Professor Yan Xiao—the structural engineer behind the world’s first six-storey bamboo building in China - will present at the New Frontier Summit in Queensland, Sydney and Melbourne next month. (Photo Credit: Zhejiang University-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute (the ZJU-UIUC Institute or ZJUI))
It has the potential to be as dominant as concrete and steel, with its strength and availability making it a compelling alternative for low-carbon buildings. Now, engineered bamboo is having its moment in the sun, with the Bamboo Society of Australia hosting its New Frontier Summit on the Sunshine Coast, Sydney, and Melbourne next month.
Speaking to Wood Central today, Jennifer Snyders, the president of the Bamboo Society of Australia, said, “The summit is all about opening a national conversation around engineered bamboo—its potential as a scalable, high-performance, carbon-smart material in construction.”
“What’s more, we’ll also present a 10-year roadmap to position bamboo within Australia’s material strategy – helping to address timber shortages whilst delivering strong environmental performance.”
Jennifer Snyders, the president of the Bamboo Society of Australia on bamboo’s potential in Australia.
Headlined by Neil Thomas MBE—the founder of Atelier One, the British structural engineering firm redefining boundaries for bamboo worldwide—and Professor Yan Xiao—the structural engineer behind the world’s first six-storey bamboo building—the summit will tackle certification and supply, cultivation of bamboo, lessons from cross-laminated timber, and, most importantly, the potential for engineered bamboo in Australia.
“Their insights will help ground a broader discussion on material innovation, climate response, and, of course, new thinking in structural systems,” said Snyders.
Globally, investment in bamboo is booming, with investments in Brazil, Malaysia, and, most recently, China adding to the momentum behind the material. In 2023, Wood Central reported that researchers from Bristol University have invented “bamboo-safe screws,” whilst China is leading research to integrate locally produced bamboo into cross-laminated bamboo and timber (CLBT) panels.
In addition to research, bamboo is already being used in a wide variety of award-winning projects, including Nayara Bocas del Toro in Panama, the UNESCO Prix-Versailles award-winning Ulaman in Bali, and most notably, Professor Xiao’s six-storey bamboo building, located at the foot of the Feifeng Mountains in China.
Topping out in early 2024, it is the world’s first and highest-engineered bamboo building, with the upper elements of the building fully equipped with fire facilities and vibration-control water tanks. In total it has a total height of 21 metres and a gross floor area of 790 square metres.
Source: Is Engineered Bamboo a Solution for Australia's Timber Shortage? | Wood Central