Design of a low cost bamboo footbridge

Abstract

Nowadays the construction business, more so than other industries, is responsible most of the environmental issues that our society encounters. Given the increasing concern our impact on the environment, the need for new sustainable materials is growing rapidly. Bamboo is a very promising green material with remarkable properties. It has been used as a structural material for centuries in China and in South America. However, it has not yet penetrated the European or the American construction market. Bamboo's exceptional strength and light weight renders it a sustainable alternative to other materials. The objective of this work is to use the results provided by recent studies of bamboo in order to generate a design of a low cost bridge made out of this material. The structure is designed for exclusive pedestrian usage. This affordable suspended footbridge could be used in developing countries or in emergency situations.