Bamboo availability and utilization potential as a building material

Bamboo is a grass found easily on almost all continents with special ability to grow on wasteland as well. The resources of bamboo are wide and available globally with China and India contributing to the maximum world bamboo forest. Due to its special unique features, there is a great demand for bamboo and its product in the market. The tensile strength of bamboo (28,000 pounds per square inch), is much higher than steel (23,000 pounds per square inch). The utilization potential of bamboo is enormous. The present paper discusses an overview of special properties of bamboo and its utilization potential. Opportunities and threats to the market of bamboo are also discussed.