bamboo preservation

E N V I R O N M E N TA L B A M B O O F O U N D AT I O N

P r e s e r v a t i o n

f o r

Vs. 3

i f f us ion

er t i ca loak

E n v i r o n m e n t a lB a m b o o F o u n d a t i o n Third Edition: October 2005

1

Initial research on modified Boucherie Teatment was done by Prof. Dr. W. Liese,Universität Hamburg, Germany, and later adapted by the Environmental BambooFoundation with Don Longuevan under a grant from IESC International Executives

Service Corp. Laboratory testing was performed by Koppers-Hickson in NewZealand.

We thank Ben Brown of Mangrove Action Project for providing valuable help andinsight during the testing period and providing translation services for the Indonesian

edition.

We appreciate the advise/comments made by Prof.Liese along the developmentof the VSD treatment.

Many thanks to Emerald Starr of Sacred Mountain Sanctuary in Sideman, Bali, whoused a high percentage of experimental VSD treated bamboo timbers when building

his resort. Seven years later, the bamboo he used is still in excellent condition.

2

Acknowledgements

This publication is not copyrighted. EBF encourages the translation, adaptationand copying of materials for non-commercial use, providing an acknowledgement

to EBF.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this booklet isaccurate. However, due to differing conditions, kind and age of the bamboos, tools,and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses,and other damages that may result from the use of the information of this booklet.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Managing Tropical Bamboo

Harvesting Tropical Bamboo

Planning a Treatment Center

Appendices

Mixing the Solution

Gen. Information about Tim-bor

Job Sheet Sample

Table of Contents

List of Tools and Materials

Bamboo Conservation

1

2

3-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

Treatment Procedure

11-12

13-14

15-20

Preface and Introduction

21-22

23-2425

Local Names 26

Bamboo Uses 27-28First Edition published 2-1-2003 by: LINDA GARLANDEnvironmental Bamboo Foundation, Bali, Indonesia,

[email protected], www.bamboocentral.org

Engineering Consultant: Ben Brown

The Environmental Bamboo Foundation (EBF) is an Indonesian non-profitorganization started in 1993 by designer and environmentalist, LINDA GARLAND.The EBF strives to protect tropical forests by promoting and demonstrating the

many conservation and development opportunities that bamboo offers. Themission of the Environmental Bamboo Foundation is to encourage, through

research and education, the sustainable planting and utilization of bamboo inan effort to promote its many environmental benefits and protect the world’s

remaining tropical forests and mangroves.Based in Bali, Indonesia, the EBF has affiliate non-profit organizations in the

United States and in Holland.

Graphics & Layout: Studio LaBel, Hedi LaBelResearch & Development: Environmental Bamboo Foundation (EBF)

Petra SchneiderEditorial AssistantKetut SadiaProject Manager

E n v i r o n m e n t a l B a m b o o F o u n d a t i o n E n v i r o n m e n t a l B a m b o o F o u n d a t i o n

IntroductionBamboo culms are a natural material susceptible to insect andfungal attack. Without treatment products made from bamboo canbe expected to last for only up to 3 years.

There are many different techniques for curing and treating bambooculms in order to prevent splitting,insect infection and fungal growth.In this booklet we present the Vertical Soak Diffusion (VSD) methodwhich uses minimally toxic borates as preservatives. The methodhas been tested in Indonesia using three species of bamboo:Dendrocalamus asperGigantochloa apusGigantochloa attersee local names in Appendix.

If you are intending to use other species of bamboo, follow themethodology in this booklet to treat a small section (1-2 internodes)and observe insect attact.

Whereas bamboo treated by the modified boucherie system (apressure system introduced by Prof. Dr. Liese, Hamburg, Germany)is appropriate for large scale plantations growing bamboo forconstruction timber, furniture and some crafts the VSD systemworks well with small-plantation situations and communitydevelopment work in rural villages.

3 4

The use of bamboo products requires often its protection againstbiodegradation by chemical treatment. Its application is hinderedby the structure of the culm, the need for larger technical installations

and the danger of environmental side-effects. The VSD methoddeveloped by EBF is obviously an efficient method to obtain well

treated culms, safe to be handled. Its wider application, also toother species, will strengthen its base.

Preface

Walter LieseUniversität Hamburg, Germany


10-15cm buffer

cut 20cm above roots

Managing Bamboo

In the dry season, almost allculms that are 3 years or oldercan be removed from a clumpby cutting them just above anode about 20cm above theground. Some of the youngerones should remain for furthernourishment of the rhizome.

Use a marking pen to date youngculms when they first appear,that way you will know whenthey are at least 3-4 years oldwithout having to guess.

Clumping bamboos are non-invasive. They do not ruinbuildings, they grow very fastwhen young and the culmsare larger than those of therunning bamboo. They requirelittle maintenance, althoughsimple clump managementwill benefit both the growerand the bamboos.

In the shooting season, removeany shoots that are going to createovercrowding (many species areedible, cooked). Leave only theshoots of good diameter whichhave potential to produce straightstrong poles for timber use.

Clumping Bamboo

5 6

Running Bamboo

is more prelevant intemperate climates, canbe extremely invasive,great for erosion control.


1.6 mm

Stones

Bamboo . . . . yummy!

Harvesting Bamboo

There are 3 different ways to tell theage of bamboo culms:

1) Mostly, culms at the inside of aclump are the oldest.

2) Label the new shoots; this is thesafest method.

3) If you are an experienced bambooharvester you will know the age byknocking on the culm and observe

the different sounds.

Wet Season Dry Season

7 8

Harvest bamboo during the dry season

Stored bamboo isendangered by beetleinfestation which can berecognized in the form of atalcum-like yellowishpowder and small holes inthe area of the nodes andalong the internodes.

The Powderpost Beetle

The best season for harvesting is after the rainy season when starchcontent in the bamboo sap is low. Starch is the favorite food for

pests. Don’t harvest during shooting season! Cut bamboo that is3-5 years old. Bamboo older than 5 years is harder and the innerculm wall becomes impermeable to the treatment solution. If thepoles are not regularly harvested, they push each other and this

causes the development of bent poles.

The culms should be treatedsoon after having been cut, butcan be left for a few daysstanding upright, placed on astone. Due to the ongoingtranspiration by the leaves theculm will loose some of itsmoisture and also starch, whichis the food for the pest.But don’t wait too long, sincemoisture is required for thefollowing diffusion process.If your bamboo is very dry youcan soak it in water for a fewdays to reopen the vessels fortreatment. In case of split culmscut the cracked pieces off, treatthem in the horizontal basin.


9 10E n v i r o n m e n t a l B a m b o o F o u n d a t i o n E n v i r o n m e n t a l B a m b o o F o u n d a t i o n

8 m

2.5 m

30cm 70cm

make sure that allelectrical appliancesare grounded andexposed piping is

protected

Using the heredisplayed principlesin simpler and moreeconomic versions isof course acceptable

1100 liters tanksfor Solution

Concrete Basin forhorizontal soak

Main verticalconcrete soak basin

Floor of basinto be slopedtowards sumphole

Elevation

Floorplan(Treatment

Area)

Sump hole

Sump hole withsump pump

Trough 10cm deep

Water Faucet

Drain Slope

Concrete Concrete

Filter

Tim-borSolution

Floorplan

4 m

7.3 m

14.9 m

27 m

32 m

9 m

2 m

6.4 m

6 m

21.5 m

Planning a TreatmentCenter

Storage House forChemicals and Misc.

Storage shed fordrying the treatedbamboo culms.

Area forwashing andhole punching

spear head Length depending on the culm to be treated

(can be found in aquarium stores)

see Appendice page 23

or coconut husks

List of Tools & Materials

Tim-bor

T-Bar with attached (welded)

Spear HeadEye Protection

Rubber Gloves

Rubber Boots

Water

Red Dye

11 12

Flat, broad Bamboo orWooden Stick for Mixing

Rope (for tying Culms)

Brushes for Cleaning

Plastic Containers forMixing & Measuring

Hydrometer

Bamboo Node Punch

Plastic or Rubber Hose

Pump, plastic and/or stainlesssteel

Handsaw

Small Sum Pump

Filter

or


Plastic Containers for Solution

3STEP

A 10% Solutionshould give you areading between1.050 and 1.053

1.000

1.005

1.010

1.015

1.020

1.025

1.030

1.040

1.045

1.050

1.055

1.060

1.035

1.065

1.070

Mixing the Tim-bor Solution

13 14

2STEP

1STEP 4STEP

Figure out the internal volume of the culms.

Fill one punctured culm with water and simply measure how manyliters it takes to fill it up. Multiply by the number of culms.

Slowly add water stirringconstantly until Tim-borand dye are completelydissolved and no morecrystals are at bottom ofcontainer.

Add red dye and mixwell.

This is done for thepurpose of later

identifying the treated bamboo poles

Mix 1 bag of Tim-bor (25kg) with 225 liters of water. This givesa 9 to 1 or 10% weight for weight solution. Keep in mindthough that the total quantity of Tim-bor solution is not 250liters but about 5% less because when 25 kg of Tim-bor aredisolved in water its volume will be reduced.

Test the solution with a saltmeasuring hydrometer undernormal temperatures of yourregion.Fill a small test container withthe Tim-bor solution slowly,so as to not form air bubbles.

Lower the Hydrometer intothe container and give it aquick twirl, spinning the top.This will get rid of air bubblesthat might have accumulatedon the hydrometer.Then read the number wherethe solution crosses the scalelike reading a thermometer:1.052 should be reading onan well-calibrated hydrometer.If this not available make sureyou measure the ingredientscorrectly.

Please also read page 23.

5STEP


7STEP

STEP9

Treatment

STEP8

Weld a spear head to oneend of iron rod. With this

you can punch holes easilythrough the diaphragms

and pieces of thediaphragms don’t clog theinside of the culm. Largerdiameter holes will prevent

air bubbles from formingduring the filling procedure.The holes will not diminish

the strength of the culm(Prof. Liese).

Place the bamboo against awall. Insert the iron rod andpunch holes through thenodes.Make sure the last node isnot punctured.

Thoroughly clean theoutside of the bambooculms with water and

brushes (or coconut husksand sand, or scotch brite)

Move the bamboo to theconcrete basin.Stand up vertically.Tie culms securely togetherso that they cannot movewhen they are being filledwith the solution. Culmsbecome very heavy whenfilled.

6STEP


End of Iron Rod

Spear Head

1 2 3 4 5 68 9 10 11 12 13715 1614

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Jan FebMar AprMay JunJul AugSep OctNov Dec

Calendar

17

IN

OUT

STEP13

IN

11STEP

STEP12

Treatment

Connect a hose to thecontainer which holds themixture. Pump the solution

into the culms.

Fill the entire bamboo withthe solution. Every morningrefill the culms with moreof the solution. The culms

will have absorbedapproximately 1% of the

liquid overnight. Every dayabsorbtion rate is less.

10STEP

On Day 14 break the lastnode using a metal punch.Make sure you wear faceprotection.The diaphragms of largeculms should be puncturedby using the iron rod.The solution will now flowon the sloped basin floorinto the sump hole.

On Day 13 don't add moresolution. Allow the level togo down to avoid overflowwhen the last node isbroken.

17 18

continued


Dry the bamboo for4-6 weeks dependingon humidity conditions

in a well ventilated,covered area. It mustbe in the shade; hot sunsplits the culms. Makesure that they are notexposed to rain which

could wash out thepreservative.

19

14STEP

Treatment

20

continued

15STEP

Leave the bamboo for a minimumof one hour in the basin for the

solution to fully drain out of culmsinto the sump hole. Pump leftover

solution back into container througha filter for re-use. The filter shouldbe regularly changed. Hydrometertesting of the re-use solution will

be will be inaccurate because of theadded bamboo sugar content

(see appendix page 23).Wipe down the whole culm to remove

excess solution.

Notes


General Information about Tim-bor

21 22

Tim-bor, Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, Na2B8O13 x 4 H2O, ismore environmentally friendly than other wood preservativescurrently used. It is a white, odorless, powdered substance thatis not flammable, cumbustible, or explosive and has acute low anddermal toxicity. The product is itself fire retardent and shows nohazardous decomposition,Tim-bor is superior to BORIC ACID because it diffuses and penetratesbamboo or wood better and faster. Stirring the solution will causeTim-bor to completely dissolve into the water, resulting in a clearsolution which is very stable. Do not use Fertibor (Na2B4O7x5H2O)

The Tim-bor solution can be used more than once for treatingbamboo. Keep in mind that, as the bamboo sap gets partiallydrained out of the culm, the starch/sugar from the sap will moveinto the treatment solution. This leads to inaccurate hydrometerreadings. After the 3rd or 4th use add more Tim-bor. At the pointwhen the drained solution foams significantly and/or mold isforming on the surface of the solution and on the bamboo culmit is time for the solution to be disposed of. For more info, visitwww.borax.comEBF is currently researching sap content percentages in re-usedsolutions and will develop more accurate procedures to deal withthis issue.

Tim-bor is non toxic to the environment, but is highly saline. Whena moderate amount of it is absorbed into the ground, the groundfilters out the salt to the point where it does not pollute the groundwater. However, it is advisable to dispose of it safely and out ofreach of children.When diluted with more water the discarded solution could be usedas a herbicide on terraces and walkways.

Pt Chimifin Jaya Utama, JakartaTel 021-424-0202, 424-7141, 425-5563Fax 420-5588

UD. Saba Kimia, Denpasar,Tel/Fax 0361-410662

Tim-bor distributor in Thailand22/2 Moo2, Soi JadsarntaharnruaChalermprakiet Rama 9 RdDokmai, Praves, Bangkok 10250, Thailand66 2-726-7300 / 7350, contact: Numchai L.

Reuse Guidelines

Disposal Guidelines

Where to buy Tim-bor or Borax/Boric Acid in Asia

Appendices continued

Substance

Tim-bor (Na2B8O13x4H2O)

Boric Acid (H3BO3)

Solubilityat 20ºC

Solubilityat 30ºC

9.7% 21.9%

5.5% 6.3%

Solubility

How to mix your own Tim-bor in case you don’t find afriendly supplier in your countryOur chemist David Kueper, MSc (Organic Technical Chemistry), MBA,from Switzerland has tested this:Tim-bor can be made by slowly adding 50KG of Boric Acid and 75KGof Borax to 700 liters of water while stirring the solution. When allcrystals are dissolved, you will have the equivalent of a 10% Tim-bor solution.


Gigantochloaapus

Gigantochloaatter

Dendrocalamusasper

bulu pagarbulu cinabulu jawabulu jawa

ManadoEastern Indon.

Malayu

TagalogBikol

BatakSudaneseJavaneseMadureseBalineseIndonesian

Indonesia

Countries Languages

Malaysia

Philipines

Singapore

L a o s

Thailand

Vietnam

E . T i m o r

bambu tali

awi talipring apus

pring talibambu ater

pring legiawi tenen

péréng keles

bukawe

bambu betung

awi bitungbulu batung

buloh betingbuloh betongbuloh panching

botongVisaya butong

rebong china

hok

phai-tong

manh tong

pring betung

bambu tali

patung au oraTetun

tre-tau(cochinchinensis)

25 26

Local Bamboo Names Job SheetCustomer Name

Customer Tel. No.

Bamboo Species

Date Arrived

Date TreatmentStarted

Date TreatmentFinished

Quantity ofCulms

Length of Culms

Average InsideDiameter

Average OutsideDiameter

1 2 3

Day 1

Total Liters Added

New Liters Added Liters of Used Solution in Tank

Liters of Solution Left in Tank

Total Liters Used

Drying PeriodTotal BORAX Used

Total BORIC ACID Used

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Drying Period

Drying Period


Pai dtakwang


FoodWater ShedErosion controlToxic CleanupCharcoalMedicinal

Arts & CraftsMedicinalCO2

HousesFurniture

ConstructionCharcoalFurniture

Upper Culm(Leaves &Branches):

Mid-Culm:

Base:

Root System:

BAMBOOUSES

Graphic by: Studio LaBel, USA

E N V I R O N M E N TA L B A M B O O F O U N D AT I O N

village is happy

bamboo forestsare planted

houses arebuilt

productsare made

& consumed

productsare sold

Loans are given

Financing

bank getsloan back

plus interest

bamboo preservation

Documents