Bamboo-mud wall (編竹夾泥çÂÂ, also known as Bamboo-net clay wall, Taiwanese wattle, and daub) is a composite wall construction method largely used in Taiwan under Japanese rule in the early 20th century. Derived from Japanese wattle and daub (æ¨èÂÂ, å°ÂèÂÂ), Bamboo-mud wall differs from Japanese processor in its materiality, using bamboo instead of wood for woven lattice.
In conjunction of modernization, the Japanese built large concrete public buildings throughout Taiwan, at the same time, Japanese officials and government employees from mainland Japan demanded a significant amount of housing. To solve this need, the Government-General in Taiwan issued Standard Building Drawings of OfficerâÂÂs Residences in 1922, and thus built a large number of standard housings based on traditional Japanese wood structures. Non governmental houses followed this technique soon afterwards. The transformation from Japanese wattle and daub to Taiwanese Bamboo-mud wall, is due to the fundamental difference of climate and flora between two regions.
Although largely built on the island of Taiwan, some are torn down during the World War II to prevent wildfire among wood structures during Allies's heavy raid on Taipei and other cities.
These houses applying Bamboo-mudwall flourished until 1945, when . Republic of China (Taiwan) soon retreated from the Chinese Civil War and relocated the government to Taiwan, houses built for Japanese officials served the new government's officials seamlessly, as a result, many of the houses are kept intact and taken care of.
Bamboo-mud wall is a common filling in wood frame walls found in Taiwan. Bamboo wattle reinforce mud wall structure by weaving themselves together, including thicker, wider horizontal strips called lî-këng (籬æ¢Â) and thinner, narrower horizontal strips called lî-á (籬ä»Â). For larger walls, builders add timber strips, about 6 cm in width, called àm-këng (æÂÂæ¢Â) between vertical frame edge columns to facilitate adhesion of mud to the housing structure. Similarly to àm-këng, there are sometimes horizontal reinforcing timber strips locked on the columns called tshëng-á (ç©¿ä»Â).
Generally speaking, lî-këngs are 24 âÂÂ30 cm apart from one another, and àm-këngs are added for spans over 45 cm.
Mud is cured compound composed with clay and chaff, daubed onto the bamboo wattle on both sides, roughly 3.5 to 4.5 cm thick altogether. Hemp plaster daubed last for finish layer.
Before the conservation, an evaluation on timber frame integrity and load path continuity is necessary. And if new bamboo strips are to be used, they should have anticorrosive and fireproof treatment beforehand.
During conservation, should apply same weaving pattern of bamboo strips to prevent structural alteration; if there are pipelines in the wall, a layer of hemp net should apply on the pipes to reinforce the adhesion; and the contraction of clay should be calculated and refined after drying.
After conservation, many examples in Taiwan left a half-opened wall to demonstrate the traditional technology for educational purposes.