For building materials, nature still does it best
We all love to go on vacation in a tropical paradise; what do we imagine? We imagine walking into a jungle-themed home, made from bamboo, surrounded by nature. Well, what if I told you that bamboo happens to be one of the most robust materials that grow naturally throughout Indonesia?
In 2018 there was a series of earthquakes that destroyed thousands of homes on the island of Lombok, it also killed 560 people. The earthquake took out homes that seemed structurally secure. However, if brick and stone don’t have the proper foundation, there is no way it can last during a massive earthquake, but the bamboo, what they consider the poor man’s material will because it is durable.
A team in London joined a non-profit organization that is helping rebuild homes on the island. They are now using 3D laser scanning services to recreate the properties and structure of bamboo. Marcin Dawydzik, a structural engineer on the London team, says, “Bamboo is a lightweight material, and it’s very strong. As the earthquake happens, the house will move a little bit and wobble and shake. But that actually means that the energy is being dissipated, and all that movement makes it survive very strong earthquakes.”
Using mobile 3D laser scanning services, the team learned how to replicate the houses in Indonesia and modeled what would happen during an earthquake during different models of the houses. They learned which structure using bamboo would last, and made sure to add all of the things that people look for in houses in Indonesia.
The 3D laser scanning services helped the team understand how the material and design would perform during each trial earthquake. There is no uniform size of bamboo. Metal comes in a uniform size and can be easier to work with if the inside structure can be secured. However, in Indonesia, it is easier to get away with less secure structures. They are creating a blueprint for each bamboo pole using the 3D laser scanning services; in return, they can test and mold a structure.
3D laser scanning services help build structural models that the team can test without hurting real houses or individuals, and they then can take the best models back to build in real life. This is one of the best ways to design and construct an earthquake-proof house.
Not only can they take this knowledge back to build houses, but this group of researchers can also teach the residents of these areas how the structure works. They can teach what they learned from the 3D laser scanning services and apply them to real-life scenarios spreading the news on how using bamboo can save thousands of lives. Being able to transport material across the world to design and experiment with is one of the best solutions to creating a secure environment for others.
Once again, technology is advancing, and we are figuring out how to benefit from this technology. 3D laser scanning services have helped develop safer and more secure structures for everyone to live in, even being across the world.
