Architects and construction experts released the “Pittsburgh Declaration,” calling for bamboo to become a widely used building material for the 21st Century at a recent University of Pittsburgh symposium.
The declaration cited multiple benefits of bamboo including seismic resiliency after bamboo structures often fared better than buildings made from conventional construction material such as concrete in earthquakes in Nepal and Ecuador. Reconstruction in those countries is expected to include more bamboo building materials.
The Declaration was a result of the “Symposium on Bamboo in the Urban Environment,” part of a US-State Department and UK British Council-funded Global Innovation Initiative project that is supporting the development of bamboo as a sustainable and engineered alternative construction material.
The Declaration makes several recommendations to ensure bamboo is harnessed more effectively and becomes a viable building material. A key issue is the development of international standards. Bamboo's use in modern structures has been hampered by a lack of formal standards and codes.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
Rapid growth for environmental insurance in construction industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is paying closer attention to intrusion of potentially harmful vapors into commercial and residential buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
Roof collapse at Minnesota water park highlights failure to enforce codes
Rural areas say they can’t afford to enforce state-adopted building code.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
U.S. House scuttles EPA plan to expand definition of waters in Clean Water Act
Construction industry officials said the rule would hamper developers, cost jobs.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
First EPD covering PVC water and wastewater piping published
Benchmarks impacts of seven PVC pipe products across their life cycles.
Office Buildings | May 18, 2015
New ASHRAE standard offers test method to determine heat gain of office equipment
The standard will aid engineers in configuring cooling systems in office buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Widespread damage from Nepal earthquake due to poor implementation of building code
Nepal’s code author says destruction was ‘inevitable.’
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Lavish residential skyscrapers prompt concern over shadows
New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston among cities grappling with height regulations.
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Several states moving to repeal prevailing wage laws
Anti-prevailing wage bills that apply to state-funded construction projects have been passed in West Virginia and Nevada. Similar laws could be passed in Indiana and Illinois.
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
New OSHA rule aimed at protecting construction workers in confined spaces
The agency says the rule will protect about 800 workers a year from serious injury.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
Colorado House kills construction defects bill
The legislation would have made it harder for condo owners to sue builders.
