Impact of fire on Dendrocalamus strictus – a natural green composite building material

In the face of ever increasing demand for energy and the rapid denudation of the environment, composites based on natural materials provide potentially viable alternatives to high embodied energy building materials. Scientists and grassroots organizations are exploring naturally available woody materials to ensure adequate, affordable and appropriate structural components especially for construction needs. Bamboo is one such material that has a great potential, but its behaviour when subjected to fire remains unknown. In order for bamboo ( Dendrocalamus Strictus) to prove itself a viable option, bamboo constructions need to be dimensionally stable and strong enough against fire and biological detrimental agents. This paper presents research on the behaviour of bamboo in a fire and the consequent treatment methods to be adopted for its inclusion in structural components.