Bamboo scaffolding

In Australia, metal (like aluminium) is the material of choice for scaffolding – in Asia it’s a completely different story.

I recently came back from a trip to India and was absolutely amazed by everything I saw. Yes, I’m talking about the Taj Mahal and The Mother Ganges – but I was equally gobsmacked by the country’s construction methods. Everywhere I went I saw buildings – from huge skyscrapers to sacred temples – flanked in crazy bamboo scaffolding.

Admittedly, my first thought was “how stone age?” – quite frankly it was unsettling to see these large structures supported by such flimsy-looking materials. I half expected a panda (or in India’s case an elephant) to come bounding around the corner and send the scaffolding (and the building with it) crashing to the ground with one large chomp.

Now I’m familiar with the idea of bamboo flooring and even furniture – especially as it’s gaining popularity in Australia with everyone trying to give their home a “touch of the tropics,” but I’m unsure about more vigorous applications. While I’m  comfortable with a carefully constructed bamboo coffee table or chair,  there’s a massive difference between being able to support 60kg (okay after all those butter chickens I might be slightly more than that) and hundreds or workers, their tools and materials!

However, after delving a little deeper into the practice, I discovered that there was no real cause for concern. Although light weight, bamboo scaffolding is also surprisingly durable. The method is so effective that it’s been used throughout Asia for centuries. And it’s easy to see why.

As it’s so light it’s easy to handle, so there’s no need for machinery to put it in place. Workers can build the scaffold around them as they go – no matter how large the construction is. They can disassemble the scaffolding in the same way and then recycle it for another project, making bamboo scaffolding cost-effective and sustainable.

So do all these benefits mean bamboo scaffolding is better than metal scaffolding? Well that I’m still not sure about – but is does make a hell of a holiday snap!