::Bamboo Enigma::
A riddle: What is so soft you want it next to your skin, yet so hard you want it under your feet?

Answer: Bamboo, perhaps the most versatile plant on Earth.

Bamboo fibers woven into cloth are “ultra soft” and are used for dish towels and very comfortable clothing. But that same raw material can be pressed into blocks strong enough for use as building materials, creating eco-friendly, sustainable substitutes for hardwood flooring, steel beams and concrete.

Bamboo, which contains benzoquinone enzymes, also has naturally occurring antifungal and antibacterial properties. This makes the fast-growing woody grass useful in medicines and ideal for towels, bath mats, clothing or other products exposed to high moisture levels.

In this era of rapid climate change, bamboo offers an alternative to many conventional products we take for granted in our daily lives. Because it a grass that can be harvested – more like mowing a lawn than felling a forest — it is environmentally sustainable, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and helping to restore the health of planet Earth.

::Bridging Bamboo::
For centuries, bamboo has been used to make furniture, artwork, scaffolding and small buildings. But a bridge? A 33-foot test bridge opened to traffic in December 2007 in the village of Leiyang, Hunan Province, China. The bridge can support loads in excess of 8 tons.

A team of eight workers constructed the Biocomposite Bridge from prefabricated structural elements in just one week, without heavy construction equipment. Moreover, preliminary tests on a duplicate bridge erected on the campus of Hunan University demonstrated a much higher strength capacity than from traditional construction materials. Building an eco-friendly bamboo bridge reduces greenhouse gases: Where cement production releases carbon dioxide, bamboo absorbs it as it grows. The construction process also consumes less energy, and when the bridge’s useful life is over, it can be recycled or used as an energy source.

::Foot Traffic::
While bamboo has long been known for its high tensile strength, a recent manufacturing process makes bamboo flooring hard enough for high-traffic areas, such as commercial buildings, as well as in buildings with radiant heat systems. Cali Bamboo’s Fossilized Flooring Series falls into this category. It has twice the density and strength of most other flooring material, including red oak. Although Cali Bamboo’s Organic and Hybrid flooring have a hardness factor on par with red oak, (a Janka Ball Hardness rating of roughly 1,300 for you engineering types), the Fossilized Flooring is twice as hard, with a rating of 3,000. Because this flooring is made from an eco-friendly, sustainable material, it’s it ideal for a “green” building or home.

::At Home with Bamboo::
Many kitchens have utensils made from bamboo: spatulas, spoons, tongs, chop sticks, serving trays, salad bowls and cutting boards. Now it’s time to think bigger: new bamboo products make excellent material for the structural features in a kitchen as well. How about a bamboo countertop, cabinet or floor? Yes, even a bamboo rug.

Bamboo plywood is an excellent material for making countertops and cabinets. Manufactured from four-to-six-year-old organically grown moso bamboo, it’s the right color, density and strength. Cali Bamboo’s Fossilized Flooring Series™ provides the resilience needed to prevent dents and dings when cooking utensils fall to the floor. And rugs made from bamboo fibers bring a touch of sophistication and elegance to any kitchen.

Your Friends,