The bioeconomy at work: bamboo bridge carries 8-ton trucks
Biomass can not only be used to replace fossil fuels, but also as a durable green material in which atmospheric carbon dioxide remains sequestered in the form of carbon. The resource is finding exciting applications, ranging from biomass ash from power plants to make concrete, to utilizing natural fibers for the construction of 'green roads', or the creation of bioplastic pipelines that beat their petroleum-based rivals in strength.
From China and California comes an interesting example demonstrating the strength of lignin-rich biomass, in this case bamboo. In China the tall, versatile, strong grass has been used for ages to make furniture, artwork, building scaffolding, and panels for concrete casting. But now, a demonstration project shows it can even be used to make modern truck bridges capable of carrying 8 tons and more.
Yan Xiao, a professor at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering is the designer of the new span in the village of Leiyang, Hunan Province, which formally opens for traffic today (December 12).
Made from pre-fabricated structural elements, the biocomposite bridge was erected within a week by a team of eight workers without heavy construction equipment. While traffic on the Leiyang bridge will be limited to the 8-ton design capacity, preliminary tests on a duplicate bridge erected on the campus of Hunan University have shown much higher strength - tests are continuing.
Such a bridge made of local materials cuts production costs and time, requires far less energy to make over its lifecycle (compared to bridges made out of steel, concrete and asphalt) and, best of all, it doesn't result in greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of its life, the biocomposites can be recycled or used as an energy source:
energy :: sustainability ::biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biocomposites :: biomaterials :: bamboo :: bridge :: construction materials :: civil engineering :: bioeconomy ::
The new bridge is the latest installment in research on structural bamboo being carried on by Xiao, who in addition to his appointment at the USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Enviornmental Engineering holds an appointment at the College of Civil Engineering of the Hunan University, China.
Last year, Xiao demonstrated a high capacity bamboo footbridge, which was a featured attraction at a recent conference organized by Xioa in Changsha, China.
Prof Xiao expects his modern bamboo bridge technology to be widely used in pedestrian crossing, in a large number of bridges in rural areas in China, as a environmental friendly and sustainable construction material. Besides bridges, Xiao's team has also built a mobile house using similar technology they developed.
The demonstration project offers hope for applications in the tropics, where bamboo can be found in abundance, but where transport infrastructures are often lacking. This lack is a key factor in rural poverty. Especially in Central-Africa, there is a great need for durable bridges that can be assembled quickly and withstand the heavy rainy seasons so that farmers can bring their products to market via tertiary and secondary roads.
Images: picture 1, bamboo forest in Southern China; picture 2, underside view of the 10 meter long bamboo test bridge on Hunan University campus; picture 3, the 10 meter long modern bamboo bridge under construction; picture 4, the bridge under 8 ton traffic loading testing. Credit: Yan Xiao, USC Viterbii School of Engineering.
References:
University of Southern California: Truck-safe bamboo bridge opens in China - December 12, 2007.
Biopact: The bioeconomy at work: buildings made of biomass ash? - May 17, 2007
Biopact: Green roads: engineers investigate biofuel co-product lignin for use in road construction - October 16, 2007
Biopact: The bioeconomy at work: robust bioplastic used for off-shore oil riser pipes - April 18, 2007
From China and California comes an interesting example demonstrating the strength of lignin-rich biomass, in this case bamboo. In China the tall, versatile, strong grass has been used for ages to make furniture, artwork, building scaffolding, and panels for concrete casting. But now, a demonstration project shows it can even be used to make modern truck bridges capable of carrying 8 tons and more.
Yan Xiao, a professor at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering is the designer of the new span in the village of Leiyang, Hunan Province, which formally opens for traffic today (December 12).
Made from pre-fabricated structural elements, the biocomposite bridge was erected within a week by a team of eight workers without heavy construction equipment. While traffic on the Leiyang bridge will be limited to the 8-ton design capacity, preliminary tests on a duplicate bridge erected on the campus of Hunan University have shown much higher strength - tests are continuing.
Such a bridge made of local materials cuts production costs and time, requires far less energy to make over its lifecycle (compared to bridges made out of steel, concrete and asphalt) and, best of all, it doesn't result in greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of its life, the biocomposites can be recycled or used as an energy source:
energy :: sustainability ::biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biocomposites :: biomaterials :: bamboo :: bridge :: construction materials :: civil engineering :: bioeconomy ::
The new bridge is the latest installment in research on structural bamboo being carried on by Xiao, who in addition to his appointment at the USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Enviornmental Engineering holds an appointment at the College of Civil Engineering of the Hunan University, China.
Last year, Xiao demonstrated a high capacity bamboo footbridge, which was a featured attraction at a recent conference organized by Xioa in Changsha, China.
Prof Xiao expects his modern bamboo bridge technology to be widely used in pedestrian crossing, in a large number of bridges in rural areas in China, as a environmental friendly and sustainable construction material. Besides bridges, Xiao's team has also built a mobile house using similar technology they developed.
The demonstration project offers hope for applications in the tropics, where bamboo can be found in abundance, but where transport infrastructures are often lacking. This lack is a key factor in rural poverty. Especially in Central-Africa, there is a great need for durable bridges that can be assembled quickly and withstand the heavy rainy seasons so that farmers can bring their products to market via tertiary and secondary roads.
Images: picture 1, bamboo forest in Southern China; picture 2, underside view of the 10 meter long bamboo test bridge on Hunan University campus; picture 3, the 10 meter long modern bamboo bridge under construction; picture 4, the bridge under 8 ton traffic loading testing. Credit: Yan Xiao, USC Viterbii School of Engineering.
References:
University of Southern California: Truck-safe bamboo bridge opens in China - December 12, 2007.
Biopact: The bioeconomy at work: buildings made of biomass ash? - May 17, 2007
Biopact: Green roads: engineers investigate biofuel co-product lignin for use in road construction - October 16, 2007
Biopact: The bioeconomy at work: robust bioplastic used for off-shore oil riser pipes - April 18, 2007
2 Comments:
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"Craft Projects International"
Hi Sarika. Thanks for the ad. How much do you make per ad? :-)
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