The World’s Longest Sea Bridge Is in China and Features an Unusual Material: Bamboo

Although Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates compete for the title of having the most impressive skyscrapers, the real focus on mega-constructions should turn to China. The Asian giant is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary structures, including incredible bridges and the tallest abandoned skyscraper. Among these monumental projects is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Stretching 34 miles, the bridge isn’t made solely of steel and concrete. It also features bamboo as a crucial material. According to builders, the bamboo remains in excellent condition six years later.

The bridge. After six years of planning and eight years of construction, China unveiled the impressive bridge in 2018, which connects Macau and Zhuhai. The 34-mile bridge reduces a journey that used to take three hours to a mere 30 minutes. The structure boasts 420,000 tons of steel–equivalent to 60 Eiffel Towers–and more than 35 million cubic feet of concrete. Additionally, it was designed to be flexible enough to endure typhoons and earthquakes.

It’s a remarkable structure, featuring an underground section that both disappears into and reemerges from the sea.

It looks like a ship, but it serves as one of the two entrances and exits from the sea.

Bamboo. Engineers incorporated bamboo into the construction. It’s not such a surprising choice considering China is the world’s largest bamboo producer, according to South China Morning Post.

Specifically, builders used bamboo for the panoramic platforms along the bridge. The official newspaper Science and Technology reported that these bamboo panels have withstood exposure to sunlight, typhoons, and seawater corrosion for six years, remaining “as solid as ever.”

A unique advantage. Lou Zhichao from China’s Bamboo Research Institute highlighted that bamboo is primarily produced in developing countries as well as China. This gives China a unique advantage and a strong position in bamboo processing.

For the past decade, Lou’s team has been developing advanced technologies to process bamboo in a way that emits less carbon dioxide. Researchers aim to promote the use of bamboo in construction because it boasts a higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to some steel alloys. Additionally, bamboo can substitute wood, plastic, and even steel in certain applications.

Drawbacks. However, despite its interesting properties, bamboo has a big drawback: It’s prone to decay. As a result, toxic preservatives are often necessary when used in installations, which diminishes the material’s environmental friendliness.

Lou’s team has been focusing on addressing this issue in recent years. One of its latest breakthroughs is a heat treatment process that removes the nutrients responsible for accelerated decay. This method reduces processing time by 50% and enhances the material’s durability in outdoor settings without the need for anti-mold treatments.

More from Xataka On

Nepal Is Using Plastic Trash to Build Its Roads. The Goal: Becoming More Sustainable

Bamboo scaffolding. Bamboo is a crucial element in Hong Kong, especially in the construction of its skyscrapers, where it serves as an exoskeleton and a scaffolding system.

Lou is actively working to promote bamboo as a high-quality material for several reasons. First, bamboo absorbs 50% more carbon dioxide than ordinary trees. Additionally, its cultivation supports an estimated 50 million people across the country. Lou hopes the government will “fund key technology development, and strengthen regulation through national and local standards to drive the industry forward.”

Tech industry. Bamboo is emerging as a valuable material not only for construction but also in several other sectors. One notable example is its use in consumer tech, particularly in packaging, rather than as a component of the devices themselves. During a visit to Lenovo’s innovation center a few years ago, I learned that the company had begun incorporating bamboo into its laptop boxes.

Right: A bamboo box. Left: A bamboo box after being buried for a year.

The motivation behind this shift is largely environmental, given that bamboo fibers degrade naturally over time. In fact, bamboo can be buried in a garden, where it’ll break down and contribute to compost. The photo above illustrates this process, showing two boxes–one new and the other buried for a year–to highlight bamboo’s degree of decomposition.

In the end, sustainability, along with various other factors, plays a key role in the effort to decarbonize our environment.

Images | Kazuend | Nrg800 | Chronus | Hmzb | Chris_73 | Kamakura | Xataka

Related | China Was Short on Land for a New Airport. The Solution: Building It on a Massive Artificial Island