Bambusa vulgaris as a roof material : A field study about bamboo age, treatment and the possibility to build with bamboo in Ghana

The purpose of this report was to investigate bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) and to gain a wider knowledge about bamboo as a construction material. A growing problem all over the world is global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Bamboo is a giant grass and can absorb more carbon dioxide in comparison to same-sized trees. The majority of bamboo species growing in Ghana is Bambusa vulgaris. The results are based on six qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted in Ghana and five supplementary interviews by e-mail conversations. The investigation was carried out in Greater Accra region, Ashanti region, and Western region in Ghana. The results of this survey showed that Bambusa vulgaris has the best properties for construction at four years of age and needs treatment to last longer than two years. The interviews also revealed that there is currently no example of a built corrugated bamboo roof in the country, instead traditional bamboo roofs are common in the rural areas. Natural material needs to increase in the urban areas for environmental purposes because cement and metal are standard material in the Greater Accra region. Therefore, roofing with bamboo can be a good idea. If bamboo becomes the main building material, it is possible that bamboo plantation will expand in Ghana and that contributing to overall reduced the CO2 emissions. The conclusion is to build with four year old bamboos and use bamboo instead of wood or traditional bamboo roofs as alternatives to corrugated bamboo roofing sheets in the country