Engineering Research Practice: Assignment 1 - Bamboo vs. Steel

This assignment explores the research question of whether bamboo can replace steel and timber in the construction industry. The student provides background information on the increasing demand for wood products and the environmental problems associated with it, leading to the investigation of bamboo as a sustainable alternative. The assignment discusses the importance of the research question, focusing on the potential of bamboo due to its properties such as high tensile strength and flexibility. The student details how they focused their research question to ensure it can be undertaken with reasonable time and resources, including reviewing existing information and conducting investigations through interviews and practical tests. References to relevant literature are also included, supporting the research and providing context to the findings. The assignment highlights bamboo's potential in construction, the research approach, and the resources used.

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ENGINEERING REASERCH PRACTICE
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation

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1 .Describe the general background/context and importance of the research
question
The increasing demand for wood and wood-based products is linked to many environmental
problems. This has forced researchers and scholars to shifting their focus of research and
exploring to coming with an alternative material which has similar properties as wood, with that
bamboo has emerged as the most promising alternative to wood and steel. Bamboo has played a
very essential role in the development of mankind since time immemorial (Jayanetti, 2018, p.
274). It has a wide range of application in day to day activities of human beings, both as a woody
material and as food. Bamboo will continue to play a crucial role in the transformation of rural
environments and development of enterprises, in different of developing world where it grows.
The realization that bamboo is the fast-growing woody biomass and the most significant non-
timber resource, has evoked interest in the preservation, processing and utilization of bamboo as
an substitute to wood. Due to the excellent properties such as; high tensile strength, better fire
resistance and overall flexibility of bamboo it has attracted a lot of applications in the
construction where it is used as a construction material (Paudel, 2017, p. 332).
2 .Describe the general background/context and importance of the research
question
Can bamboo replace steel and timber in the construction industry?
3. How have you focused your research question to make sure you can
undertake this research with a reasonable expenditure of time, money and
effort?

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I have researched about the scope of the research question and found out that the research
question will be able to address one of the top most global challenges. I realized that the
research can be carried out within a reasonable time. In that I will to carry out an investigation
the past, current and future application of bamboo in the construction industry, during the
investigation some resources and time will be required to gather relevant information about
application of bamboo in construction industry.
Will the process of solving this problem be more than a simple exercise in
reviewing some existing information or will it involve some investigation?
The process of solving the problem of if bamboo can replace timber and steel in the
construction industry will involve reviewing some of the existing information sources about
how bamboo has been used in construction industry and also an investigation will carried out
whereby people who stay in bamboo houses and those involved in their construction can be
interviewed to get firsthand information regarding the research question.
The research about if bamboo can replace timber and steel in construction industry will involve
carrying out practical sessions where tests on bamboo will be carried out to determine if it has
the standard required properties in construction. Also answering the research question will
include the visiting existing bamboo structures to find out the benefits and limitations associated
with application of bamboo in the construction industry (Farrelly, 2016, p. 225).

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References
Farrelly, D., 2016. The book of bamboo. 6th ed. Berlin: Sierra Club Books.
Jayanetti, L., 2018. Bamboo in Construction: An Introduction. 2nd ed. London: TRADA
Technology, Limited,.
Paudel, S. K., 2017. Modern Bamboo Structures. 3rd ed. London: CRC Press.
Rockwood, D., 2015. Bamboo Gridshells. 3rd ed. Chicago: Routledge.