We all know the drill; bamboo fly rods are fragile things, fit to be viewed only in a controlled atmosphere where no loud noises are made and soft, pre-warmed gloves are worn.

Ha! In another major Underground coup (sent to us by Alert Underground Reader WeForgotHisName), we discover they’re building bridges from bamboo — so how weak could it be?

Bridges built from bamboo instead of steel could provide a cheaper, more environmentally sustainable engineering solution in China, a recent experiment suggests. A novel type of bridge with horizontal beams made from a bamboo composite proved strong enough to support even heavy trucks in tests. The bamboo beams are cheaper and more environmentally friendly to make than steel or concrete, yet offer comparable structural strength.

You can read all about it here: Bamboo road bridge can support 16-tonne trucks

Technorati tags: ,