WE THANK Mr Teo Kok Seah for his suggestion on the potential benefits of using bamboo as reinforcement in concrete for structural purposes ("Composite bamboo may be better than steel"; April 2).
Buildings in Singapore are required to adhere to established international building codes in order to ensure that they are
structurally safe.
Commonly used building materials such as steel-reinforced concrete and structural steel are deemed to be acceptable by these codes, and have proven to be robust and durable under our local environmental conditions.
New materials and methods would have to show similar performance as currently accepted technology.
Nevertheless, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is currently working
with industry stakeholders on various initiatives to promote the adoption of sustainable construction materials.
For example, we encourage the use of eco-concrete through the partial replacement of sand with washed copper slag and concrete aggregates recycled from demolition waste.
Additionally, we also promote the use of
lightweight and sustainable materials, such as cross laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (Glulam), in building structures. The use of CLT and Glulam conforms with the building codes and this will ensure suitability of their intended use.
An example is the new Nanyang Technological University sports hall - an upcoming project that will be adopting the use of CLT and Glulam.
We understand that using bamboo as reinforcement in concrete for structural purposes is still in a nascent stage of development; more in-depth studies on its mechanical properties and long-term performance would have to be done.
The BCA will keep track of this development, as we are constantly looking out for suitable construction materials and building technology to achieve our sustainability and productivity targets while keeping our built environment safe.
Chew Keat Chuan
Group Director
Building Engineering Group
Building and Construction Authority
Buildings in Singapore are required to adhere to established international building codes in order to ensure that they are
structurally safe.
Commonly used building materials such as steel-reinforced concrete and structural steel are deemed to be acceptable by these codes, and have proven to be robust and durable under our local environmental conditions.
New materials and methods would have to show similar performance as currently accepted technology.
Nevertheless, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is currently working
with industry stakeholders on various initiatives to promote the adoption of sustainable construction materials.
For example, we encourage the use of eco-concrete through the partial replacement of sand with washed copper slag and concrete aggregates recycled from demolition waste.
Additionally, we also promote the use of
lightweight and sustainable materials, such as cross laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (Glulam), in building structures. The use of CLT and Glulam conforms with the building codes and this will ensure suitability of their intended use.
An example is the new Nanyang Technological University sports hall - an upcoming project that will be adopting the use of CLT and Glulam.
We understand that using bamboo as reinforcement in concrete for structural purposes is still in a nascent stage of development; more in-depth studies on its mechanical properties and long-term performance would have to be done.
The BCA will keep track of this development, as we are constantly looking out for suitable construction materials and building technology to achieve our sustainability and productivity targets while keeping our built environment safe.
Chew Keat Chuan
Group Director
Building Engineering Group
Building and Construction Authority
