bambu

[doc henderson]

I always wondered how they made anything of structure from a hollow round tube.  

[aigheadish]

The video isn't available anymore... Do they rip it open lengthwise and flatten it? Bamboo is cool and I have a patch I'm constantly trying to keep in check but mine isn't very big around, maybe only an inch or two but 15-20 feet tall. Good for fishing poles. 

[beenthere]

try this
The processing from raw bamboo poles to bamboo panel - YouTube

[Downstream]

I used to work for a private company that invested in small innovative startups.  One of them was called Lamboo located in Litchfield Illinois.  They would take bamboo and rip/slit it into strips that were them laminated and cross laminated to create crazy strong and beautiful sheet/dimensional/beam for use in both internal and external applications.  You can hit their website to get a better explanation of the process and various products they make/sell.  I have used some of the sheet material of various thicknesses on my cnc router when I had it.  I think I still have a few pieces in my shop that I never used.  Pretty cool stuff.

[beenthere]

Downstream
I think that product is shown being made on the video linked here. Did you see it?

[aigheadish]

Thanks beenthere, that looks like a big operation, but pretty neat. I didn't realize it was so many pieces laminated together. 

[KEC]

aigheadish, You say you have a patch of bamboo? I'm thinking you probably have Japanese Knotweed; it is often called bamboo but it is not bamboo.

[Ianab]

There are over 1,000 species of bamboo, including some native to the US, plus the imported ornamental (and sometimes invasive) ones. Some are the larger ones, used for construction and even scaffolding, down to miniature species only an inch tall. 

The most common we have locally (introduced) is like Aigheadish describes. Maybe only an inch across, and 10-20 ft tall. Back at primary school we got pretty good at building kites from it.  ;)

[Old Greenhorn]

Well, this little ID video should resolve that last question for Austin:
How to: ID and Manage Invasive knotweeds - YouTube

[aigheadish]

Interesting KEC, it isn't knotweed (is that the same as kudzu? (sp?)). See below, I don't know the variety but if it's not bamboo I don't know what is. This stuff is a great wind or view break but it will absolutely take over if it isn't kept trimmed. When we moved in about 7 years ago there was a small patch, maybe 15' wide by 8' deep that was all under 7' tall. The patch is about the same size but much more dense and some is likely 20' tall now.

[KEC]

The plant in your photo is not Japanese Knotweed, which has heart shaped leaves. So I donno what it is.

[Ianab]

Pretty sure it's a bamboo, but one of the smaller "ornamental" species. They have an annoying habit of sending out roots underground and new spouts spreading from the clump to take over any available space. 

[aigheadish]

Yup, it's bamboo... I've got some growing in a few places about 5 feet from the patch but have seen it run 20+ feet from the main patch. It's nuts. I'm a huge fan of the stuff but you really have to know what you are getting into. My buddy has almost begged me to give him some for a property line that he's got and I won't because it'll take over everything on the other side of the line. 

[KEC]

Time to get a pet panda maybe? :D

[aigheadish]

My dog loves chewing on the trunks(?) but she hasn't gotten into chewing the live stuff encroaching her fenced in area, maybe I need to show her it's there! Or a panda!

[Don P]

Those roots are under your foundation. 

There should be open season on bamboo.

[aigheadish]

They likely are, hopefully the lack of moisture and light keep them from growing. We've got a loose brick path right between my shop and the patch and they don't seem to come up through the bricks.