CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION 5.1 Introduction
In this chapter the conclusions derived from the findings of this study which aims to highlight the potential of using bamboo as a construction material in Malaysia are stated. These conclusions are based upon the aim, research questions and findings of the study. The significance of the findings shall be explained, and further areas of study should be proposed.
5.2 Overview of the study
This study reviewed the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo, as well as the treatment of bamboo and its attributes as a sustainable material. The use of bamboo as a building material was established and insights were produced for how bamboo is used for the various elements of a building namely, flooring, walling, roofing and columns. The methods of jointing and connecting bamboo were also discussed.
The study used a qualitative research methodology in which three methods were employed; case study of completed bamboo structures in Malaysia, interview of Malaysian architects with experience executing projects with bamboo and finally a survey of architects.
Based on the results from this study, the potential for bamboo to be used as a construction material in Malaysia has not yet been fully realised due to lack of
bamboo exclusively. Locally available species such as Gigatochloa Scortechinnii and Dendrocallamous Asper which are suitable for construction are being used as a building material in Malaysia. Bamboo is being used in its natural form and the production of engineered bamboo boards suitable for construction has not commenced in Malaysia as of the conclusion of this study. Further investment into the planting treatment and processing of bamboo is needed, so the continually growing demand of bamboo can be met locally, and quality and standardisation of the culms on a large scale, can be attained and maintained.
Only natural bamboo is used in construction thus far in Malaysian architecture, this means that only artisans and craftsmen who have the ability to work with natural bamboo can exploit the use of the material. The skill set possessed by carpenters are similar, but not directly translatable to bamboo construction. Hence, a good carpenter is not automatically a skilled bamboo worker. Working with natural bamboo requires specific training which is usually not part of a carpenter's skillset.
However, were natural bamboo to be processed and turned into an engineered bamboo board such as strand woven bamboo or laminated bamboo, then the bamboo will be in a form that any competent carpenter can handle just as sheet wood such as plywood shall be used. Presently, it is difficult to find sufficient local artisans and craftsmen with the ability to execute a bamboo construction project in Malaysia.
Hence, labour is imported from Indonesia for construction projects to be executed.
This drives up the cost of bamboo construction in Malaysia. Thus, it is concluded that there is insufficient local manpower for bamboo construction in Malaysia. Hence, this study determines that the two major reasons hindering the use of bamboo as a mainstream building material is the lack of skilled workers who can execute designs
out of natural bamboo and the lack of local production of engineered bamboo boards, that local carpenters can execute designs with.
Architects in Malaysia choose bamboo as a construction material mainly due to its aesthetic and sustainability attributes. In terms of the design and construction of various elements of a building, only the use of bamboo for flooring is correlated to the use of wood as per the results of the survey. Bamboo flooring is usually made out of flattened bamboo or laid out bamboo splits. It is interesting to note that of all the elements covered under the study, bamboo flooring is the element, in which its application in construction mimics the nature of wood such as plywood or pine planks closest, and it was the only element, found to be correlated to the use of wood.
Thus, this study concludes that architects do not equate bamboo to wood with regards to construction, with the exception of flooring, as the results were not correlated, meaning that architects do not believe a simple swap of bamboo for wood shall yield the exact same results. In terms of the physical and mechanical properties, theoretically, it should be possible, as shown by the literature. However, when paired with the required different set of skills, treatment methods and design considerations required for natural bamboo in comparison to wood, this study concludes that the assertion of the architects surveyed is correct. The exception of flooring is also acceptable, as flooring is usually protected by the envelope of the building and this is less at risk to damage from the elements and the joints and connections holding the floor intact affect the building to a lesser extent than other elements such as columns, especially were the material is used just as a form of cladding and not a structural element.
Aesthetics is a major attraction to bamboo for architects surveyed and
executing bamboo projects, established that locally skilled workers for bamboo are not readily available, which is the opposite of the perception expressed by the architects surveyed.
This study concludes that architects in Malaysia, have the correct perception of natural bamboo against wood as an element of design in Malaysia, however, when it comes to the execution of a project, architects surveyed have the wrong perception, particularly with regards to the available manpower.
5.3 Major findings
The major findings with regards to objective 1, (To determine how bamboo is being used in formal architecture in Malaysia) was that:
− Natural bamboo is being used for construction in Malaysia.
− Bamboo is being used for the design and construction of walls, roofs, columns and floors in Malaysia.
− All bamboo structures in Malaysia are deemed temporary structures, as the material is as yet to be covered under the UBBL
The major findings of objective 2 (To assess the current state of the bamboo architecture industry in Malaysia.) of this study are;
− The lack of a dedicated government body to oversee the affairs as is done in other countries, was universally decried as a lacking area, holding back the local bamboo industry.
− The jointing system commonly found used in bamboo construction in Malaysia is pre-drilled, bolt and nut or bamboo pin joints, reinforced with cement injected in the inter node at the point of contact, as is standard practice in contemporary bamboo architecture.
− There is a lack of laborers skilled and experienced with working with bamboo locally and this makes building quality structures with bamboo in Malaysia expensive, as bamboo builders have to be specially flown in for each project.
− There is bamboo suitable for construction available, locally.
Findings for objective 3 include:
− There is no statistical significance in the correlation of the architect’s perception of the use of bamboo when it comes to designing and constructing walls, roofs and columns against wood. There is, however, a statistically significant positive correlation between the perception of using wood and bamboo for flooring in the architects surveyed.
− Architects are neutral on whether bamboo native to Malaysia can be used for construction, however, they strongly agree that bamboo suitable for construction is readily available which indicates that architects are confident they can build with imported bamboo, and not so certain on the properties, species or quality of local bamboo.
− There is a strong correlation between using bamboo or wood for the designing structures, in the survey.
The aim of this study was to highlight the potential of Malaysian architects to use bamboo as an alternative to common modern common construction material. The literature review showed that the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo are on par or surpass those of wood and concrete. The survey shows that Malaysian architects believe they can use bamboo to design a host of different architectural styles and the case study gives clear examples of bamboo being used for construction
be used successfully as a construction material in Malaysia, in the current situation.
However, the creation of a dedicated government agency as suggested by the subjects of the study, shall bring bamboo to the forefront of the construction industry, especially in terms of low rise buildings, and shall also help, in the research and development on using local bamboo species to create engineered bamboo boards.
These shall have a smaller carbon footprint and can easily be amalgamated into current building practices, especially as a replacement for plywood. Furthermore, a regulatory body can regulate the quality of the poles, by certifying suppliers of treated bamboo and thus stopping the use of untreated poles, even in informal architecture, which will increase the durability of such buildings and help improve the perception of bamboo buildings as a whole.
5.4 Significance of the study
The readiness and ability of Malaysian architects to work with bamboo must be measured to help shape policy as well as an educational framework for current and future architects. As seen through the literature, material selection is a key component for every sustainable building rating system looked at and bamboo is the most sustainable building material with the smallest carbon footprint, taking more carbon out of the atmosphere than it releases, through its life cycle.,
This study highlights the potential of the bamboo as a building material, proven to be more sustainable than wood, concrete or steel and determines the perception of Malaysian architects towards the use of this material for construction.
The study can also be a frame of reference to find examples on how to execute bamboo in a design, for the components highlighted (floors, roofs, walls and columns). The study has also highlighted a key issue in the gap in the workforce, for
skilled bamboo builders. As the established contractors already offer training and stakeholders interviewed felt the industry is improving and the market for bamboo architecture is widening: this highlights an area for youth employment and entrepreneurship that could be capitalized on, with home grown bamboo builders.
The case studies highlighted in this study, could be further developed into academic case studies, giving students a point of reference for bamboo architecture in Malaysia.
The study results also indicates that investment into training bamboo artisans and the research and development of producing bamboo boards at a commercial scale, out of local bamboo species are directions that the government should further invest in for bamboo construction to flourish in Malaysia.
5.5 Research constraints
This study was conducted with a case study, survey and interviews, in order to highlight the potential of Malaysian architects to use bamboo as an alternative to common building materials. Although the study was able to achieve the aim, there were certain constraints encountered.
5.5.1 Setting for interviews
A few of the interviews were conducted at the KLAF, 2019 festival grounds, at PAM headquarters in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, where there was live entertainment in the background. Notes were taken and there wasn't a problem of communication when the interviews were being conducted. However, the recorded audio picked up much of the background music making it difficult to transcribe interviews after the
interview, testing of the recording equipment was conducted successfully, However, it was in a controlled environment, hence, where the interview location is selected by the interviewee, it shall be important for the researcher to factor in the sensitivity of the recording instrument or have a contingency for a noise canceling microphone.
5.5.2 Participants effect
This study focused on formal architecture, as it is seeking to seek out how bamboo can become a viable option for construction, in mainstream architecture, however, there are still valuable lessons to be learned from informal architecture (created without the input of an architect or a structural engineer), not captured within the scope of the study.
Buildings constructed out of bamboo are only assigned as temporary buildings under the UBBL, which does not require that a complete set of plans with working drawings must be produced for official approval. Although some architects did have documented complete working drawings for some of the building study, these drawings we're not strictly adhered to for the building of the structure. For the others only a sketch and scale model were ever created, from which the completed structure is based on.
An extended stay in one of the bamboo houses in the study will have also greatly benefited the research, to better understand the buildings and how it was designed to handle the hot, humid climate of Malaysia, at different points in the day and under multiple weather conditions.
5.5.3 Data collection and analysis
The low number of respondents was also a limitation for the analysis of the survey. Furthermore, most of the respondents didn't fill in the open-ended questions portions of the survey, making it difficult to report reliable results on those sections of the survey.
Interviewing architects, who have not completed works with bamboo in Malaysia, would also have helped the study.
5.6 Recommendation for further research
Exploring deeper into why contractors and builders don't expand their services to include the construction of bamboo architecture is one area of further study beyond the scope of this research. What can be concluded is that the number of local contractors/builders in constructing formal bamboo architecture in Malaysia is minuscule, in comparison to the construction industry.
A bamboo board shall help in the advertisement and promotion of bamboo and can be a clear reference point for architects and designers, seeking to use the material for the first time. An area of further research shall be to investigate the requirement and mandate needed, for such a body to maximize the potential of bamboo in Malaysia.
Much research is also needed on using Malaysian bamboo to create new and affordable engineered bamboo boards and the skill and knowledge base on bamboo by those studying in fields related to architecture. Finally, research should also be carried out on the loss of the skill of working with bamboo by the indigenous people of Malaysia, particularly the people of the Orang Asli, and on how to generate a
