Bamboo is a unique plant in that it emerges from the ground having already obtained its full diameter and grows to its full height in less a year. Guadua Angustifolia can grow 12 cm daily, reaching a final height of 20-25 m and having a diameter of up to 12cm. Most bamboos mature within 2-3 years and can be harvested at that time (5 years if used for construction).  Once cut, bamboo regenerates itself from the rhizome and actually needs to be exploited in order to reach optimal production.

Bamboo is a material which has many historical construction applications, from the common bahareque technique (mud plaster over woven bamboo walls) found throughout Mexico and other parts of Latin America, to the extensive and impressive use of Guadua as structural timbers in Colombia.  It is a natural resource with a long history of utilization in the Americas, and yet remains little known outside the communities in which it plays a key role.

In addition to its usefulness as a raw material for building, bamboo exhibits numerous characteristics which make it a good option for cultivation and economic development.  Its environmental benefits are often noted including its use in sewage treatment, erosion control, soil improvement and large biomass production.

Bamboo’s overall usefulness as part of an integrated community development project has also been the subject of study.  As an agricultural resource, the production of bamboo can benefit impoverished, rural communities as a result of its relative speed and ease to cultivate, maintain, harvest, and transport (due to its relative light weight.)  It is a resource which lends itself to an integrated development process which can include simple on-site processing as well as large scale industrialization

The above information is taken form a review of literature written in September 2005.  Please see original document for references and a more detailed discussion of the use of guadua in construction.  The viability of bamboo as a renewable building material in the Americas  For More information …… (Link to PDF)

Bamboo is a unique plant in that it emerges from the ground having already obtained its full diameter and grows to its full height in less a year. Guadua Angustifolia can grow 12 cm daily, reaching a final height of 20-25 m and having a diameter of up to 12cm. Most bamboos mature within 2-3 years and can be harvested at that time (5 years if used for construction).  Once cut, bamboo regenerates itself from the rhizome and actually needs to be exploited in order to reach optimal production.

Bamboo is a material which has many historical construction applications, from the common bahareque technique (mud plaster over woven bamboo walls) found throughout Mexico and other parts of Latin America, to the extensive and impressive use of Guadua as structural timbers in Colombia.  It is a natural resource with a long history of utilization in the Americas, and yet remains little known outside the communities in which it plays a key role.

In addition to its usefulness as a raw material for building, bamboo exhibits numerous characteristics which make it a good option for cultivation and economic development.  Its environmental benefits are often noted including its use in sewage treatment, erosion control, soil improvement and large biomass production.

Bamboo’s overall usefulness as part of an integrated community development project has also been the subject of study.  As an agricultural resource, the production of bamboo can benefit impoverished, rural communities as a result of its relative speed and ease to cultivate, maintain, harvest, and transport (due to its relative light weight.)  It is a resource which lends itself to an integrated development process which can include simple on-site processing as well as large scale industrialization

The above information is taken form a review of literature written in September 2005.  Please see original document for references and a more detailed discussion of the use of guadua in construction.  The viability of bamboo as a renewable building material in the Americas.