People lives on a planet that has a set of resources that allows him to defend himself, to ensure the survival of his people and to find shelter. These resources are of different natures and play indispensable roles in the routine or in the improvement of the living conditions of humanity. Man, in his concern for existential improvement, refers to his curiosity by using available resources. From this innate curiosity emerge various discoveries and inventions on materials that, evolved, became vital in the construction of civil engineering works. To mention, we have concrete, steel, wood and so many other materials known in the world of construction)
Although the use of concrete dates back to ancient times, it was not until 1817 that modern cement was invented by Louis Vicat who discovered the process and the composition of Portland cement by seeking to improve the resistance and a certain durability mortars. And despite its penalizing weight and its considerable limits of flexibility, very quickly, concrete becomes the revolutionary material of construction in the twentieth century. (Jean-François Denoël, 2013)
Bearing in mind the limits of Concrete, a material was needed to compensate for concrete in tension. (Steel, 2018) Steel therefore allows concrete to take up tensile forces in any structure; and their fusion (Steel, Concrete) allows to have a unique material: The Reinforced Concrete
Reinforced concrete is therefore used for structures where the concrete must withstand both traction [1] and compression [2]. However the Reinforced Concrete knows a lot of limit which puts it in Question:
The weight is too high
The time-consuming setting up
The modification of the work once completed is complicated
These limits do not remain without consequences and especially with us in Haiti where we experienced quite a lot of the chaos of the performance of Concrete in the face of Earthquakes and Cyclones.
An assessment was made of the earthquake of January 12, 2010 on the impact on infrastructure: Approximately 313,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, more than 1,300 educational institutions, more than 50 hospitals and health centers are unusable. The main port of the country is rendered inoperative. The presidential palace, the parliament, the majority of the buildings of the ministries and the public administration are destroyed. The total value of damages and losses is estimated at $ 7.9 billion, which is equivalent to 120% of the country's gross domestic product in 2009.
Similarly, Haiti: the passage of one of the deadliest hurricanes, Matthew, according to the latest assessment of the Haitian civil protection, there are at least 473 dead and 75 missing in Haiti. More than 175,500 people are in temporary shelters. Nearly 150 suspected cases of cholera have been reported in the Department of Grande Anse, and about 50 in the South (Bayard Presse, 2010). Of course, this information is important to put into question the materials (concrete, steel and others) with which these constructions were built.
In this crossroads of uncertainty and anarchy in infrastructure, a material commonly used in Asia, especially in North America, was fortunate to have the benefit of the doubt in Haiti as an alternative: Bamboo.
In September 2016, on a Bambou Facile survey carried out in Baillargeau, Carrefour Feuilles, Port au Prince, Bambou Facile had the chance to question 30 families about their reasons for using concrete in their construction and the potential choice between concrete and concrete. Bamboo: 78.9% chose Bamboo, 15% preferred Concrete but with a perfect dimension of a qualified engineer although expensive and 5.1% declare that they want a mixed construction of concrete and Bamboo. We also asked the question "why even if anarchic, they continue to build Concrete? And 80% said "Concrete is a traditional material and we do not really have any alternative". We soon realized that, in addition to the traditional practices of Bamboo in Haiti, it will be necessary to pay particular scientific attention to bamboo in construction.
The question of Bamboo as a building material is being discussed around the world to solve the housing problem Haiti is facing very critically. Despite the traditional practices of Bamboo in the construction of tents, kitchens, arbours or temporary houses, many septic reactions have emerged on the ability of Bamboo to perform better in the structure of a building. At this gap we have paid special attention to this material which some claim as "Material of the poor" because of its strengths. Bamboo, in its natural form, is also known as a building material traditionally associated with the cults of South Asia, East Asia and the South Pacific, and to some extent those of Central America. and South America,
Bamboo construction involves using bamboo as a building material to build different types of construction, whether scaffolding, bridges, or dwellings. Bamboo, like real wood, is a composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio, which is useful for structures. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals that of steel
Bamboos are among the fastest growing plants in the world, hence its popularity is related to its ease of cultivation. However its excellent mechanical characteristics are not negligible; and these characteristics are directly derived from its natural structure. Resistance values of bamboo classify it above traditional timbers to which it borrows the methods of sustainability.
[1] Property possessed by the Concrete weapon to lie down without deforming
[2] Property possessed by Concrete to compress without deforming
Facile Jupille
CEO & Founder of Bambou Facile