STRUCTURAL BAMBOO CULMS IN THE EUROPEAN REGULATORY CONTEXT: TOWARDS A BAMBOO ARCHITECTURE

Jaime E. Espinosa

Abstract


Introduction: Existing international standards and national building codes for structural bamboo culms provide sufficient information to safely use bamboo culms as a structural material in Europe. Methods: This paper analyses the literature related to the characterization, performance, and standardization of structural bamboo culms, as well as the literature on structural building codes — including national codes that already address structural bamboo culms — in order to address whether the current European regulatory context permits their use. Results: Despite the need for design guides related to fire safety, structural bamboo culms are suitable within the European regulatory context. This is because the structural Eurocodes and other regulatory texts that coexist with them (e.g., the Spanish ‘Código Técnico de la Edificación’) are performance-based. Building fire safety is incorporated into building codes through a combination of passive and active features, such as fire-rated building elements, appropriate means of egress, and fire detection and suppression systems, among others, allowing the implementation of bamboo culms as a structural material. Discussion: Despite the research still needed to better understand bamboo as a building material, structural bamboo culms are legally permitted within the current European building regulatory context, even as a permanent building structure.

Keywords


bamboo; European standards; structural bamboo standards; structural design; codes

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References


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