Bamboo is emerging as an alternative resource to other types of wood. In the past, people intuitively used it as a basic material for making many different household objects and small structures. However, ongoing research and engineering efforts are enabling us to realize bamboos true value as a renewable, versatile and readily available economic resource. After briefly exploring the basic facts and traditional applications of bamboo, this article highlights the chemical and materials engineering behind the growth of reformed bamboo as well as the structural engineering issues involved in building larger and sturdier bamboo structures.

Website: http://illumin.usc.edu/article.php?articleID=114