Wood-starved and restricted by government environment protection regulations, the country's construction industry has to find technology-based alternatives to sustain rising demand particularly in housing sub-sector.

The Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development announced the development of a cement-bonded board that uses bamboo wastes as main reinforcement raw material.

"Bamboo showed better qualities to reinforce concrete compared to other agricultural wastes like tobacco", PCIERD in a report said.

The Los Baños-based Forest Products Research and Development Institute, which undertaken the PCIERD-funded CBB research found that bamboo reinforcement considerably raises the load-carrying capacity of concrete beams.

"Well seasoned bamboo splits dip-coated with asphalt emulsion are also stronger concrete reinforcement than untreated counterparts", PCIERD added.

But seasoned and untreated bamboo splits sized over three-fourth inch used as longitudinal reinforcement could result to cracks in reinforced concrete.

Bamboo-based CBB bends away from common CBBs in the market made of composite materials such as wood excelsior or agricultural residues, Portland cement and cement accelerator and generally pressed under ambient conditions.

In low-cost housing sector, CBB proves to be a versatile construction material for interior and exterior wall, divider, and ceiling.  It has become a smart substitute for the expensive and increasingly supply-short plywood.

Plywood supply slumped since 1987 with only 517,000 cubic meters in total production output, government data showed.  But national housing needs continue to rise with a National Statistics Office estimated huge backlog of 4.2 million units between 1990-98 alone. 

The pile of housing units required in urban areas stood at 2.15 million and the rest were needed by rural population.  Metro Manila alone had a demand of 713,000 units.

PCIERD believes bamboo is a smarter CBB reinforcement choice because the country abounds with bamboo supply.  Bamboo is also gaining acceptance as substitute for timber in construction of fishing raft, bridge, aqueduct, fence, axles, tool handle, cordage, basket, chopstick, toothpick, etc.

PCIERD said there are currently only about four CBB producers in the country mostly producing on per order basis with combined output that could supply 2,184 housing units annually.

PCIERD and FPRDI are agencies under the Department of Science and Technology.