Bamboo Supported Construction Site Thimphu

Embrace Bhutan Cultural Tour

Thimphu | Bhutan

08 Nov 2019 | Fri

Day 02 of 13

Exploring Capital City Thimphu Bhutan
Bamboo Supported Construction Site Thimphu
National Memorial Chorten Thimphu
Institute of Traditional Medicine
Bhutan Gross National Happiness (GNH) Centre
Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan
Lunch in Thimphu
Motithang Takin Preserve Thimphu
Tashichho Dzong Viewpoint Thimphu
Centenary Farmers Market Thimphu
Evening Lecture with Kuenzang Dechen

Bamboo Supported Construction Site Thimphu

While doing our early morning walkabout in downtown Thimphu (from post Exploring Capital City Thimphu Bhutan), we came across an awesome construction site supported by bamboo.

A Real Treat

I’ve always heard about bamboo being used in construction projects in different parts of the world (like South America and Asia) and even seen it used with Temple construction projects in Thailand. But I’ve never really seen it done on a large scale (with multiple stories). So it was a treat when we came across a large bamboo-supported construction site in downtown Thimphu.

“Bamboo can be utilized as a building material for scaffolding, bridges, houses and buildings. Bamboo, like wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures. Bamboo’s strength-to-weight ratio is similar to timber, and its strength is generally similar to a strong softwood or hardwood timber.”

“Bamboos are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world (eco freindly), due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow up to 91 cm (35 in) within a 24-hour period, or nearly 4 cm/h (1.6 in/h).”

“In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally associated with the cultures of South Asia, East Asia, the South Pacific, Central and South America. In China and India, bamboo was used to hold up simple suspension bridges, either by making cables of split bamboo or twisting whole culms of sufficiently pliable bamboo together. One such bridge in the area of Qian-Xian is referenced in writings dating back to 960 AD and may have stood since as far back as the third century BC, due largely to continuous maintenance.”

– from Wikipedia Bamboo Construction

Multi-Story Building

Located across the street from Druk Shopping Complex (on Norzin Lam 3), it appears to be a multi-story building when complete. At the time of our visit (November 2019), the construction progress was showing two stories. However, after recently taking a look at the same location with Google Street View (dated January 2022), it is now showing still under construction with five stories.

Take a look at the following pictures as I think you will find this type of construction to be very interesting.