version of the I-joist, takes full advantage of the materials specific characteristics when the web-material is made from bamboo mat-based board The flanges can be either made