Bamboo as a structural element of architectural buildings in tropical climates

Abstract

This paper aims to give an overview of how to use bamboo as an environmentally friendly material, in order to identify its use as a structural element of architecture. The relevance of bamboo use in architectural buildings in tropical areas can be identified by examining the nature of the material. The data collection method used in this paper is derived from the review of the literature, by examining the theory of bamboo as the structure, the potential of bamboo, and the definition of structural elements on buildings in tropical climates, as well as a review of the case studies of buildings in tropical climates. There are three aspects to be reviewed, namely the material capability of the structure withstands the loads, the durability of building materials, and material flexibility in the building. Based on the results of the review, the bamboo material is still relevant when used as a structural element of the building in tropical climates, namely as a curved structure and used as a column structure-beams. Bamboo can be used as elements that require material flexibility in buildings, such as the curved structure, precast panels, funicular structures, Bamboo Reinforced Concrete, and Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Concrete (BFRC). To maintain the resilience of bamboo, effective preservation process is needed, namely by the method of Simple sap displacement technique or Modified Boucherie technique, and can also be done with the right design selection, such as design with overhang, the concept of open plan, the optimization of openings, and the use concrete footing.