Abstract Draft

Here is my abstract outline draft. I don't feel confident with how this abstract outline is sopposed to look, or say, so I hope that every person that takes the time to read this outline will give me some feedback. Any comments will help a ton, and you don't have to be modest. Let me know exactly how you feel, and how I could improve.

I have revised my outline April 7th, thanks to more feedback. I have added a new paragraph (2nd to last) trying to answer some concerns.

Abstract Outline-Bamboo

For centuries bamboo has been used as a construction material around the world. This astonishing grass has some unbeatable characteristics which make it a very green material to certain areas of the globe; its strong strength (stronger than steel); short life cycle (5-6 years compared to 20-50 years for soft and hardwoods); fast growth (up to four feet in one day,) and its low maintenance are only a few. Here in North America, more specifically British Columbia, Bamboo is very rarely used in construction due to the lack of availability and high price. But, if these materials made of bamboo were to be localized both these major factors would drop significantly, and make it possible to use bamboo building materials to create greener construction in British Columbia.

In order for bamboo to be localized not only would it need to be grown here, but also the materials would also have to be manufactured here. The right species of hardy-bamboo have already had great success in many locations towards the lower main land. If bamboo were to be grown at a much larger scale, it would be possible for a company to begin manufacturing building materials made of different species of bamboo. In order for these materials to be categorized as green they must be blended with other environmentally friendly material, which has already been done by a large amount of other bamboo building material producers.

Anyone is able to grow bamboo in B.C. but it must to be started in spring to maximize growth potential. Bamboo doesn’t need any unhealthy fertilizers making it an environmentally friendly material to produce. Finding a company to harvest bamboo would be a challenge at first, but with the understanding of this smart investment, individuals would gain interest quickly. Bamboo needs a large space to grow, because such large amounts would be needed in order to gain, and keep the interest of a manufacturing company. This problem would be the largest barrier of producing these materials. Growth costs are inexpensive; the land would be the most expensive part, and maintenance of bamboo is easy with some minor weather protection during the cold seasons.

Trees, and lumber, are vital to BC’s way of life, but we need to begin thinking of alternatives as well. Bamboo has a lot in common with wood, and in some views is even better- Bamboo Generates 30% more oxygen than wood; By replacing wood with bamboo in specific cases (such as plyboo which is a plywood made of bamboo) we can keep tree consumption to a minimum, and take advantage of this quick growing grass. Some finishes such as wood finishes can be replicated by bamboo in many different ways. Bamboo can easily be used to create building members as well.

When using bamboo as a building material in British Columbia it may have an influence on our “west coast” design depending on which way we are to use bamboo. The most likely situation is that bamboo would be replacing types of finishes such as wood flooring, creating a small insignificant affect to our design. Another situation is if bamboo is to be used to create building members such as joists, or beams, leaving our design with a large potential of pushing towards Asian style. Bamboo is already an extremely popular material when it comes to landscaping. If these landscaping materials were made more available then there is no question the reputation would increase, as would the popularity, and the push towards Asian influenced building design in British Columbia.

Bamboo already has special characteristics which make it a green material to most of the world. By producing, and manufacturing this material locally would introduce a new selection of bamboo materials to our market. This creates the possibility of environmentally friendly construction, and minimizes the unnecessary wood consumption.