Bamboo construction

Bamboo has also long been used as scaffolding; the practice has been banned in mainland China for buildings over six stories, but is still in continuous use for skyscrapers in Hong Kong.

In Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality timber.

The greatest advancements in structural use of bamboo have been in Colombia, where Universities have been conducting significant research into element and joint design and large high-profile buildings and bridges have been constructed.

[6] In Brazil, bamboo have been studied for more than 40 years at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro PUC-Rio for structural applications.

[16] Modern fixed preservatives may be used as alternatives to boron such as copper azole, however little bamboo has been reliably tested using these methods to date.

[16] Natural forms of bamboo treatment such as soaking in water and exposing to smoke may provide some limited protection against beetles, however, there is little evidence to show they are effective against termites and rot, and are therefore not typically used in modern construction.

Long used in China and Japan, entrepreneurs started developing and selling laminated bamboo flooring in the West during the mid-1990s; products made from bamboo laminate, including flooring, cabinetry, furniture and even decorations, are currently surging in popularity, transitioning from the boutique market to mainstream providers such as Home Depot.

[20] Bamboo has been used successfully for housing in Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico, Nepal and the Philippines.

[23] This method takes the Latin America vernacular construction system bahareque (a derivative of wattle and daub) and engineers it, making it considerably more durable and resistant to earthquakes and typhoons.

Panyaden International School in northern Thailand expanded its campus with a bamboo sports hall designed by Chiangmai Life Architects.

Inspired by the lotus flower, the hall spans 782 square meters and includes courts for various sports and a liftable stage.

The innovative design uses prefabricated bamboo trusses spanning over 17 meters, ensuring the structure can withstand high-speed winds and earthquakes.