*3.4.3. Thermal comfort*

**3.4. Discussion**

*3.4.1. Construction material*

1 The temperature within the room (°C)

80 Bamboo - Current and Future Prospects

The construction forming materials tested in the laboratory included the compressive strength of the concrete block, the compressive strength of the brick, the compressive strength of the concrete, and the tensile strength of the bamboo. The materials were tested as the data used to analyze the performance of the house structure. The results showed that the compressive strength of the concrete block averaged 4.96 MPa and the compressive strength of the brick averaged 2.04 MPa. The compressive strength of the concrete cylinder with a diameter of

**06 a.m. 12.00 a.m. 06 p.m. 12.p.m.**

26 32 31 28

the standard SNI – 213 for concrete was already fulfilled which requires that the minimum strength of the concrete structure in an area which is sensitive to the earthquake such as Bali

.

Bamboo test results show in **Table 1**, in which the tensile strength of the bamboo averaged 129.17 MPa and the rupture strength averaged 191 MPa, so the over strength was 47.86%. The melting and tensile strength *fy* = 129 MPa was used to design and analyze the diameter of the item tested. Bamboo can be used as the alternative reinforced concrete structure in the con‐ struction of a simple house. In addition, it is cheap and can be found anywhere in Bali. This is supported by the result of the study conducted in Ref. [5], stating that bamboo can be used as an alternative material of construction because it is cheap and saves energy. According to Ref. [9], the tensile strength of the bamboo ranges from 200 to 300 MPa, its flexibility averages 84 MPa and its elastic modulus is 200.000 MPa. Viewed from its tensile strength, it is feasible enough to use as the concrete reinforcement, at least for the light and medium structure. Furthermore, according to Ref. [14], bamboo can be used as the reinforcement of the concrete

Based on the compressive strength of the concrete and the tensile strength of the bamboo, it can be stated that the bamboo‐reinforced concrete structure with brick walls used to construct the traditional Bali age house is resistant enough to load assigned (dead load, live load, earthquake

, meaning that

150 mm and a height of 300 mm averaged 21.12 MPa or equal to K‐260 kg/cm<sup>2</sup>

 Humidity (%) 79 67 77 80 Noise (dBA) 41 41.8 44.74 41.47 Natural illumination (Lux) 145 255 235 – Speed of wind (m/second) 0.1 0.4 0.25 –

should be 20.75 MPa and equal to K‐250 kg/cm2

**Nbr. Description Time of measurement**

**Table 7.** The physical comfort of the modern Balinese house.

structure as its rupture strength is high enough [16].

*3.4.2. Safety and performance of construction*

The thermal comfort or the house physical environment is affected by the temperature, rela‐ tive humidity, speed of the wind, illumination, and noise. The temperature within the room in the traditional Bali age house ranges from 21 to 27°C, and the temperature within the room in the modern Balinese house ranges from 26 to 32°C. At certain hours, it is higher than what is required. In the equatorial region, the comfortable temperature ranges from 22.5 to 29.5°C [12], from 21.37 to 28.37°C (ASHRAE), and from 22.8 to 30.2°C [21].

The relative humidity both within and outside the room is almost the same, namely 60% dur‐ ing daytime and 80% at night. It will be better if the relative humidity is higher than 20% all the year round, and lower than 60% during the summer and lower than 80% during the win‐ ter [11]. If the relative humidity is higher than 80%, there will be water vapor on the human skin, making the body uncomfortable [17, 19]. In addition, the dweller will not be in good health and, for example, there will be fungus on the skin.

The speed of the wind within the room ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 m/second during daytime. At night, it is 0 m/second as the window and ventilation are closed. The speed of the wind can contribute to the speed of the missing heat due to convection and evaporation. Therefore, the speed of the wind ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 m/second can fulfill what is required for being comfortable [11, 13]. It should not be faster than 0.2 m/second [10]. As the speed of the wind is in accordance with what is required by the experts mentioned above, the weather within the room circulates well, causing the dweller's health to improve and the eyes to be less irri‐ tated. The front window and the ventilation at the rear wall affect the speed of the wind and cause the cross‐weather circulation to take place. This is supported by the result of the study conducted in Ref. [15], in which it is stated that the cross‐weather circulation can improve the comfort of those who stay at the simple houses located in Cemara Giri area, Dalung, Bali.

The natural illumination within the room ranges from 145 to 255 Lux during daytime, higher than what is required, namely 115 Lux [27]. The intensity of the natural illumination within the room is affected by how wide the window is open and how wide the ventilation is. The win‐ dow or ventilation is installed at the front and rear walls, causing the fresh weather to circulate from the front window and the dirty weather to get out from the rear ventilation. The dweller becomes comfortable and the electric energy can be saved. The maximum use of the natural illumination does not only positively contribute to the dweller's health but also saves the electric energy. Before the house was redesigned, the electric lamp was always turned on when there was an activity within the room. The good natural illumination can make the room brighter and healthier. Indra [8] stated that the maximum penetration of the sunlight into the house reduce the lamp use, causing the costs needed to be reduced. It is proved that the sunlight can also kill the bacteria which can grow well in the humid environment. Vitamin D which is obtained from the sunlight is highly useful to the bones and skin [27].

what is needed and expected by the dweller, it can function as a means of improving his/her

Safe, Simple and Comfortable House with Bamboo Reinforced Concrete Structure

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.68543

83

Based on the results of the study, analysis and discussion, several conclusions can be drawn

**1.** The simple house with the bamboo reinforced concrete structure can fulfill the require‐

**2.** It can fulfill the requirement of physical comfort, which includes the temperature, humid‐

**3.** Based on the information obtained through the questionnaire, such a house can also make

This is suggested that the bamboo reinforced concrete structure should be taken into consid‐

Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia

[1] Adiputra N, dan Manuaba A. Adaptasi Rumah Adat Di Desa Penglipuran. Dinamika Kebudayaan II (3), Pusat Penelitian Kebudayaan dan Kepariwisataan Universitas

[2] Anonim. Peraturan Menteri Pekerjaan Umum, Nomor 25/PRT/M/2007, 9 Agustus.

[3] Anggreni M, Sudarsana IK, Sukrawa. Perilaku Tekan dan Lentur Dinding Pasangan, Batako Tanpa Plesteran, Dengan Plesteran dan Dengan Perkuatan Wiremess. Jurnal

[5] Ghavani K. Bamboo: Low Cost and Energy Saving Construction Materials, Modern

[4] Endro T. Bali Rawan Gempa Bumi, Denpasar: Tokoh, 21‐27 November (14), 2010

Bamboo Structures. London: Taylor & Francis Group; 2008

Udayana. Denpasar: Lembaga Penelitian Universitas Udayana. 2000

life quality [6].

as follows:

**Author details**

I Nyoman Sutarja

**References**

Jakarta. 2007

**4. Conclusion and suggestion**

ment of being safe prevailing in Indonesia.

ity, the wind speed, noise, and illumination.

eration in the simple house construction.

the dweller feel highly safe, comfortable, and satisfied.

Address all correspondence to: nsutarja\_10@yahoo.com

Spektran. Denpasar. 2015;**3**(2), (hal 10‐19)

The maximum noise within the room is 44.74 during daytime and 41.47 dBA at night. It is still under the limit determined by the government of Bali province, namely 50 dBA during daytime and 45 dBA at night. The noise taking place in the residential environment is more frequently caused by the agricultural equipment such as tractor. The acoustic safety such as noise cannot be separated from the dweller's health; however, as its effect cannot be identified at once, the impact cannot be felt at once either. Therefore, the acoustic safety is still neglected. The dweller does not only feel uncomfortable but his/her health will also be indirectly getting worse. As an illustration, he/she cannot take a rest well due to noise. As a consequence, he/she will get tired, angry, cannot concentrate well, and so forth. If this takes place continuously, it is highly possible that his/her health will be getting worse.
