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How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

bambooimport.com

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Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#161

Post by berkes »

lazide wrote: post #144
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #132

Really neat article, love things like this on HN. I thought this was really interesting: > A bamboo stem reaches its maximum height in just a few months and shall not grow taller or thicker over time. In the following 4 years the fibers will "lignify" and get their extraordinary mechanical properties in terms of hardness, strength, density. That seems pretty fascinating to me. Are there any other plants/trees that gr…

Most trees won’t grow that fast (well almost nothing grows as fast as bamboo). Usually height of a plant or tree is determined by the available shade (more shade, the more the tree will try to climb above it), and available water. Less water generally means shorter, and more (easy) sun usually means shorter, though there is a huge genetic element of course. Some trees will collect significant water from rain or fog w…

> Most trees won’t grow that fast

Most won't but some do grow really very fast. Like the Willow.

I live in an area with lots of Pollarded Willows. We have about 30 of them in our garden. They grow a ridiculous 2-3m each year (6-10ft). Often in just a few months.

We'll cut them around now (autumn) down to 1.50m, and next year august they'll easily be 3-4m high again. Pollarding is rewarding but a lot of work.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow#Others

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#162

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

lazide wrote: post #144
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #132

Really neat article, love things like this on HN. I thought this was really interesting: > A bamboo stem reaches its maximum height in just a few months and shall not grow taller or thicker over time. In the following 4 years the fibers will "lignify" and get their extraordinary mechanical properties in terms of hardness, strength, density. That seems pretty fascinating to me. Are there any other plants/trees that gr…

Most trees won’t grow that fast (well almost nothing grows as fast as bamboo). Usually height of a plant or tree is determined by the available shade (more shade, the more the tree will try to climb above it), and available water. Less water generally means shorter, and more (easy) sun usually means shorter, though there is a huge genetic element of course. Some trees will collect significant water from rain or fog w…

Yes, I know and understand all that. The new information to me was that, after shooting up quickly to its final height, the bamboo basically just grows stronger and harder over the next 4 years without changing its dimensions. Curious if there are any other plants that do something similar, or why bamboo would do this in the first place, evolutionarily speaking.

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#163

Post by gizmo686 »

uglycoyote wrote: post #155

This was interesting in light of an interview I was just listening to yesterday, a CBC podcast [1] talking about the benefits of mass timber (glued wood) for large highrise building construction. There were two guests on, both sounded like environmentalists, with the first one (Michael Green) saying that mass timber was "currently the best tool we have to address climate impact and in the building materials for a lar…

We are not cutting down forests to make buildings. We get plenty of lumber to do that from sustainable tree farms. We are cutting down forests to get land (mostly to use for non-tree agriculture)

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#164

Post by rexreed »

hyuuu wrote: post #6

I wonder what kind of glue it uses, it's used in all of the processes

Specifically, formaldehyde-based glues.

"Most manufactured wood building materials contain one of these two types of formaldehyde-based glues:

* Phenol-formaldehyde (PF)

* Urea-formaldehyde (UF).

Its water resistant properties make phenol-formaldehyde glue more effective for production of exterior wood materials. Urea-formaldehyde glue, cheaper and less tolerant of excessive moisture, is most often used for interior materials including wall paneling, flooring and cabinetry. "

More details here: http://www.healthyhouseinstitute.com/hhip-780-Formaldehyde-B...

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#165

Post by rexreed »

I posted this lower down as a comment, but some might be interested to know what specific glue is being used:

Most manufactured wood building materials contain one of these two types of formaldehyde-based glues:

* Phenol-formaldehyde (PF)

* Urea-formaldehyde (UF).

Its water resistant properties make phenol-formaldehyde glue more effective for production of exterior wood materials. Urea-formaldehyde glue, cheaper and less tolerant of excessive moisture, is most often used for interior materials including wall paneling, flooring and cabinetry.

In its natural state, softwood lumber emits a tiny amount of formaldehyde. While PF-glued products typically emit 10 times the formaldehyde outgassed by softwood, UF resins can release at least 100 times more formaldehyde than the natural wood.

A typical particle-board subfloor made with UF glue can release enough formaldehyde to result in a 0.3 ppm concentration of formaldehyde in a room. For healthy people who are not bothered by formaldehyde, the levels in softwood lumber and PF glue are usually not considered a serious health problem.

UF glue, on the other hand, has been implicated is causing people to become hypersensitive; a good reason for healthy people and sensitive people to avoid UF glues altogether"

More details here: http://www.healthyhouseinstitute.com/hhip-780-Formaldehyde-B...

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#166

Post by nuerow »

legohead wrote: post #133
oblio wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why isn't there more of an uproar about this?

I'm not sure what nuerow was trying to say. Carcinogens aren't bad for you simply by looking at them. And it's widely known and often repeated to use respirators when cutting MDF. Now is the creation of the glue environmentally unfriendly? I don't know.

> I'm not sure what nuerow was trying to say. Carcinogens aren't bad for you simply by looking at them. And it's widely known and often repeated to use respirators when cutting MDF.

In case you are not aware, engineered lumber, whether used as structural elements, finishings, or even furniture, continuously releases formaldehyde into the environment. Consequently, there are health and safety guidelines to minimize exposure, which depending on the jurisdiction can vary around 0.03ppm and 0.01 ppm.

Those who handle MDF in industrial contexts need to take a lot of precautions to be safe regarding the half dozen types of cancer linked with it's exposure, but the risk isn't limited to that context. Risk is determined by the degree of exposure, and lower-level but continuous exposure throughout longer time periods, which happens when you stay home, also presents a serious health risk.

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#167

Post by brensmith »

coldcode wrote: post #99
ben_bai wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes it grows in US/Europe. I only have experience with smaller forms (1inch, 2.5cm diameter). It's fast growing and spreads like crazy. Be careful with bamboo in your garden, it'll shoot out underground and resurface couple meters (yards) away from the main plant if you don't encase it in concrete. Now if it yields more then a fast growing tree? Don't know.

There are types of bamboo that do not spread like that.

Yes to this! Bamboo root structure (rhizomes) can be broken down into two basic types, leptomorph and pachymorph. Bamboo that belong to the leptomorph rhizome group can grow many feet over a growing season, and have buds along their length that will grow into new rhizomes or culms (shoots). These are the classic runaway bamboo that folks worry about. Bamboo that have pachymorph rhizomes will (each one) grow into a culm and are thus much slower to spread around your garden. More like a clumping bush. I grow bamboo as a hobby in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, and currently have about thirty bamboo plants of 10 different types growing in pots in my yard. I'm waiting to plant them in the ground at my next house for when I have root barriers to prevent the leptomorphs from spreading too quickly!

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#168

Post by Enginerrrd »

TedShiller wrote: post #43

If you start with something that is natural and sustainable (for example, bamboo), and you add to it something that is neither (for example, glue), then you end up with something that is neither natural nor sustainable. Sorry.

You seem to imply that it's a given that glue is not sustainable. Is that the case?

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#169

Post by hcurtiss »

uglycoyote wrote: post #155

This was interesting in light of an interview I was just listening to yesterday, a CBC podcast [1] talking about the benefits of mass timber (glued wood) for large highrise building construction. There were two guests on, both sounded like environmentalists, with the first one (Michael Green) saying that mass timber was "currently the best tool we have to address climate impact and in the building materials for a lar…

John Talberth runs the Center for Sustainable Economy, an environmental advocacy organization in Portland, Oregon. He is an old general from the PNW "timber wars" of the 1990s, directly involved in pursuing the spotted owl injunctions. He has long been opposed to intensive management of native conifer forests. It's amusing to me to hear him advocating for harvest in somebody else's back yard. I suppose that's been the subtext the entire time, with so much harvest volume having migrated to the US southeast following the spotted owl injunctions.

Re: How is bamboo lumber made? (2016)

#170

Post by giarc »

uglycoyote wrote: post #155

This was interesting in light of an interview I was just listening to yesterday, a CBC podcast [1] talking about the benefits of mass timber (glued wood) for large highrise building construction. There were two guests on, both sounded like environmentalists, with the first one (Michael Green) saying that mass timber was "currently the best tool we have to address climate impact and in the building materials for a lar…

At the bottom of the OP link is the price for a 4x8' sheet of bamboo plywood. It's listed for 295 euroos or $342USD. I'm not sure there is a 'regular' wood sheet that is even close to that cost. It's truly a specialized product and unless there are more economical bamboo sheet goods, no one would ever build with this.
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