---
title: "Bamboo — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Bamboo has a density of 700 kg/m³ (600–900). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/bamboo/
site: "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

- [Does bamboo float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/bamboo/)
- [Pine](https://atoneplace.net/material/pine/)
- [Plywood](https://atoneplace.net/material/plywood/)
- [MDF](https://atoneplace.net/material/mdf/)
- [White oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/white-oak/)
- [Red oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/red-oak/)
- [Balsa](https://atoneplace.net/material/balsa/)
- [Spruce](https://atoneplace.net/material/spruce/)
- [Western red cedar](https://atoneplace.net/material/cedar/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)