A two-day exhibition of bamboo crafts and construction got off to a promising start at Government Engineering College, Barton Hill. The programme has been organised in connection with the World Bamboo Day observance on Tuesday.
A wide variety of bamboo products, including the slit drum, hangers, utensils, pen stands and baskets, have been displayed by around 15 artisans who have come from Nilambur, Wayanad, Sasthamcotta, Nedumangad and Anchal. Products made of terracotta, reed and rose wood are also on offer.
The college has been active proponents of bamboo and its uses since the launch of the Bamboo Research Centre two years ago. “The potential of bamboo has remained underutilised and the significance of the plant has largely been neglected. Despite being eco-friendly and sustainable, there are not many takers for bamboo products. We have strived to devise methods through which bamboo could be adopted for various uses,” college Principal M.S. Rajasree said.
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According to M. Raji, a coordinator of the research centre, the facility has acquired a multidisciplinary dimension of late as it has been witnessing the active participation of students from various streams of engineering, including Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical and Electronics engineering. Efforts are under way on various applications, including wind turbine using bamboo blades, resin-bonded bamboo powder for engineering applications, activated bamboo charcoal and bamboo helmets for motorcyclists.
She added that they have been engaged in extensive laboratory tests to analyse the properties of various species of the plant, including Dendrocalamus strictus, Thyrsostachys siamensis and Bambusa balcooa. “Our experiments have proven that bamboo had greater tensile strength when compared to steel. With proper treatment, the durability of bamboo could be improved and pave the way for bamboo to become ideal alternatives to the common construction materials, including steel, concrete and wood,” Dr. Raji said.
She said that the college has set its sights on constructing a security cabin and cafeteria entirely out of bamboo.
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