BAMBOO PRESERVATION COMPENDIUM

by Walter Liese and Satish Kumar 


A Review by Gooffrey Kyle

April 2004

Over the last couple of years, there has been much discussion among bamboo people about preservation techniques. Some of this has had its genesis in purely practical concerns, and some has arisen from the perception that, if bamboo is ever to become a material whose multifunctional employment is accepted and widespread, the preservation problem must be solved. There are differences in emphasis, but the latter incentive applies equally to industrialised and developing countries.

Extant literature on the subject is extensive, but has hitherto remained scattered, unorganised, and often arcane. The authors of the compendium have united the relevant information into one body, and shown how the practical application of that knowledge can be achieved in a wide range of situations. This achievement represents a significant advance in the promotion of bamboo and the manufacture of its products.

Although it is a smallish book, the compendium contains a wealth of information. Chapters cover the anatomical features of bamboo that make it amenable to different treatments, biotic and abiotic factors affecting the quality of raw bamboo, treatment regimes for cut bamboo and value-added products, the chemicals and processes employed, the environmental concerns involved and the economics of various preservation protocols. This review examines the book from the perspective of an environmental chemist and with the focus of a bamboo enthusiast. Therefore little will be said about the economic, engineering and aesthetic aspects covered.

The coverage of the relevant anatomy of bamboo, its natural durability and traditional methods of its preservation provides a succinct and informative summary of what is currently known. A curious omission is the absence of a reference to moon phases. One of the authors advised that the original manuscript contained a reference, (reproduced below), which had apparently been excised in the editing process.

Without making the point, the authors assume an apparent reality about bamboo as a material. Ensuring it has a long functional life in many different applications cannot be achieved by traditional methods alone, and must involve chemical and mechanical intervention. The question then becomes one of process and preservative selection.

The chapters covering the different techniques, their applications, and the chemicals they consume, are sufficiently detailed and well-illustrated. The different processes are described individually and as parts of related groups whose uses are indicated in conjunction with different combinations of chemicals, depending on the nature and condition of the particular bamboo being considered for treatment, and its intended use. Comprehensive instructions for construction and operation of small-scale preservation plants in which to do that efficiently and safely are also given and illustrated.

Another section provides detailed instructions for the selection and use of personal protective equipment when dealing with chemicals. There is also a series of chemical spot tests, designed to indicate the presence of this or that preservative. The chemist in me had reservations about some of the flammable and hazardous reagents involved. The authors reckon that a high school chemistry student would have no trouble with the spot tests. Perhaps, but at the school I attended, not everyone was good at, or even interested in, chemistry.

Environmental, human health and waste disposal aspects of the use of preservation chemicals are well covered. The relevant properties of a wide range of preservatives and actives are mentioned. Cautious use of nasties such as CCAs and PCPs is discussed and a factual appreciation of the human health implications and environmental fates is provided. Again, curiously, in an otherwise almost exhaustive survey of bamboo preservation chemicals, there is no mention of PEGs, whose current popularity in America is significant. The author has told me that he deliberately omitted PEGs as they are leachable, have poor penetration, and meagre preservative efficacy.

There is brief discussion of natural preservatives, such as Neem. This aspect of the topic is fascinating and I thought that the section devoted to it could have been more detailed, with an examination of more than the few examples selected.

The discussion of preservation does not seek to influence the reader against or towards a particular process. Except to point out obvious potential disasters, such as that brewing in the photograph of a CCA bath over an open fire, the coverage of the unavoidable play-off between efficacy and environmental consequence is balanced and non-judgemental. The authors conclude by implication that, with appropriate technology and understanding, and environrnental best practice, chemical methods of preservation can be employed at all levels of modern and traditional economies without risk to users or damage to the environment. Whilst agreeing with the sentiment, I found myself thinking about some industries in developed countries where the technology exists to operate without damage to health or the environrnent, but is not used for one reason or another – usually cost!

The photographs are, for the most part, relevant and informative. The author with whom I corresponded before writing this review told me that he was not happy with the captions and placement of many of the photographs. Those included the CCA image referred to above, the chair on the Quality Control title page, and the cover itself, which was thought to convey the wrong message. These points have merit, but none of them detracts significantly from the overall relevance of the illustrations in the book.

There are some minor errors or omissions in the text. A few scholars might be irritated by difficulty encountered in checking references, and a few zealous environmentalists might express disapproval of even the mention of CCA and PCP actives – much less an appraisal of their cautious use. A grumpy antipodean chemist might note that PEGs are not examined and the environrnental consequences of hexavalent chromium are not exhaustively explored. And, of course, there will be a few individuals of taste who will abhor the "Quality Control Armchair" on aesthetic "coffee table" grounds. But the important people – those bamboo growers, builders and craftsmen who need the information – now have access to a functional compendium. The achievement of this book is its gathering together in one place and clear, balanced presentation of all the relevant information on its subject.

This is the text edited from page 33 of the original manuscript. It was provided by Walter Liese in personal correspondence:

"Likewise, the cutting period, three days before and three days after full moon phase, respective the cutting in the fortnight after full moon till new moon is locally regarded to result in an increased resistance. Such belief exists in some countries even regarding the durability of wood but detailed investigations have been unable to substantiate these claims".