Bamboo aid

Bamboo houses could provide quick shelter for Earthquake victims.

Bamboo houses are to become quick-to-build homes for the vast numbers of Sichuan people made homeless by the 12 May earthquake.

An expert in structural design and retrofit at the University of Southern California Viterbi School’s School of Engineering, Yan Xiao has been working with bamboo-based materials for the housing solutions needed in China’s Sichuan province.

Yan Xiao recently built the world’s first bamboo truck bridge in nearby Hunan province, in the city of Leiyang.

The prototype bamboo quake relief house was built in less than two weeks and adopted a modular design that can be adjusted according to specific family needs. An inexpensive bamboo quake relief house is insulated for heat and sound, is fireproof, and is more durable

“The modular units are connected by bolts and are easy to manufacture and assemble,” Xiao said. “Four to six workers can assemble a 22.3 square meter (240 square foot) house in about four hours. The majority of the structural materials used are processed bamboo veneer sheets, a kind of bamboo fibre composite.”

Xiao said that interior detailing is similar to the wood frame houses in North America, noting that the design conforms to current US building codes requirements for quake resistance.

“The relief house contains two windows, fans and locations for LPG stove or bath unit, satisfying basic needs for shelter for a family of up to four,” he added.

A first batch of 20 units donated by Hunan University will be sent to the affected area soon, Xiao said.

The cost per square metre of the units as manufactured in China and based on local material costs is about 350 to 500 RMB (US $50-$70), he said.

Read more about USC Viterbi School’s School of Engineering here.  http://viterbi.usc.edu/

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