Uses of Bamboo

No other plant material can rival the utility of bamboo. Even in the early years, bamboo had been used in many ways, not to mention the traditional use of bamboo in the daily life of the early people especially in Asia. Thomas Edison successfully used a carbonized bamboo filament in his experiment with the first light bulb. He also used a bamboo as rebar for the reinforcement of his swimming pool. Similarly, Alexander Graham Bell made use of bamboo for his first phonograph needle. To this day, an innumerable application of bamboo can be thought of.

Increase knowledge and research on the production and utilization of bamboo continue to create economic impact and emergence of new industries and products. Other than its traditional use for handicrafts and novelty items, new engineered applications which include lumber, veneer, strand and particle boards, plywood and other laminates, and emergent technologies of high strength bio-composites have been developed.

Bamboo is useful for various applications at different ages :
<30 days - good for eating
6-9 months - for making baskets
2-3 years - for bamboo boards or laminations
3-6 years - for construction
>6 years - bamboo gradually loses strength up to 12 years old

Source: Adams, C. (n.d.). Bamboo Architecture and Construction with Oscar
Hidalgo (http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/bamboo.html). 16 October 2003.

Origin and geographic distribution
Special characteristics of bamboo
Uses of bamboo