Sample outline for B3 Term Projectreport
Note that what follows is in draft form. The paper that was created from this outline evolved into something quite different. This sample is intended only to give you an idea of how a research paper outline looks.
Early draft outline for publication:
Kira Disén and Peggi L. Clouston (2013) BUILDING WITH BAMBOO: A REVIEW OF CULM CONNECTION TECHNOLOGY. Journal of Green Building: Fall 2013, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 83-93.
- Introduction
- What bamboo is
- Structure
- Growth/regional & environmental effects
- Economic benefit/alternative uses
- Why use it structurally?
- Sustainable material
- easy to grow, quick to replenish
- Structural properties
- flexible and lightweight
- talk about strength of hollow cylinder, and the seismic rebounding of bamboo
- Background/ Traditional bamboo structures
- History of usage
- Historically, bamboo structures used by nomadic cultures were designed to be movable, leading to the development of temporary, adjustable, bound connections using ropes and cords of tree fibers and dried grasses. More involved systems, such as pin-and-socket connections, have been developed to make use of bamboo’s hollow structure.[1]
- Lashed connections
- technology required
- materials
- tools
- skill
- technique breakdown (with illustrations)
- # of members
- 2-culm, 3-culm, 4-culm
- braced vs. unbraced
- compression members as cross-bracing vs. pure tension held in struc.
- shape
- flat/raisable vs. triangular/quadrilateral
- Peg connections
- technology required
- materials
- tools
- skill
- technique breakdown (with illustrations)
- # of members
- 2-culm, 3-culm, 4-culm
- braced vs. unbraced
- shape?
- Connection of technique to society
- talk about time, technique, specialization of labor
- Include how the aesthetics brought about structural design and then vice-versa
- Contemporary bamboo structures:
- bamboo-bamboo connections using metal bolts
- Renzo Piano (light metal component system using interior tubes and/or exterior plates)
- Shoei Yoh of Japan (interior metal pin system with biaxial bolts)
- bamboo-bamboo connections
- Filled and bolted connections (Inject concrete to act as stabilizing anchor for bolts, and interior strength for culm. The stiffening which occurs from concrete injection makes possible large cantilevers which would otherwise be unstable due to the natural flexibility of bamboo.)
- Simón Vélez (interior metal pin system imbedded with concrete)
- Marcelo Villegas
- Cap connections
- Use cap connection instead of bolt (standardization → modular ability)
- plug-and-build connections (Introducing self-contained connection technology increases availability and possibility with such a variable building material as bamboo. With modular and simple connections making use of a range of culm radii, a greater number of projects can be completed with a minimum discrepancy of parts or labor. This has strong implications for refugee housing and disaster relief, as connections which do not require a standard culm diameter can be implemented using found materials, without the need to sort by size.)
- German system (standardized linkages using manufactured cane tops)
- LOTDP of Rio de Janeiro (adjustable cap to absorb and transfer heavy loads, iron/wood/pressboard/adhesive for joining)
- double-layer grid paper in email
- QuaDror relief housing (
- Future research and advancements (how to make it better/more accessible)
- Basic lessons of building taken from new and old techniques
- base stability required
- protection against racking (wind, etc.; very flexible material)
- use arches/polyhedral shapes to maximize efficacy of flexibility without introducing danger factor of instability (Book of Bamboo)
- material diameter differs, so sizable/modular connections required
- Lowering technology needed to produce structures and materials
- talk about laminates, the large amount of production necessary for that
- mention the research done last semester toward making the process more accessible for local/handmade production (and the problems with uniformity and labor intensity, etc.)
- We know what's possible with high technology, and how beneficial the use of bamboo can be as a residential and commercial building material. Simón Vélez uses punctures and bolts as connections, which makes rural construction or use of inconsistent materials unlikely. Incorporating modern materials does increase the building potential of bamboo, but also increases the technology needed to complete projects, which brings its availability up and away from the neighborhood or bare-bones level which I’m trying to reach.
- Vélez uses Pellegrino bottles filled with cement mortar as the bases for columns! Resourceful! “Protection through design” (train station in Central America) - Where to go/what’s missing?
- modular connection not requiring modern materials
- technique-based (instead of product-based) disaster building solution
- knowledge of shape-building
- knowledge of connection-building
- Using connections which can be modified to accommodate polyhedral shapes will likely increase size of possible dwellings. Combining polyhedral framework with multi-culm connections could create a modular structure requiring very few construction elements.
- Assessing current disaster relief/refugee/quick-build housing options, and see how to modify those plans for use with found/downed materials (bamboo in particular)?
- Conclusions
- The availability and flexibility of bamboo as a material make it ideal for use in disaster relief or quick-build housing situations.
- Using the techniques pioneered by bamboo-growing societies and adapting the discoveries made using modern materials, it is possible to create a technique-based building system using bamboo (and/or any found material) which can be utilized to build quick, strong, safe structures with varying levels of permanence and divergent needs.
- Give and take between accessibility and strength/permanence; simple lashed connections are weaker than concrete/metal connections, but for the purposes of building a strong structure quickly and efficiently, splitting culms with bolts or pins is not a viable option.
- Complexity of structures was and is not limited by connection type, but skilled craftsmanship and time-intensive material selection make traditional methods of connection more costly. Logistically, connection methods which do not include splits or pin joints will likely be the simplest to design and construct. Connections which do not rely on culm diameter will be more versatile and will facilitate use of found/fallen material. Utilizing lashing patterns will standardize connection regardless of diameter and, ultimately, lead to application in any material. Standardization of length instead of diameter will require fewer tools and will make more material usable. Joining as many culms as possible per connection, or create modular connections to accommodate large numbers of culms if necessary, will reduce the overall number of connections needed per structure, increasing stability and decreasing construction time.
References:
Albermani, F., G.Y. Goh, S.L. Chan. (2006). “Lightweight bamboo double layer grid system” [how do I cite the rest of this?]
Farrely, D. (1984). The Book of Bamboo. San Fransisco: Sierra Club Books.
Janssen, J.J.A. (2005). Building with Bamboo. Warwickshire: ITDG Publishing.
Kries, M. & von Vegesack, A., ed. (2000). Grow Your Own House: Simón Vélez and Bamboo Architecture, Bilingual Version. Weil am Rhein: Vitra Design Museum. 108-121
Mahdavi, M., P.L. Clouston, S.R. Arwade. (2011) “A low-technology approach toward fabrication of Laminated Bamboo Lumber.” [citation?]
Mahdavi, M., P.L. Clouston, S.R. Arwade. (2011) “Development of laminated bamboo lumber: Review of processing, performance, and economical considerations.” [citation?]
Villegas, Marcelo, ed. (2003). New Bamboo: Architecture and Design. Colombia: Villegas Asociados.
[see “Bamboo Research” Google Doc for other citations on bamboo anatomy and usage]