HUYS ADVIES

THIN BAMBOO CULMS

FOR TRUSSES

Use of Two and Three Culms in Composite Beams

Report by:
Sjoerd Nienhuys
Renewable Energy Advisor
www.nienhuys.info

October 2012
Title: Thin Bamboo Culms for Trusses Use of Two and Three Culms in Composite Beams

Author: Sjoerd Nienhuys

Abstract: Harvesting, curing, preservation and building construction using thin bamboo stems
or culms of 40 mm diameter. Making composite beams for trusses with connectors
and dowels. Stress reinforcement with galvanised wire for lightweight roof
constructions covered with thatch or reed. Illustrative sketches and photos.

Key Words: Bamboo trusses, thin culms, roofs, composite beams

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
1. Thin Bamboo Culms ................................................................................................... 2
2. Bamboo Trusses ........................................................................................................ 3
3. Making the Truss Design ............................................................................................. 4
4. Composite Beams in Trusses ....................................................................................... 7
5. Maximum Moment Area ............................................................................................ 13
6. Assembly of Components in the Roof .......................................................................... 14

Lightweight bamboo houses on slope.

Photo Front Page

Bundles of thin green bamboo culms with diameters from 30 mm to 45 mm for sale.

Thin Bamboo Culms for Trusses (October 2012) www.nienhuys.info

Introduction
Bamboo is an excellent lightweight and strong construction material for buildings and furniture. It
is also widely used for baskets, kitchen utensils, matting and other household artefacts.
Sustainable bamboo plantation management can generate substantial employment requiring only
simple tools, machines and artisan-level work.

However, the harvesting of bamboo is often done unplanned, allowing insufficient re-growth and
causing deterioration of the local ecosystem. This results in total disappearance of the bamboo
and eventually causing soil erosion and finally desertification. The loss of bamboo forests and
plantations has a negative effect on the local ecosystems and climate.

An underlying problem is that bamboo forests are often on public land and villagers use total
cutting and scavenging techniques in exploiting these fields. The stems (culms) are harvested
immature, bundled and sold for construction material without any curing or preservation.

Too early and improperly harvested, non-cured and non-preserved thin bamboo has a short
lifespan (less than five years) and should NOT be used for structural purposes. Culms with a
diameter <40 mm should not be used for permanent constructions or composition beams.

With improved forestry management, sustainable bamboo production can be achieved and a
constant supply of bamboo products generated. This can supply both the building and artisans
markets and generate permanent employment. Importing new bamboo species suitable for the
local climate of the region can greatly enhance the quality of the products. Bamboo plantations
can be used as final treatment for water purification installations when intermittently and
moderately flooded. Good management in combination with such filtration areas can greatly
increase the annual bamboo production.

Depending on the altitude above sea level and other climate conditions, thin stem bamboo may be
easier to grow than the thicker (>7 cm ) bamboo. In such a case, it is possible to use the thin
bamboo culms for various construction elements, including lightweight roof trusses and woven wall
panels. This paper presents some criteria and options for these light trusses.

The disadvantage of such constructions is that it is labour intensive and the exposed surface
becomes very large. Because the thinner bamboo is more vulnerable to termites, insects and
fungus, good preservation after curing is essential and good annual control, as well as periodic
cleaning of the construction in the roof, is required.

Two storey houses of bamboo construction with

lime-cement plastered walls on sloped terrain.
In this design low-angle fibre cement roofing
has been used.

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1. Thin Bamboo Culms
When constructing buildings with bamboo, it is recommended to use the large, fully grown thick
bamboo culms (stems). These grow wild in many countries, but with a selective harvesting
system, optimum benefit can be obtained from the productivity of such forests.

Bamboo types do not grow in all soil and climate

conditions. The thinner bamboo does not always grow in
defined clumps and are often spread over wide areas.

Thick bamboo clumps and scattered thin bamboo types

growing at an altitude of about 1500 m above sea level.

Thinner bamboo have diameters ranging from 1-6 cm, depending on the variety, and are often
harvested at < 3 cm. For construction purposes, it is recommended to harvest only culms of
4 cm and larger. The bamboo needs to be straight, cured and preserved before being used for
structural elements. Thin bamboo that is not cured and preserved will rapidly deteriorate by
climate and insects; thus losing its structural strength.

The use of the thicker, well

cured bamboo types is
preferred because their
lightweight and excellent
strength properties allow
large spans, reducing the
amount of construction
work.

Left: Thick cured bamboo

( 7 cm) in hotel lounge.

Right: Trusses of small

diameter bamboo ( 4 cm)
causing much more work and
larger exposed surface.

Spanning large areas with thick bamboo (> 7 cm) avoids the making of combination beams and
triangular truss constructions with several joints, and allows better maintenance control. Bamboo
constructions should not be covered up.

However, when the larger diameters are unavailable, it is still possible to construct 4-5 m spans
with thinner bamboo. The technical designs can also be used with the thicker bamboo to make
spans over 6-8 m.

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2. Bamboo Trusses
The best and most durable species of bamboo are to be selected. The Bambu Gadua Angustifolia
of South America is one of the strongest, tallest and most insect resistant. Excellent quality of
bamboo species can also be obtained from countries such as China and Indonesia. It needs to be
assessed whether good quality bamboo can be transplanted and grown in forestry projects in the
country of use. Climate conditions should be similar; near the equator the most favourable
altitude is around 1000 m above seal level. Clumping bamboo types are preferred as these do not
spread very fast with horizontal root systems or uproot buildings.

Bamboo can be used as a lightweight, strong and durable construction material when ALL of the
following conditions have been met:

(a) Mature (fully grown) bamboo with straight stems need to be harvested. The forests need to
be pruned during the bamboo shooting season to allow the best shoots to produce new culms.
Most bamboo species can be harvested after three years. Bamboo can also be grown in
filtration and purification beds of sewage installations, but they should be only flooded
intermittently since permanent flooding is harmful to their root system and growth.

(b) The bamboo needs to be harvested in the dry season, preferably at new moon (first quarter),
and the leaves left on for a few days (until they turn yellow) to allow them to extract the
moisture from the stems. The plant sap and starch are the food sources for insects. A few
stems on each clump should be left for continued growth of the clump.

(c) The culms need to be cut from the clumps between 04:00 hrs and 06:00 hrs. If the weather is
overcast, this time period can be extended until 09:00 hrs. The point is that with sunlight at
daybreak, the fluids in the bamboo start rising up from the root system, caused by
photosynthesis in the leaves.

(d) The bamboo needs to be cured and treated against insects and beetles (Powderpost beetle)
with a borax + boric acid solution. The simplest curing method is to punch out the nodes and
soak the culms in clean river water for one month so the starch can leach out. When treating
vertically, the last node should be left untouched. 1

(e) After treatment, the bamboo should be fully air dried. This means that it needs to be stored
horizontally and ventilated under a roof for an extended period depending on local climate
conditions. Drying in a greenhouse construction will speed up the process. Given the
harvesting, curing, treatment and drying period, adequate time planning is required for
obtaining durable building material. For the making of furniture and gluing the bamboo into
floor boards, it needs to be air-kiln dried down to 8-10% moisture.

(f) The bamboo construction should be elevated from the ground, soil or any permanent moisture
areas. The construction should remain dry and ventilated under all climate conditions. The
foundation and the lowest column or wall section of the building should therefore be from
cement blocks, reinforced concrete or baked brick. Up-splashing water from rain should not
reach the bamboo elements.

(g) The bamboo construction should be dimensioned in such a way that the beams (trusses) are
not strongly bent during their static load period, otherwise the construction will permanently
deform. Occasional live loads will bend the constructions, but when the load disappears, the
construction will reshape.

1
Good instructions can be found on website: www.bamboocentral.org
Picture article: www.bambooman.com.au/bambootreatment/ebf.php#Harvesting%20Bamboo
Information on lime/heat treatment: www.chalet-bamboo.com/treatment.html
Large construction bamboo: www.guaduabamboo.com/bamboo-preservation.html
Further information on termite testing/treatment: www.bamboocentral.org/index1.htm

Thin Bamboo Culms for Trusses (October 2012) www.nienhuys.info 3

3. Making the Truss Design
The design of the bamboo trusses depends on the quality and strength of the treated culms or
posts. It also depends very much on the roofing material and the related roof inclination, whether
metal sheeting, thatch or other materials.

The following sketches are related to the use of treated bamboo posts that have diameters ()
between 4 cm and 4.5 cm and are assembled to double or triple beams to obtain greater strength
and stiffness. The lightweight roofing material is from reed, thatch, folded or woven coco palm
leaves, zinc aluminium roofing sheets, etc.

Roof Inclination
The roof inclination for natural or artificial thatch is between the 45 and 60. The sketch below
gives an inclination of 50 by which the length between the support and the roof ridge is about as
long as the span between the walls (4-5 m).

A roof inclination lower than 45 is not recommended because it may cause water infiltration,
which will reduce the lifetime of the thatch. When the thatch leaks, it will negatively affect the
underlying bamboo structure.

When the exterior walls of the building are made from stabilized soil construction or plastered
bamboo, these should remain dry under all climate conditions. The roof overhang should be
minimum 60 from the water-resistant foundation or wall material.

The plinth of the building needs to be fully water resistant with membranes between the
foundation and the upper wall construction. The inside floor should be minimum 40 cm above the
field around the building. In areas where flooding can occur, all sections below the maximum flood
level should be made from cemented building materials or fully water-resistant timber columns.

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When the roof inclination is steep, a second floor can be made under the roof. If windows or
ventilation openings are required on the second floor and these protrude through the roof line,
those sections of thatched roof should have an inclination of minimal 45 as well.

When the inclination above protruding roof windows is lower than 45, other roofing material
should be used instead, such as metal sheets, zinc aluminium or transparent polycarbonate.

The components for producing large roof trusses should be manufactured and pre-assembled on
the building site using jigs for similar components. The sections should be easy to handle and lift
to the roof where they are connected together. Temporary supports and diagonal bracing will be
required in the plane of the roof. The stress wires are connected to the junctions when assembling
the components. Trying to manufacture the entire truss on the ground and then lift it on the
support structure is not advised.

Permanent bracing can be realised in the plane of the roof either on the inside or outside
depending on the final roofing material.

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When long woven leaves/tiles of the coco palm tree are used and double-diagonal bracing is placed
at distances of about 30 cm, the leaves can be attached directly to the bracing.

Ventilation and Wind

Tent-shaped roofs can have the benefit of good cross ventilation in climates with a distinctive wind
direction, such as from the sea. Such high-pitched roofs, however, need additional protection of
the lower walls at the open ends from sun and rain. The construction of smaller roof sections in
between the window or ventilation openings is required or weather-fast building materials need to
be used.

The above two pictures show a high pitched saddle (tent) roof in which
the top part is extended outwards for sun and rain protection. In areas
where it may be expected that strong winds such as hurricanes or
tornadoes can develop, this construction needs to be additionally
reinforced. 2

The above houses have woven coco palm leaf roofing with a dense
spacing of 6-8 leaves per 20 cm. The leaves are attached with rubber
bands manufactured from used car tyres. These bands are very strong
and totally weather and sun resistant.

2
Due to global warming, the occurrence of hurricane force winds is increasing and becoming more frequent in
the tropical areas. It is highly likely that the frequency and the force of these winds will increase in the coming
decennia. House designs should be based on these strong winds.

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4. Composite Beams in Trusses
Fitting two or three thin
bamboo culms together with
connectors makes the
composite beam stronger
than the two or three single
posts together. By fitting
three culms together, several
length pieces can be used to
make beams that are longer
than the original pieces. In
making these composite
beams, sections of equal
thickness should be used.
The photos and sketches are
of composite beams made of
4 cm culms.

Formula for calculation of

inertia and moment
resistance of tube-shaped
bamboo culms.

d Outside d1 Inside t Wall Section

IY=IZ WY=WZ
Diameter Diameter Thickness Wall A
1 4.0 cm 3.2 cm 0.4 cm 4.5 cm2 7.4 cm 4
3.7 cm3
2 4.5 cm 3.6 cm 0.45 cm 5.7 cm2 11.9 cm4 5.3 cm3
3 5.0 cm 4.0 cm 0.5 cm 7.1 cm2 18.1 cm4 7.2 cm3
4 5.5 cm 4.4 cm 0.55 cm 8.6 cm2 26.5 cm4 9.6 cm3
5 6.0 cm 4.8 cm 0.6 cm 10.2 cm2 37.6 cm4 12.5 cm3
6 6.5 cm 5.2 cm 0.65 cm 12.0 cm2 51.7 cm4 15.9 cm3
7 7.0 cm 5.6 cm 0.7 cm 13.9 cm2 69.6 cm4 19.9 cm3
8 7.5 cm 6.0 cm 0.75 cm 15.9 cm2 91.7 cm4 24.5 cm3
9 8.0 cm 6.4 cm 0.8 cm 18.1 cm2 118.7 cm4 29.7 cm3
10 8.5 cm 6.8 cm 0.85 cm 20.4 cm2 151.3 cm4 35.6 cm3
11 9.0 cm 7.2 cm 0.9 cm 22.9 cm2 190.1 cm4 42.3 cm3

When the outside diameter of the bamboo culms increases, the wall thickness will also increase
slightly. For many bamboo types, the thickness of the strongest part of the wall section is about
10% of the diameter. At the lower side of the stems, this section is thicker.

Because different types of bamboo have different growth patterns, the above table is a rough
approximation. The calculation shows that the strength increases substantially with the diameter
in combination with the thickness of the wall. A 8 cm culm is eight times as strong as a 4 cm
culm. Stems with <4 cm are not recommended because the amount of construction work will
greatly increase. Bamboo is a very strong material, but it will easily bend under a load
perpendicular to the stem.

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When two stems are linked together, the stiffness and moment resistance will substantially
increase. The diameters of two stems are seldom exactly the same while in each culm the
diameter can vary between bottom and top.

Varying Strength for Combinations

Bamboo is a natural material and the dimension of each stem (culm) will vary slightly over its
length. Making exact calculations of strength will be difficult and a reduction of the calculated
value needs to be taken into account, especially when several members are connected together.

For the calculation, only the outside zone of the culm is taken into account. The strongest fibres of
the bamboo are located in the outside 10% of the diameter of the culm. This is the stress or
compression zone that will take the load. The stem fibres towards the inside of the culm are softer
and more porous; thus having no contributing factor to the strength. The thickest portion of the
culm wall is near the base; this section should be for making the dowels.

The more members linked together into a single beam, the higher the reduction should be. The
reduction in the calculations below is obtained by not counting the strength of the intermediate
culm(s). The reduction is different from the safety margin. The safety margin in the construction
should be based on safety standards being applied in house and other building construction and
depends on its use. The safety margin can be obtained by adjusting the compression and stress
resistances of the material with the calculation of the maximum expected moment.

Several resistance moments have been calculated for 4 cm single culm

and composite beams to compare the different structural designs. This
illustrates the substantial strength increase for double and triple composite
beams that can be used in trusses. In floor constructions, the amount of
bending or flexing of the beams under a load is in most cases more
determining than the strength; stiffer beam constructions will be required.

Six types of beams are compared:

D = outside diameter, d = inside diameter of the culm
Single hollow round culm. WY= (D4-d4) / 32D
Double culm beam with connector block.
Double culm beam with 1.6 dowel inside.
Double culm beam with through-dowel.
Triple culm beam with through-dowel.
Triple culm beam with inside 2.6 dowel.

For the calculation of the triple hollow culms, the entire middle culm is not
counted.

Values for 4 cm Culms A B C D Total WY Strength

Single hollow round culm. 3.7 cm3 =1
Double culm beam with connector 3.2 3.8 5.6
2.9 15.5 cm3 x 4.2
blocks. 0.0 0.0 -
Double culm beam with inside 1 cm 3.2 3.8 5.6
2.9 16.7 cm3 x 4.5
and 1.6 long dowels. 0.4 0.8 -
Double culm beam with 1 cm 3.2 3.8 5.6
- 13.8 cm3 x 3.7
through-dowels. 0.4 0.8 -
Triple culm beam with 1 cm 5.2 5.6 13.0
- 29.3 cm3 x 7.9
through-dowels. 2.3 3.2 -
Triple culm beam with inside 5.2 5.6 13.0
7.9 37.2 cm3 x 10
1 cm and 2.6 long dowels. 2.3 3.2 -

From the last column of the table, the significant increase in strength can be observed for
combination beams. The double beam with either connector blocks or inside dowel is at least four
times stronger than the single culm. The double culm beam with the connector blocks or inside
dowel is 15-20% stronger than the double culm beam with the through-dowels. For this reason,
such through-dowels for the double culm beam are not recommended.

The triple culm beam with through-dowels is about 8 times as strong as the single culm.
The triple culm beam with inside dowels is about 10 times as strong as the single culm or 25%
stronger than the through-dowel beam. Because the middle culm has 1 cm holes in the top and

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bottom, its structural strength is only WY=1.3 cm3 or one third of the single culm beam. For this
reason, the in-between culm for the triple culm beam is not counted but serves as an additional
margin (strength reduction) for these composite beams.

It is clear from the table that the inside dowels create a stronger construction than the through-
dowels, but the manufacturing requires precise handling. On the other hand, the finishing is
smoother than the through-dowel connection.

Calculation
For the calculation of the block or
dowel constructions, the rounded
shape of the culm is vertically divided
into rectangular sections of 10 mm
wide (or 2 x 5 mm wide). The sections
A, B, C and D are added together to
obtain the total WY (see sketch).

The calculation is for a 4 cm culm

with 1 cm dowels, but remains an
approximation. Larger diameters will
increase proportionally in strength.

For the different beam designs,

sections A, B, C and D are added
together when applicable. For each
beam design, the WY of the top and
bottom sections of the half circle are
indicated in the first line and the inside
half circle sections of the outside culms
are the second line in the table. For
the connector block design, the inside
half circle sections of the outer culms
D, A and B are not counted because
these are cut through.

Because of the compensation triangles,

the values below are approximations.

The WY formula for rectangular hollow

shapes is used.

For two times the A, B or C rectangular section:

WY= {2 * (A * A2outside3 A * A2inside3)} / (6 * A2outside)

s = section width = 1 cm (left + right)

H = external height of section
h = internal height of open space.

WY= (sH3 sh3) / (6H) cm3 Because s = 1, the formula becomes: WY= (H3 h3) / (6H) cm3

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Curing Tank
It is essential that the bamboo being used for constructions are harvested, cured and treated
correctly. Once inside part of the construction, it is very difficult to replace rotten members or
sections that are affected by termites, fungus or other deteriorating elements.

The picture right is a cold deformed concrete reinforcement bar with

a point. The thin bamboo post is forcibly pushed over the bar. After
opening the nodes inside the entire culms, these are laid in a tank
with a borax and boric acid solution of 10% and left for at least one
week.

A long soaking tank can be made

from half oil barrels welded together.

To avoid that the stems are floating,

the bundle is weighted down with a
few cement blocks. To minimise the
effect of air bubbles inside the
stems, they should be given half a
turn everyday.

With vertical preservation treatment as is depicted in:

www.bambooman.com.au/bambootreatment/ebf.php#Harvesting%20Bamboo
the last node is not perforated. The culms are placed vertically in a barrel and filled from the top
with the 10% borax-boric acid solution; refilling when the level in the culms is lowered by
absorption.

Dowel and Block Constructions

There are various methods of making the connectors between two or three stems. The block
connector and pin or dowel connector are illustrated.

After the connectors are precisely placed,

the connections are tied together with
galvanised wire (>2 mm, <2.5 mm) over
the two or three culms. The wires are
wound minimum two times around the
dowels and minimum three times around
the block connection. Wire thinner than 2
mm is not advised. The 3 mm galvanised
wire is too stiff to be used for winding; it
is used for the vertical anchoring of the
wall plate and the main tension wires in
the trusses. In the market, 2.2 mm and
2.3 mm galvanised wires are often
available having good winding properties.

For making a stiff beam from three times

4 cm culms, the dowels are 10 mm
and minimum 4 x culm diameter long.
They are fitted precisely through the three
posts at intervals of 30 cm. After that,
the connection is diagonally tied with
galvanised wires.

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The dowels are obtained by splitting a thick section of culm and pre-shaping these. Then the
lengths are hammered through a metal profile with reducing hole sizes until a smooth dowel is
obtained with the required diameter.

Connector Blocks
Two culms together can be connected
with blocks when sawn together, assuring
that the blocks fit precisely.

In this case, the tool consists of a double

saw bolted together. In this way, the
double cut in both culms has the same
width. The sawing depth ( pole) can
be regulated by the position of the block
between the two saws. The connection
between the culms with the block is wired
tight with a minimum of three wires
>2 mm.

For all connections: the cut ends of the

twisted wires are folded in between two
bamboo culms to avoid injury when
handling.

Assembly of Inside Dowels

For the assembly of the composite beams with inside dowels, the holes for the dowels need to be
drilled precisely in line with each other. Fixing the culms in a jig and using a measuring square is
essential. The drill should be adjusted to the precise drilling depth in order to avoid drilling
through the most outside culm wall. The drill must be kept precisely vertical. Using wood drills
which have a centre point, or first making a small hole at the exact position, will avoid that the drill
slides sideways at the starting point.

The long spiral drill on the left will maintain

its position when sunk into the hollow of the
bamboo.

The wood drill on the right with a narrow

shaft can easily shift in position when the
blade enters the hollow inside the culm and
the shaft is not supported by the sides of the
hole in the bamboo.

The sketch provides a

suggestion for a jig that
holds the culms in a fixed
position for measuring,
drilling and assembly.
When making a three
culm beam, the middle
and upper culms can be
marked together so the
holes will be
corresponding exactly.
The middle and lower
culms must be drilled
together, making sure
the drill does not enter
the most outside wall of
the lower bamboo.

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Systematic Work with Jigs
It is recommended to make the building
designs with as much as possible similar
components, such as roof trusses, wall
panels, doors and windows. Series
manufacturing is more time efficient and
therefore lowers considerably the
production costs.

The making of good quality jigs is easily

recovered from the faster production.
Good jigs will avoid making mistakes and
allows precision work.

When drilling the holes in the three culms,

these must be well fixed in place to avoid
shifting during the drilling activity. A few
jigs can be made that holds the three long
culms in place while drilling.

A smooth metal pin should be placed in

the newly drilled hole to avoid any shifting
of the culms by accident with the drilled
holes. When the dowels are placed, the
connections need to be wired up crosswise and in between the culms to fix them tight.

As a guideline, the following dimensions can be used for the double culm-beam:

of the Cutting Depth Length of Distance Centre

Thickness
Two Culms = into Culm for Connector to Centre of
of Block
Width Connector Connector Blocks = Connector
Connector
Blocks Block 1.5 to 1 Blocks
1 4.0 cm 1.0 cm 2.0 cm 6.0 cm 36 cm
2 4.5 cm 1.15 cm 2.3 cm 6.0 cm 39 cm
3 5.0 cm 1.25 cm 2.5 cm 6.0 cm 42 cm
4 5.5 cm 1.35 cm 2.7 cm 6.0 cm 45 cm
5 6.0 cm 1.50 cm 3.0 cm 6.0 cm 48 cm

As a guideline, the following dimensions can be used for the three culm-beam:

Average of the Distance Centre to

for the Dowels/Holes Length of the
Three Culms of Centre of
Total Wall Thickness Dowels = 4
Beam Dowels = 7
1 4.0 cm 1.0 cm 16 cm 28 cm
2 4.5 cm 1.1 cm 18 cm 31.5 cm
3 5.0 cm 1.2 cm 20 cm 35 cm
4 5.5 cm 1.3 cm 22 cm 38.5 cm
5 6.0 cm 1.4 cm 24 cm 42 cm

The maximum external moment that can be applied depends on the material resistance, the
thickness of the culm wall and the maximum bending tolerated under full load. Test beams should
be made of the available bamboo material.

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5. Maximum Moment Area
When the composite beams are part of the construction and used as components for trusses, the
location of the maximum moment area of these beams should be known. The best culms should
be used in these zones, while no lengthwise connection of culms should be placed in these
maximum moment areas. Shorter sections can be used in the middle and pressure zone of the
beams.

It is important that the people making the construction or the trusses on site are well aware of the
differences between the upper and lower side of each beam and where maximum positive and
negative moments will occur.

Long sides of trusses and long purlins over several truses will have alternating locations of the
maximum moment areas. In this case, the outside culms of the trusses and purlins should have
the longer sections at these maximum moment areas. It will be important to mark the correct
side of the beams precisely, indicating the inside or outside of the beams.

In areas where large forces are expected, or where junctions between different truss components
are to be made, the number of culms in the beam can be increased to four.

<<<<< Inside

Outside >>>>

In the pictures above, the support of the truss is connected with the wall plate and a horizontal tie-
bar or wall plate. The 3-culm truss beam continues outside the wall to create the roof overhang
and the veranda. At this support point, both positive and negative moments are possible and an
additional culm section has been added near the support area. The horizontal lower tie-bar can be
substituted with a few 3 mm galvanised wires; this is more cost efficient.

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6. Assembly of Components in the Roof
The thin bamboo composite beams are stiff in one direction, but weak in the other direction.
Prefabricating long elements or whole trusses is not advised. They will be difficult to handle and
can break when loaded perpendicular to their plane of stiffness.

Depending on the strength of the elements, easy to lift and handle sections should be assembled
together in the roof by inserting the dowels and applying thin galvanised bolts/nuts.

Many truss designs are possible, but all should have a triangular section
providing support with a few 3 mm galvanised tension wires.
In this design, buttresses are supporting the trusses and provide some stability of the walls.
Shelves can be placed or storage areas made in between the buttresses or pennants.

During the assembly in the roof, bracing in the perpendicular direction of the truss is required.
This bracing can be temporary depending on the roof covering design and material.

The stiffness of the top ridge is important for having a straight rooftop. A double culm is
recommended here when the purlins are single culms. The top ridge of thatched roofs can have
an extra load because of cemented ridge tiles.

The simplest connection is to bolt the truss sides directly together with five galvanised bolts. The
ridge is wired fixed. To secure the bolts on the rounded bamboo, washers made from bottle tops
should be used directly on the bamboo to improve grip and then covered with the bolt washers.

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In this second design below, the connection between the two truss sides is made with 2 x 12 mm
weatherproof multiplex plates bolted together with 8 mm galvanised bolts and nuts.

When the two truss sides are linked together at the top, the length of each side can be a culm
thickness different (sketch below). This requires good marking of the components during the
prefabrication on the ground. Bottle tops are used as first washers on the round bamboo poles for
better grip.

The load from the roof trusses needs to be transferred down to the supporting walls or columns
and at the same point the horizontal stress wires need to be fixed. Several solutions are possible.

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The sketch shows the use of double multiplex 12 mm sides which is filled up with a block. The
sides are glued and nailed to the central block, and a hole is drilled into this support for the
anchorage of the block to the wall plate and the stress reinforcement. The truss is fixed with
5-6 galvanised 8 mm bolts. When the wall plate anchors are not in the same location as the
trusses, the block can be fixed with angle irons and bolts to the wall plate.

When there is no supporting wall, but a timber column, the same construction can be applied. In
this case, the block is replaced by the tailored top side of the column.

The three culm truss should not be fixed directly onto the wall plate because the thin bamboo can
get easily damaged due to the sideway point loads in combination with the stress wires.

When sections of thick HDPE water pipes cut-in-half are first fixed to the wall plate, placing the
trusses will be easy. Tying two short sections of bamboo to the lower and middle culms will further
strengthen the anchoring area of the truss. The horizontal stress wire will go around these
additional sections and through the middle culm of the truss leg. The vertical wall reinforcement
can also be brought upwards and anchored through the same middle culm of the truss leg.

All bamboo constructions should remain open and visible for inspection. No double or hollow wall
constructions should be present for animals to hide or build nests. All the open ends of all bamboo
culms need to be sealed to avoid insects from entering. This can be done in various ways, but the
filling should not fall out during the lifetime of the construction.

Stuffing horizontal ends of floor beams

with a sand : cement : lime mixture
(10:1:1) is effective.

When the bamboo is still drying a little

after the construction, the filling will
become tightly fixed.

For inclined trusses, these plugs may

fall out in due time and therefore
some anchorage may be required.

When the ends are plugged with small pieces of bamboo, those ends need to be reinforced first to
avoid splitting open. Hammering the pieces in place can close all small openings. The protruding
ends need to be sawn off straight.

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The long end of the twisted wire around the end of the bamboo can be stuck into the opening
when filling this opening with short bamboo sections. This wire will also hold the cement and lime
mortar plug in place.

Annual Inspection
The roof construction should remain accessible for inspection and maintenance. Ceilings and
horizontal truss components should be strong enough to hold the weight of a maintenance person.
The openings above the ceilings and in between the truss triangles should allow easy passage of a
person.

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