Program Structure
The program requires that 4 courses be taken, each taking 2 weeks of study time. The program will take about 60 hours to complete.
The program is offered in 2 sessions each year, one in the Fall (October – December) and one in the Winter/Spring (February/April). Students may register and complete all courses in one session or spread out the courses (in order of prerequisite requirements) over a 2-year time frame.
Each course in this program will require approximately 15 hours of learner’s time. The program has 4 courses:
- Introduction to Bamboo, Its Material Properties and Products
- October 14 – 25, 2024
- Engineered Bamboo: Processing Technologies
- October 28 – November 8, 2024
- Engineered Bamboo: Product Attributes
- November 18 – 29, 2024
- Engineered Bamboo: Carbon Sequestration and Markets
- December 2 – 13, 2024
Courses must be taken in sequential order, as they build on one another, but may be taken individually, in different sessions within a two-year time frame, to receive the micro-certificate.
Timeline to Completion
Participants have the flexibility to set their own timeline to completion, within a maximum of two years.
Courses
Course 1 – Introduction to Bamboo, Its Material Properties and Products
This course introduces the taxonomy of bamboo types and resource distribution, culm structure, and growing and harvesting practices. As a fast-growing plant, the main commercial species of bamboo and their social, economic, and environmental importance are the primary focus. The material and engineering properties such as density, strength, stiffness, durability, and moisture content of bamboo are also introduced. Different classes of bamboo products and applications are covered throughout this course, including the benefits, scope, and limitations of round culm construction.
Course 2 – Engineered Bamboo: Processing Technologies
This course aims to develop a fundamental understanding of physical, chemical, and mechanical processes involved in manufacturing engineered bamboo composites. Bamboo must be dried, treated and glued to meet requirements for product durability and fire resistance in building applications. Important timber bamboo species, their suitability, and grading for uses in engineered bamboo are covered along with material conversion, forming, and pressing processes for cost-effective manufacturing of various engineered bamboo products. The course also covers quality control practices in manufacturing structural engineered bamboo.
Course 3 – Engineered Bamboo: Product Attributes
In order to integrate bamboo materials into modern wood frame construction (including tall wood buildings), round culms must be converted to low-tolerance, glued-laminated composites with or without supplementary wood using approved structural wood adhesives and fabrication standards. This course aims to promote understanding and application of proper procedures to develop engineered bamboo products for code compliance. Product properties of engineered bamboo are characterized and compared with wood products for contemporary building applications and the fundamentals of designing engineered bamboo structures for lateral and vertical loading in buildings are covered.
Course 4 – Engineered Bamboo: Carbon Sequestration and Markets
Due to its rapid growth and short harvest cycle time compared with trees, bamboo offers significant opportunities in the carbon trading economy during its growth cycle (<5 years) and as sequestered carbon in products. The CO2 sequestration rate and models for bamboo cultivation (above and below ground carbon) are covered compared with timber growing. Methodologies to estimate net sequestered or ‘embodied’ carbon in engineered bamboo products (after factoring in CO2 emissions from transport and conversion), and carbon-saving opportunities in using bamboo-based products for building projects are discussed. The course also develops an understanding and application of current Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for different bamboo products under ISO 14025 as part of a broader context of nature-based solutions.
