New Mars Forums

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

bamboo

Plot 0038 Sagan city Bamboo is unassigned

From

Lest we forget: crops aren't all about food.

I'd like to fly the flag for bamboo -

"Bamboos are the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow 91 cm (3 ft) within a 24-hour period, at a rate of almost 4 cm (1.5 in) an hour (a growth around 1 mm every 90 seconds, or one inch every 40 minutes). Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo

The bamboo plant has a wide range of uses including in construction.  It can be used to fashion utensils and tools, provide flooring, and make furniture. It can even be used as piping for water. 

It would be a lot easier to start producing bamboo on Mars than steel. So I would suggest that it is a serious candidate for one of the early crops. 

I've often wondered about bamboo's qualities at v. low temperatures.  Does anyone know?

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: bamboo

This particular crop would seem to fit in Tom's New New York theme of recreating earth under glass....

Dexter2999

Member

Registered: 2016-03-08

Posts: 20

Re: bamboo

Bamboo is certainly useful. Care should be taken in that bamboo can be somewhat invasive in its growth.

I think hemp would be a no-brainer as well.
http://www.hempbasics.com/shop/hemp-information

elderflower

Member

Registered: 2016-06-19

Posts: 1,262

Re: bamboo

Some varieties of bamboo produce edible shoots as well. Strong fibers can be extracted from it and it has great merit for structures. Its Achille's heel is its lack of durability on earth and this would prevent its permanent, structural use inside a habit, but that may not be an issue when exposed to martian (or moon etc) conditions.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: bamboo

The martian environmental conditions would be isolated from any crops as they could not survive to grow if we did not do that. As far as edible sure all the more food types that can be grown all the better for the crews to survive on....

elderflower

Member

Registered: 2016-06-19

Posts: 1,262

Re: bamboo

I was thinking in terms of use of bamboo for structures (like Chinese scaffolding for instance), when I introduced its lack of durability. It would be an issue if it were used inside a habitat, but not if used outside.
Some tests would be needed to establish the effects of the cold dry ultra low pressure environment on cut and seasoned bamboo before it could be considered for structures outside.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: bamboo

The question then is just how much do we need for an early or later mars settlement?
What is the items which once we have the seeds or shutes there to grow?
How would we havest and use the Bamboo on mars?

See secondary topic as well http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=6154

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: bamboo

Concentrating the post knowledge to the topic

This shows the start to finished product for any paper products.

https://bestonpapermachine.com/toilet-p … g-machine/

hybrid product
https://cabooproducts.com/how-its-made/

Bamboo harvesting takes place within two years of initial sprouting. Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen than trees and absorbs huge quantities of carbon dioxide. And—unlike trees—cutting bamboo actually promotes its growth.

http://www.toiletpaperhistory.net/toile … aper-made/

So which topic should we collect discusion as it has growth for food or fiber, oxygen creation, cleaning up of grey water, processing equipment to use it for paper or other purposes...this is one reason we have such issues for being able to plan such product into a mission planning as we lack all of the details which can be found as common to other topics such as the greenhouse construction and materials used for below of above ground.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 17,051

Re: bamboo

The topic "bamboo" has been languishing for awhile ...

The advertisement (partially) quoted below came from an online retailer of odds and ends ... However, the recent discussions in Settlement Design reminded me that this topic has been recorded in the forum archive.  One particular member has "interesting" views on the subject.

4-Ply Bamboo
Toilet Paper

We weren't sure we could do this price again but Pat said sure why not. Bamboo TP is all the rage and our each is (5) packs of (12) rolls which should be enough to last all summer. Bottom line? Under a buck a roll. Read more.
ON SALE! $47.50/pkg(5)
20% OFF!

(th)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,832

Re: bamboo

Ya no cheap one ply please...or you are going to want a wet wipe.....

The issues for growing of any crops fall into how much water do they need, how much sun, how warm do you need the area in which they grow and finally how tall will it grow in a protected chamber plus how fast to harvest...

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,175

Re: bamboo

The Filipinos believe that man and woman first emerged from the nodes of a bamboo stalk. The Chinese view the cane as a symbol of their culture and values, reciting “there is no place to live without bamboo”. The plant is a symbol of prosperity in Japan and friendship in India. Along with myths and stories, strong structures made of bamboo flourished in pre-modern Asia. Built forms varied across the changing landscapes of Eastern countries, all sharing one aspect in common - a respect for natural ecosystems.
https://www.archdaily.com/987054/why-ba … nstruction

Using bamboo as space construction material
https://space.stackexchange.com/questio … n-material

useful in a variety of practical ways in space such as:

    Cheap and disposable scaffolding
    Temporary structural support
    Excess can be used as biofuel or burned for energy
    Requires no metal smelting or ore refinery facilities
    Can help clean atmosphere because it's a plant

Specific things you could construct with bamboo (example mars or moon):

    Temporary frames to keep large amounts of solar panels off the surface and angled properly
    Scaffolding to help human (or robot) workers work on hard to reach places
    Poles to be used as "telephone poles" keeping cables and pipelines off the ground over long distances
    Poles to be used as antenna masts for temporary installations
    Bridges to traverse crevices or natural surface dangers
    Road building across sandy areas where wheels can get stuck

The Potential of Bamboo as Building Material in Organic Shaped Buildings
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … 2815061844

The Characteristics and Many Uses of Japanese Bamboo
https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/public … 01_en.html

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,175

Re: bamboo

Group gathers in Beijing to promote bamboo
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202303/ … b512a.html
Latin America has one-third of the world's bamboo

Another type of grass called switchgrass, a biofuel?

new discovery could unleash the full potential of switchgrass for making biofuel
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/20 … g-biofuel/

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,175

Re: bamboo

Bamboo inside a Biosphere on Mars and potential to provide a raw material for biofuel, namely ethanol?

Species most commonly grown in the U.S. is Bambusa balcooa, while other bamboo species include Bambusa bambos, Spiny bamboo, and Timber bamboo. Bambusa polymorpha  the Burmese bamboo, the Bambusa is the botanical name for bamboo and is widely grown as an ornamental plant, and is often grown in pots. Clumpers grow in dense clumps and slowly expand from the origin while Bamboo Runners spread quickly from where they began and tend to take over anywhere that they exist. There are thousands of known species of bamboo and 100 + species are recorded to have edible shoots, Bambusa balcooa – Female bamboo of northeast India can grow to be as tall as 73 feet and six to fifteen centimeters wide. Bamboo can be used for a variety of purposes including woven mats, rikshaw hood frames, and fodder.  Buddha Belly Bamboo, also known as Giant Buddha Belly,  an evergreen bamboo native to Southern China very hardy and can tolerate temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit or -6 to -7 degrees Celsius not all will survive cold frost but it has some resistance, can withstand light frost.

Can Bamboo be used as fuel?
https://www.bambooforthewin.com/bamboo- … j1fvnyef2q

Overview of bamboo biomass for energy production

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio … production

Bamboo biomass has both advantages and drawbacks in comparison to other energy sources. It has better fuel characteristics than most biomass feed stocks and suitable for both thermal and biochemical pathways. The drawbacks of bamboo biomass includes establishment, logistic and land occupation. It can also impose negative impacts to environment if not well-managed, therefore, selection of bamboo as an energy dedicated feed stocks need to be evaluate carefully to avoid or minimized any possible risks. Bamboo biomass alone cannot fulfill all the demand for energy. It needs to combine with other sources to best exploit their potential and provide sustainable energy supply.