Architects and construction experts released the “Pittsburgh Declaration,” calling for bamboo to become a widely used building material for the 21st Century at a recent University of Pittsburgh symposium.
The declaration cited multiple benefits of bamboo including seismic resiliency after bamboo structures often fared better than buildings made from conventional construction material such as concrete in earthquakes in Nepal and Ecuador. Reconstruction in those countries is expected to include more bamboo building materials.
The Declaration was a result of the “Symposium on Bamboo in the Urban Environment,” part of a US-State Department and UK British Council-funded Global Innovation Initiative project that is supporting the development of bamboo as a sustainable and engineered alternative construction material.
The Declaration makes several recommendations to ensure bamboo is harnessed more effectively and becomes a viable building material. A key issue is the development of international standards. Bamboo's use in modern structures has been hampered by a lack of formal standards and codes.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 5, 2021
Flood risk for affordable housing expected to triple by 2050
Some communities will have 90% of their affordable housing at risk.
Codes and Standards | Jan 4, 2021
Ranks of remote workers expected to double in five years
Nearly 23% of employees will work from outside of offices.
Codes and Standards | Dec 28, 2020
CSI and ASTM standards can now be connected through a central location
CROSSWALK web service accesses standards specific to projects from feasibility to turnover.
Codes and Standards | Dec 28, 2020
Dept. of Energy offers Better Buildings Field Validation Results Hub
One-stop-shop for information associated with technology validations in buildings.
Codes and Standards | Dec 28, 2020
2021 Defense Authorization Act includes mass timber provision
Directs defense, agriculture secretaries to review potential for wood frame construction on defense building projects.
Codes and Standards | Dec 28, 2020
New York City proposal would require rainwater detention tanks for new development
Rule would apply to projects on lots sized 20,000 sf or larger.
Codes and Standards | Dec 17, 2020
Energy efficiency as a service gaining ground as financing approach for adopting innovations
Building owners can invest in new technology with no upfront cost.
Codes and Standards | Dec 16, 2020
Resources available to address Legionella threat
Buildings reopened after extended pandemic closure are at risk.
Codes and Standards | Dec 16, 2020
New Specifications for Concrete Construction reference manual released
Scope expanded to include shotcrete, internal curing, mineral fillers, and recycled concrete aggregates.
Codes and Standards | Dec 15, 2020
Despite COVID-19 population flight, don’t write off big cities yet
Lure of urban life and jobs may draw people back after pandemic subsides.
