At One Place

Bamboo

Density of bamboo
700 kg/m³ (600–900)
0.70 g/cm³ · 43.7 lb/ft³

Not a wood at all but a grass, and structurally a hollow tube of unidirectional fibres — which is why it is stiff along its length and splits effortlessly across it. Some species grow a metre a day and reach usable size in three to five years, against decades for timber, which is the sustainability argument. Laminated bamboo panels are made by splitting culms into strips and gluing them flat, so their properties depend as much on the adhesive and lay-up as on the plant.

Properties

Density
700 kg/m³ (600–900) — 0.70 g/cm³
Young's modulus
12 GPa
Floats in water
Yes
Magnetic
No

What it is used for

  • Scaffolding in East and South Asia
  • Laminated flooring and worktops
  • Bicycle frames and fishing rods
  • Reinforcement in low-cost concrete construction

How it compares

Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.

air 1.2 kg/m³
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³
bamboo 700 kg/m³
Water — the float line 1,000 kg/m³
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³
gold 19,300 kg/m³
platinum 21,450 kg/m³
Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.
Material Density Relative to water
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³ 0.04×
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³ 0.02×
air 1.2 kg/m³ 0.00×
bamboo ← 700 kg/m³ 0.70×
platinum 21,450 kg/m³ 21.45×
gold 19,300 kg/m³ 19.30×
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³ 19.25×

Does it rust?

Bamboo contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.

Is it magnetic?

Bamboo is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

Common questions

What is the density of bamboo?
700 kg/m³ (600–900), or 0.70 g/cm³.
Does bamboo float?
Yes. At 700 kg/m³ it is less dense than water's 1,000.
Is bamboo magnetic?
Bamboo is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked