A Case for the Miracle Plan // Bamboo
As we continue our endeavour to reach endlessly toward the skies, the construction industry is faced with not merely how to keep these structures structurally stable, but also how to build the temporary scaffolding from which to erect these structures. Australia, on par with most other Euro-American nations opts for heavy steel frames, seen as “the most diverse and technologically advanced system” (CoatesHire, 2014). Cities such as Hong Kong however offer a potentially more sustainable solution, the dried and treated plant, bamboo.
An old man continues to fashion Dim Sum baskets from bamboo, a technique which is still only possible by hand given the need for bamboo ties as well. The use of metal and plastic alternatives has often been criticised as affecting the taste of food. (Wiltshire, 2006).
As I have identified in the past, Hong Kong is one of the most urbanised cities in the world and possesses the most efficient public transport system in the world. It is therefore almost counterintuitive to expect that a city of such technical advancement would use nothing more than a plant and plastic cable ties to construct its skyscrapers. On another level however, we find that bamboo is in fact intrinsically linked to Chinese culture. It has been seen that since the 10th century at least, bamboo has been used for temporary structures as well as a variety of different household products. In doing so, the entire plant is divided for different uses and that “…a single hectare will yield enough material to build several houses…” (Wiltshire, 2006, p. 112). The Hong Kong Government in fact provides detailed analyses for using bamboo, providing occupational health and safety guidelines as well as structural comparisons for using bamboo.
Construction of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre showing how versatile bamboo strucrues are, following the curvature of the roof using only cantilevers (image source: http://www.buzzhunt.co.uk/2012/01/19/hong-kong-builders-still-use-bamboo-scaffolding/)
Temporary bamboo structures also offer internal spaces for
performances of Traditional Cantonese Opera. (Image source: http://www.gizmag.com/west-kowloon-bamboo-theatre/26228/)
In a city where typhoons have the potential to bring these temporary structures down, it is also important to note that of the twenty-four construction accidents which occurred, only three resulted from falls due to incorrectly constructed or falling from bamboo scaffolding (Ngo, 2013). Rather than being a fixed regular steel system which is bulky, the bamboo system “is flexible in providing working platform and access to building in limited construction space” (Jiang, 2014), making it ideal for the tight sites of this highly dense city. Finally, it has also been identified that “the erecting of bamboo scaffolding is about six times faster, and the dismantling of bamboo scaffolding about twelve times faster than other types of scaffolding.” (Jiang, 2014). With all these advantages socially, economically and time-wise, it now seems almost natural and obvious to opt for a readily available plant in our construction industry.
Table and Diagram by the Labor Department of Hong Kong, providing specifications of bamboo and how to construct it.
(Occupational Health and Safety Branch, 2009).
Bamboo Structure independent and under one of the city's dual carriageways,
exhibiting its versatility in confined spaces. (Hugo Chan, 2014).
Indeed as one of the exhibits at the recent 2013/2014 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Urbanism and Architecture Bi-City Biennale (HKSZUABB), bamboo was used to express its versatility to be situated within tight existing landscapes and its potential for dynamic formal and spatial expression. Given that some bamboo scaffolding workers are worried that “if we don’t appreciate the skill and knowledge, it will one day disappear” (Ngo, 2013), I feel that it is therefore important to retain and encourage this scaffolding as a sustainable solution in our ever increasingly density and urbanisation of cities. With its additional advantages of being cheaper than steel and possessing less embodied energy, the use of bamboo in our construction processes can potentially become an endless cycle of ruse and regrowth, bringing this element into the realm of cradle-to-cradle processes.
References
Aiyin Jiang. (University of Cincinnati, Ohio). “A Sustainable Scaffolding Alternative – Bamboo Scaffolding”. Accessed 12 April 2014 via: http://ascpro0.ascweb.org/archives/cd/2008/paper/CPGT190002008.pdf
Jennifer Ngo. “Why is Hong Kong last frontier for bamboo scaffolders?” South China Morning Post (9 March 2013). Accessed 12 April 2014 via: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1186476/why-hong-kong-last-frontier-bamboo-scaffolders
Trea Wiltshire. (2006). Bamboo. Hong Kong: Form Asia Books Limited.
CoatesHire. (2014). “Steel Scaffolding Hire”. Accessed on 12 April 2014 via:
http://www.coateshire.com.au/ladders-scaffold-hire/steel-scaffolding-hire
Occupational Safety and Health Branch Labour Department, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety. (2009). Accessed on 12 April 2014 via: http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/os/B/Bamboo.pdf