ASLA Annual Meeting & Expo 2012

Lamboo representatives will be attending the 2012 ASLA annual meeting & expo in Phoenix September 28th – October 1st to showcase the Lamboo® Elements™ product line and answer any questions attendees may have.

Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association representing landscape architects. Beginning with 11 original members, ASLA has grown to 15,428 members (as of December 31, 2011). ASLA promotes the profession and advances its practice through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship. In addition, stewardship of the land has always served a central role in the mission of the ASLA and is an integral element of all outreach.

“The Society's mission is to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural environments.”

The Lamboo® Elements™ series is composed of exterior grade laminated veneer bamboo (LVB) designed for exterior finish and landscape applications. The Elements™ series offers strength, rigidity, and is capable of replacing traditional hardwoods in nearly any application. Lamboo materials in comparison to engineered wood are 20% more stable in climate and temperature changes enabling our products to perform exceptionally in harsh environments and remain functional for much longer than traditional wood products.

Lamboo will be showcasing applications of the material in the landscape market by displaying a trash receptacle and park bench provided by Landmark Studio & Design. Landmark is a Midwest U.S. based company that provides high quality products for educational, residential, commercial, and hospitality markets including parks, resorts and marinas. In partnering with Lamboo, Landmark has made a commitment to sustainability by offering the ultra-renewable resource of Lamboo engineered bamboo within their product lines.

The Lamboo booth will be located at space #1277 near the main food court.

 For additional information about Landmark products available with Lamboo materials please contact:

Chad Schaefer

National Sales Manager

(888) 839-3853 | Toll-Free Office

(262) 257-9301 | Direct Office

(262) 391-4552 | Mobile

chad@landmarkstudio.com

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Bamboo goes commercial

Jamaica is now set to enter bamboo production on a commercial basis, having gained entry as the 38th member to the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).
Jamaica already produces furniture and household items from bamboo, much of which is done by informal craft traders, but the new program is meant to devise more hardy and quality products.

The plant grows prolifically throughout Jamaica.

Gladstone Rose, chairman of the Bamboo industry Advisory Committee at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), said Thursday that INBAR membership gives Jamaica access to technology transfer models and other documents that the agency can use to guide private companies to develop bamboo prototypes.

The prototypes include bamboo plywood, bamboo tiles, bamboo board, bamboo students chairs and other engineered bamboo products using the most prolific local variety of bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris.

"The team has successfully produced bamboo products prototypes but now seek venture capital to supply already identified markets locally and in the United States of America," Rose told Sunday Business.

The BSJ work is focused initially on Glengoffe, where training sessions using the INBAR material has been under way since April. The workshops will span two years.

INBAR is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in China, comprising countries that have bamboo or rattan resources in quantities that can be commercialized.

Through its network of member countries, organizations and individuals from all continents of the world, INBAR develops and assists in the transfer of appropriate technologies and solutions to benefit the peoples of the world and their environment," said Rose.

"Information on 122 Chinese bamboo and rattan products/process standards have been received which will help the BSJ and bamboo products producers rapidly develop Jamaican standards and ultimately create a modern standards-led bamboo products industry," he said.

The BSJ earlier this year was designated by the Ministry of Industry Investment and Commerce to be the focal point for INBAR in Jamaica.

"The Government of Jamaica recognizes that bamboo is a valuable renewable resource which grows rapidly and therefore is a good substitute source for wood instead of timber, obtained by cutting down trees which takes on average 40 years to grow to maturity," Rose said.

The Bamboo Industry Advisory Committee, which he heads, was set up by the BSJ to oversee the development of pilot projects, studies and product prototypes.

The committee also plans to publish its own guidance documents for use of the new bamboo industry that Jamaica expects to emerge from the INBAR project.

"Such documents will prescribe standards, policies and ethical practices for the industry," Rose said.

The standards-led industry is to be developed over a two-year period. The project incorporates entities such as the state-run Forestry Department and the Jamaica Wood Products and Furniture Association representing private operators.

Rose said bamboo manufactured products will include school furniture, including desks and chairs, while bamboo plywood will be used to make doors, skirting and moldings.

Bamboo was first introduced in Jamaica to strengthen riverbanks. A Forestry Department count in 2000 found that the plant covered more than 44,000 hectares nationwide. Today, Rose says there are 47,000 hectares of bamboo growing wild.

Around 1999-2000, according to the Lewis-Nelson paper, the Forestry Department, backed by private sponsorship, imported and erected a "bamboo-concrete house" using material and technical resources from Costa Rica.

"It generated much interest from a wide variety of persons, groups and institutions, but has not realized the desired effect of utilizing local bamboo for low-cost housing on a large scale," the paper said.

Market leader China has developed its bamboo industry into a US $14-billion enterprise, of which US $2-billion worth of products is exported to the West, according to Rose.

"The value of Jamaican manufacture is minuscule by comparison," said the BSJ executive. "We are trying to create a new industry."

(Read More)

(Excerpt of article by Avia Collinder, of The Gleaner. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO) 

Lamboo is a manufacturer of laminated veneer bamboo (LVB) for structural and interior design applications. Lamboo can be utilized in a variety of products and systems from window & door units, curtain wall systems, industrial shipping containers to table tops and yacht interiors. Lamboo materials can be used as a substitute to traditional wood in nearly every application as a rapidly renewable and sustainable alternative. The strength of bamboo has lead to it being referred to as ‘vegetable steel’ with a tensile strength of 28,000 per square inch.

Bamboo has long been revered for its enormous potential as a building product but is only now starting to be fully utilized. That is something very exciting and will play a huge role in the future.

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Powering Sustainability with the World’s First Bamboo Tender Introducing the LAMBOO Tender R1

A few weeks ago Lamboo announced the design of the world’s first tender incorporating the rapidly renewable resource of bamboo, the Lamboo® Tender R1. With the Monaco Yacht Show 2012 less than two weeks away Lamboo is providing additional details on the design for individuals involved in the maritime industry and those who will be attending the show and would like to discuss the project further.

The Lamboo® Tender R1 is a revolutionary design from Sigmund Yacht Design, a leading yacht and tender design firm which has chosen Lamboo materials not only for the sustainable attributes of bamboo but for its superior performance over traditional forms of hardwood. Also included in the design is a Steyr hybrid turbo diesel engine as well as state of the art navigation, electrical, and LED lighting systems.

“This showcase is a key example of both companies’ commitment to integration of environmentally responsible methods matched with innovative engineering of performance materials into the nautical market” said Luke Schuette, Lamboo Founder/CEO.

The construction of the R1 is being carried out by Cockwells, a pioneer within yacht and tender fabrication specializing in advanced engineering and modern construction techniques.

Executives from all three companies will be in attendance at the 2012 Monaco show and will be available for discussion on the R1 and the integration of sustainable bamboo materials within the maritime industry.

(Read full release on PRWeb)

Lamboo® Tender R1 Brochure

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

In Africa’s Vanishing Forests, the Benefits of Bamboo

In the district of Asosa, the land is thick with bamboo. People plant it and manage the forests. They rely on its soil-grabbing roots to stabilize steep slopes and riverbanks, cutting erosion. They harvest it to burn for fuel, to make into charcoal sticks to sell to city dwellers and to build furniture.

Asosa is not in China, not even in Asia. It is a district in the west of Ethiopia, on the Sudanese border. To many people, bamboo means China. But it’s not just panda food — mountain gorillas in Rwanda also live on bamboo. About 4 percent of Africa’s forest cover is bamboo.

Soon it may be much more. Bamboo may provide a solution to a very serious problem: deforestation. In sub-Saharan Africa, 70 percent of the people cook their meals over wood fires. The very poorest cut down trees for cooking fuel; those slightly less poor buy charcoal made from wood in those same forests. Every year Africa loses forest cover equal to the size of Switzerland. Terence Sunderland, a senior scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research, said that in southern Africa, even trees that can be used for fine carving, such as ebony and rosewood, are being cut down and made into charcoal.

Deforestation starts a vicious circle of drought and environmental decline. Burning wood releases the carbon stored inside. And deforestation accounts for at least a fifth of all carbon emissions globally. As tree cover vanishes, the land dries out and the soil erodes and becomes barren — a major reason for Ethiopia’s periodic famines.

Hundimo Dedere owns and manages a plantation of African highland bamboo in Southern
Ethiopia that was used as a model for modern bamboo cultivation and management training.

 

 How does bamboo improve on hardwood? Cut down a hardwood tree and it’s gone. It will take several decades for another to grow in its place; it can take a century for a forest to grow back after cutting. But bamboo is a grass, not a tree. Under the right conditions, it can grow a full meter a day — you can literally watch it grow. It is also fast maturing. A new bamboo plant is mature enough to harvest after three to six years, depending on the species. Most important, bamboo is renewable. Unlike hardwood trees, bamboo regrows after harvesting, just as grass regrows after cutting. After it is mature, bamboo can be harvested every single year for the life of the plant.

Bamboo has other advantages. Its roots grab onto soil and hold it fast. Plant bamboo on a steep slope or riverbank and it prevents mudslides and erosion. And bamboo is parsimonious with Africa’s most precious resource: water.

“In Africa you want everything,” said Dr. Chin Ong, a retired professor of environmental science at the University of Nottingham in England, who was formerly a senior scientist at the World Agroforestry Center in Nairobi. “You want firewood, you want to reduce erosion, to maintain the water supply, generate cash and employment. Bamboo comes the closest — it gives you the most things.”

In the last five years or so, Ong said, Ethiopia has realized that bamboo is a more profitable and greener solution. INBAR’s program is a four-year project financed by the European Commission and the Common Fund for Commodities, a United Nations organization. The technology comes from China. The project provides bamboo seedlings and trains people to manage bamboo plantations.

Because bamboo requires few nutrients, it can grow in soil inhospitable to other plants — not only does it thrive there, it can reclaim the land so other plants can thrive, too. Its roots leach heavy metals from the soil, hold the soil together and draw water closer to the surface. One example is a project in Allahabad, India, to reclaim land whose topsoil had been depleted by the brick industry. In 1996, an INBAR project planted the land with bamboo. Five years later, villagers could farm the land again. Dust storms — a local scourge — were greatly reduced. The bamboo also helped raise the water table by seven meters. In 2007, the project won the global Alcan Prize for Sustainability.

Bamboo's tensile strength makes it a good construction material, and it is also used for furniture, flooring and textiles, among other things.

In some ways, the challenge in Africa is not to introduce bamboo, but to persuade people and governments that it has commercial uses. “We’ve taken policymakers from Africa to China and India where bamboo used in everyday life — and there’s still very poor adoption,” said Ong.

(Read More)

(Excerpt of article by Tina Rosenberg of the New York Times. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO) 

 

  

Lamboo strives to protect and promote this remarkable resource by working with various international organizations to ensure that the bamboo used in our products is sourced from responsibly managed bamboo plantations and nurseries. Additionally all bamboo used for Lamboo products come from a select list of bamboo species that is not used as a food source by wildlife. If you want to learn more about Lamboo’s commitment to sustainability, please contact us here.

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

 

 

Sustainable Building Certifications: LEED

Sustainable building certifications have been gaining momentum for several years now and data centers are jumping on board in increasing numbers. You have seen data center operators such as RagingWire, Apple and Digital Realty achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Certifications and/or the EPA’s Energy Star for Data Centers. Many data center operators aren’t sure which certification to pursue, or if they should pursue one at all. In order to make this decision a little easier, I have provided a synopsis of each certification and their pros and cons to help guide you toward your sustainable goals.

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a third-party certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000. It has undergone many iterations and is now operating under LEED 2009. The certification process provides independent validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building operates the way it was designed.

LEED Certification Process

LEED uses a points based system to achieve certain certification levels recognizing the effort and commitment by the owner and project team. There are four LEED certification levels with point requirements ranging from Base (40-49 points) to Platinum (80+ points).

At last count, there were 13 data centers that had received LEED Platinum certification.
LEED points are weighted by impact on energy efficiency and CO2 reduction. As an owner/end-user, your first decision is which LEED rating system you intend to pursue your certification under. Data centers will fall under one of the following rating systems:

• New Construction and Major Renovations: Includes new buildings and projects in which the majority of the building will be modified.
• Existing Buildings-Operations and Maintenance: Addresses whole building cleaning and maintenance issues. This is generally applied to a building that is in operation, but wishes to make their operational processes more sustainable.
• Commercial Interiors: Intended for tenant improvements within an existing structure. At least 60% of the gross building area must be modified to the intended use to qualify for this rating system.
• Core and Shell: This system is complementary to Commercial Interiors and deals with the structure, envelope and HVAC system of the building.
  

Other rating systems that are not applicable to the data center industry are Schools, Retail, Healthcare, Homes, and Neighborhood Development. For the purposes of data center certification, Commercial Interiors is most frequently used.

Once your rating system is chosen, points are earned through implementing green measures in each of several categories. Each category has prerequisites that must be achieved before any points are earned. The categories are:

• Sustainable Sites: Focuses on areas related to the overall building site such as storm water run-off, pervious pavement, and availability of public transportation.
• Water Efficiency: Measures are established related to water conservation.
• Energy and Atmosphere: Energy efficiency measures account for most of the points in this area, which also has the largest number of points available of any category.
• Materials and Resources: Points are awarded in this category for using rapidly renewable materials and for sourcing materials that are manufactured within 500 miles of the site.
• Indoor Environmental Quality: This category focuses on human comfort factors such as the ability to adjust temperature and supply fresh air.
• Innovation in Design: This is the area in which innovation is recognized for new sustainable applications.
  

As you see, it is critical that the decision to pursue LEED Certification is made at the beginning of the design phase to eliminate redesign associated with tailoring materials and methods to LEED standards. During design, the project is registered with the USGBC ($450 for USGBC members and $600 for non-members) indicating your intent to pursue certification.
Also during the design phase, a worksheet indicating the credits you intend to pursue is completed. As the design progresses, credits are approved toward certification. This process continues during the construction phase as the sustainable measures are implemented and documented.

Clearly, documentation is the key to gaining credit for all of your efforts and requires constant attention. This effort should not be taken lightly and must be overseen by a LEED Accredited Professional, preferably with a specialty in the rating system you are pursuing. Documentation may take 50% or more of a team members’ time during the duration of the project.
When construction is complete, the project must be commissioned to ensure that the building operates as it was designed. Given that all data centers perform this task, no additional effort is required. Upon completion of the commissioning, all documentation is submitted for final approval and a fee is paid for certification.

The USGBC states that the average cost of certification across all rating systems is $2,000, but can be as high as $27,500 for a large project. After the submission is approved, your building can be included in the LEED registry and you receive the plaque for your building.
(Read More)

(Excerpt of article by Data Center Knowledge. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)

 

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

‘Abnormally Green’ Means Truly Sustainable Materials

Baltix Sustainable Furniture and Lamboo®, Inc. partner to deliver high performance bamboo for tabletop and countertop applications!

August 22, 2012 – Lamboo, Inc. and Baltix Sustainable Furniture announced their partnership to provide the greenest commercial furniture in the industry. Through this partnership, Lamboo, Inc. will supply Baltix with a specifically engineered laminated bamboo product line for tabletops and counter tops. This specific product will be integrated into Baltix’s Green Tables Collection, which is ideal for designers that want to integrate both quality and sustainability within their products without sacrificing aesthetic value. By carefully choosing green materials, Baltix believes in embracing concepts such as weight reduction and sustainable processes aiming to provide products that allow their customers to go green with confidence.

All Baltix products are carefully manufactured utilizing computer driven technology for precision, combined with a touch of human hand for fit and finish. “Baltix recently conducted a search across the country to identify a new partner for our bamboo program. The team at Lamboo, Inc. filled the bill for us with their innovative, structural bamboo panels. It has always been our quest to partner with service oriented and like-minded, innovative and truly green manufacturers” said Baltix’s President, Chuck Lodge. This approach assures the products are of high quality whether it’s one item or one hundred. Their manufacturers are also highly efficient and use minimal waste practices, backed by a 10 year warranty, on time performance & a high level of customer service.

Lamboo offers the LAMBOO® SURFACE™ product line, engineered laminated bamboo product line designed for tabletops and counter top components. As a part of the Lamboo® Design™ series, these premium products are ideal for designers that want to integrate both quality and sustainability within their designs and integration without sacrificing aesthetic value. Lamboo Surface products now offer the perfect solution to visionary architects and designers wanting to replace traditional hardwoods, petroleum based, and synthetic materials with innovative and naturally sustainable solutions.

This partnership is formed to bring innovative solutions to use only the highest-quality raw materials, manufactured on state-of-the-art machinery and shop technology, while maintaining reputation of reliability and quality. Through partnership with Baltix Sustainable Furniture, Lamboo seeks to combine high performance bamboo products with the most innovative designs and products available in the market today.

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

‘Green buildings’: From LEED to ‘net-zero’

“Green buildings” are structures that comply with sustainable practices throughout their life cycle – from construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and demolition. Though perhaps born in the energy crisis of the 1970’s, the green construction idea has found new urgency recently in relation to climate issues. Gaining more popularity, it is a now a key element in social measures that aim to lessen carbon footprints.

Green buildings use less water, generate energy savings, conserve natural resources, produce less waste and offer healthier spaces for its tenants, far from a conventional building’s features. Generally, they are designed to ease the sore impacts of the infrastructure both on human health and the environment.

More and more stakeholders are getting attracted to the concepts and practices of green buildings, and this has led to the creation of standards, codes and rating schemes by several organizations across different countries. These aid government regulators, developers and consumers in constructing green buildings with assurance.

Green building rating tools such as the United States’ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design; the United Kingdom’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method; Japan’s Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency; and Malaysia’s Green Building Index, among others, help users find out how green a building is.

They recognize and credit buildings that observe green design in categories like location and site maintenance, water conservation, energy efficiency, building materials sustainability and even occupants’ comfort and health. The number of credits given generally indicates to what level a building achieves its set goals.

The LEED standard of the United States Green Building Council is touted as the most prominent of the green building rating schemes and even as having spearheaded the “modern green building movement,” according to the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, a green industry advocate.

The race to green the buildings

In the race to develop “greener” buildings, countries are taking their concrete steps to be successful.

In the United States, President Barrack Obama took the move to the national level by issuing a memorandum in 2011 that urged all commercial buildings to be at least 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020. The president pledged to invest $4 billion to pave the way for energy upgrades in both federal and private buildings through the Better Buildings Challenge.

Among those that took the challenge was the iconic 81-year-old Empire State. Its ongoing retrofit is said to be the largest of its kind to date in the country, expected to significantly cut emissions by 105,000 metric tons over the next 15 years and reduce energy use by over $4.4 million every year. Overhaul plans for the 102 storey-skyscraper include upgrades of its 6,500 windows, new heating and cooling systems that automatically adapt to the temperature, insulation of the building space, improvement of its existing control system and installation of Internet-based system for occupants’ energy monitoring.

In Asia, countries are also working hard to keep up. China, which rivals the United States in the amount of emissions it sends to the atmosphere, is overhauling the architecture of its buildings. The 128-storey Shanghai Tower, when completed in 2014, will not only stand to be the tallest building but significantly will benchmark the green revolution in the country. It features wind turbines, a complex rainwater collection system, two envelope layers that wrap nine interior sky gardens and an ingenious design that will ease lateral loads from wind and reduces the necessary structural steel by over 20 percent.

India, on the other hand, has been vocal about its intentions to become one of the global leaders in green buildings by 2015. It has been making intensive efforts in greening the buildings across the country – ranging from home projects, factory buildings and LEED-certified buildings in India. To date, the Indian Green Building Scorecard shows that there are about 267 certified sustainable buildings existing, including some hotels, shopping centers, office spaces and state infrastructure such as the Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3.

Net-Zero Buildings: The next big thing in green construction

No doubt, green buildings are booming, as venture capitalists generously invested over $4 billion on them since 2000, another report by Lux Research showed.

The study also found out that the first wave of green building start-ups has reached its maturity, and now these investors want something new and better technologies that will further improve green buildings.

“Early VC investors are looking for exits for the first wave of successful green buildings start-ups and the seeds of the next crop are being sown in on-site generation and sustainable materials,” said Ryan Castilloux, Lux Research analyst.

(Read More)

(Excerpt of article by EcoSeed. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)

In this new era of green construction the industry will have to search and develop innovative practices and materials to replace traditional forms that are no longer sustainable. Bamboo is a example of one of these new ultra renewable resources that will be looked towards to meet the burden of demand in our expanding society.

Bamboo as a resource is unmatched in its potential as a environmentally friendly structurally stable renewable building material. Bamboo produces 30% more oxygen and sequesters 35% more carbon than a like sized timber forest area. With a growth rate of 6-8 years to maturity (compared to timber 25-50) and root structure that eliminates the need for replanting bamboo can be produced on a large scale with much more ease than timber forests cutting costs and limiting energy consumption. Learn more about the amazing attributes of bamboo here.

Additionally incorporating Lamboo (LVB) laminated veneer bamboo into projects can earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification under MR Credit 6 - Rapidly renewable materials, IEQ Credit 4.4 - Low-emitting materials; ID Credit 1 - Innovation in Design (Environmentally Preferable Material), and ID Credit 2 - Innovation in Design (Life Cycle Assessment / Environmental Impact).

*Please refer to USGBC for information regarding project requirements

  For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please

visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

"MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD" - Lamboo Incorporated

 

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Eco-friendly substitute to wood, steel and iron

While there is a thriving cement, iron, steel and wood industry, there is no such industry or even a business model to commercialize and popularize bamboo and take it to the masses, writes M. Sai Gopal

After China, India is the second largest producer of bamboo in the world. Despite this, bamboo has never been in the running to become the most sought after material for furniture, interiors and structures. It has always been the less ‘eco-friendlier’ options with wood, iron, steel and cement dominating the market.

People looking for furniture or wanting to do up the interiors have preconceived notions and tilt towards wood as the first choice. There are myriad things one can do with a piece of bamboo, yet availability of information about its versatility is limited.

However, since past few years, bamboo has emerged as a strong alternative to traditional raw materials with a promise of being eco-friendly and a tag of being a more sustainable building material. Till recently, bamboo was synonymous with ladders and scaffolding. However, in the last few years, consumers and manufacturers have started taking a ‘fresh’ look at the various other uses of this plant.

“Some bamboo species can be harvested in one to five years while it takes anywhere from 10 to 50 years for softwood and hardwood. Harvests are possible every second year for up to 120 years. The bamboo yield is 25 times higher than timber hardwoods like oak tree, which takes at least 40 years to mature before harvesting,” explains Prashant Lingam of Bamboo House India.

Technically, bamboo is a grass. And yet, it is popularly known as ‘vegetable steel’ with a tensile strength of 28,000 per square inch. The tensile strength of steel is 23,000 per square inch. When bamboo is cut, new shoots come up and they mature in just five years. While other hardwood species take at least 50 years to grow back.

“There is a definite change in perception among general public towards bamboo in the last few years. They are more positive about it and are gradually realizing that bamboo is an eco-friendly substitute to wood, steel, iron and plastic,” says Aruna lingam, who along with Prashant Lingam have pioneered the many applications of bamboo in daily lives.

So what are the applications of bamboo in our daily lives? According to Mr. Prashant, bamboo can replace wood in nearly every application. “Paper, flooring, furniture, charcoal, building materials and much more can be made from bamboo. What's more, bamboo fibres are far stronger than wood fibres and much less likely to warp from changing atmospheric conditions,” says Mr. Prashant.

(Read More)

(Excerpt of article by M. Sai Gopal of The Hindu. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)

Lamboo, Inc. is working towards developing the infrastructure to fully utilize this remarkable resource. Traditional building materials can be replaced in nearly any application using Lamboo (LVB) laminated veneer bamboo offering a truly sustainable replacement for both the commercial and industrial markets. From structural systems (recognized by ASTM), window & door, to complete interior remodeling Lamboo is not only a renewable resource but exhibits superior performance and durability over traditional forms of soft and hardwoods.

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

"MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD" - Lamboo Incorporated

 

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

The world's first bamboo tender. Introduced by Lamboo and Sigmund Yacht Design

Lamboo would like to introduce the world’s first tender designed with the rapidly renewable resource of bamboo, the Lamboo® Tender R1.

A tender is a small vessel designed to be lightweight and agile to ferry supplies and passengers between a larger vessel such as a yacht to other ships.

Sigmund Yacht Design, leading yacht and tender design firm, chose Lamboo materials due to the superior strength and performance attributes of our laminated bamboo.

This showcase is a key example of both companies’ commitment to integration of environmentally responsible methods matched with innovative engineering of performance materials into the nautical market.

Stay connected for future updates on the release of the first R1 model by subscribing to this blog.

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

"MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD" - Lamboo Incorporated

 

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Green Buildings: Boost Business and Neighborhoods

Seems the green building movement isn't just good for the planet, but for the pocketbook as well.

Developers and commercial building owners are increasingly using sustainable, environmentally friendly and energy efficient practices to lower costs, and the practice is spreading to include entire communities.

The U.S. Green Building Council just announced that the total footprint of commercial projects certified under its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building program surpassed 2 billion square feet. An additional 7 billion square feet is currently in the pipeline across the globe, the council reports.

Roof gardens, systems that recycle a building's heat and water, solar panels and drought-resistant landscaping have all been popular upgrades to older properties and built into new ones.

The trend has boosted business for a myriad of professions and industries. Architects and engineers who have embraced the green building movement are busy designing cutting-edge systems that save water, energy and money. Companies that manufacture or install solar collectors and other forms of sustainable energy have also benefitted from the tilt towards green.

The U.S. Green Building Council predicted that green building will support or create nearly 8 million jobs between 2009-2013 and contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.

Another by-product of the greening effort has been its attraction for tenants. Now there is a higher demand for healthier working space, and a recruiting edge for companies headquartered in green buildings. Improved indoor environmental quality in LEED-certified buildings has contributed to reductions in absenteeism and work hours affected by asthma, respiratory allergies, depression, and stress and to self-reported improvements in productivity, according to a study in the American Journal for Public Health.

The green development movement has expanded beyond individual buildings and has spread to include whole communities, with the U.S. Green Building Council's newest designation, LEED for Neighborhood Development.

The program, funded by a $500,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, aims to reduce suburban sprawl, promote smart growth principles and sustainability, and offers assistance to developers of affordable housing that employ green practices.

(Excerpt of article by Dave Winzelberg of Long Island Business News. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)

Recent trends show that government officials, city planners, architects and even consumers are becoming much more conscious of the environment and how rapid population growth combined with increased consumption is starting to take its toll. As finite building materials such as aluminum, steel and even slow growing timber resources become much more difficult to source and use on a large scale there will be opportunities for rapidly renewable materials to take their place. Bamboo with its extraordinary strength and performance attributes and its 6-8 year growth rate will be looked towards to carry much of the burden.

Lamboo Technologies through species selection, adhesive bonding, and lamination processes have been able to create the first structural grade bamboo material available to the world that is eligible for up to 4 LEED credits. In addition to LEED certification Lamboo has also orchestrated the inclusion of laminated veneer bamboo (LVB) into the 2012 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, one of the most recognizable and respected certification bodies in the world.

...

For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

"MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD" - Lamboo Incorporated

 

Blog by: Dustin Dennison