Bamboo outdoor staircase for outdoor use - MOSO® Bamboo specialist

Bamboo stairs for outdoor use

An outdoor staircase is not only an important structural part of a building, it must also be weatherproof. This is why well-known, traditional building materials, such as hardwood or steel, are often used. Bamboo is a beautiful, sustainable alternative with various advantages compared to other materials.

Bamboo offers several benefits compared to other materials when used as outdoor staircases:

Natural bamboo external stairs

Bamboo can be used in outdoor staircases, provided it has been produced in the right way. Without special treatment, bamboo has a very short outdoor life span, especially in humid climates. By treating the bamboo strips thermally and then compressing them, according to the Thermo-Density process, the bamboo is suitable for outdoor applications. This bamboo material is processed into Bamboo X-treme Decking or Beams which can then be used in stairs and, if desired, special anti-slip profiles can also be provided. Particularly in combination with terraces and wall finishes, the staircase can fit beautifully into the complete design.

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The bamboo advantages

Bamboo as an outdoor staircase offers many advantages:

The natural appearance with a natural greying;
The high stability and hardness, with Class 1 durability (EN 350) tested following CEN/TS 15083-2 class (simulated graveyard test);
The fire resistant properties of the material reach fire class Bfl-s1 (EN 13501-1);
Bamboo is a very stable material: it hardly shrinks or swells and the steps, in a well-installed staircase, remain straight.

MOSO^® has had its bamboo products tested in terms of the mechanical properties and, when needed, can provide the calculation values for structural applications in stairs and bridges.

Bamboo decking Technion - Taub Building Computer Science

Bamboo stairs as entrance to campus building

In the heart of the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, Ector Hoogstad Architecten designed a real campus building. The large staircases invite you to enter the knowledge centre and the various catering establishments offer spacious terraces. No less than 1,600 m² of Bamboo X-treme Decking boards and 2,500 m of Bamboo X-treme Outdoor Beams were used to finish the terraces and stairs. MOSO partner Awood supplied the decking boards with an anti-slip profile.

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Bamboo X-treme Decking for outdoor staircases

For the production of outdoor staircases, bamboo is mainly used in the form of decking boards or beams. Bamboo X-treme is the right material for this. More than 10 years after its introduction, the material has proven to be very durable and easy to maintain. The Thermo-Density production process makes the boards more durable. Bamboo X-treme greys naturally and is very stable, which results in boards that remain straight and flat. Among the technical properties of Bamboo X-treme, the fire class Bfl-s1, use class 4 (EN 335) and durability class 1 (EN 350 tested according to CEN/TS 15083-2) are particularly appreciated.

More about Bamboo X-treme Decking boards

Slip resistance of bamboo stairs

A frequently asked question about bamboo for outdoor staircases is whether the planks do not get slippery. Bamboo X-treme has been tested using various methods and achieved the following test results three years after installation:

USRV 55 (dry – according to CEN/TS 15676)
USRV 29 (wet – according to CEN/TS 15676)
R 10 (dry – according to CEN/TS 16165 Annex B – DIN 51130)

If a higher slip resistance is desired or required, the steps can be fitted with an anti-slip profile. An example of this can be found on the stairs and terraces of the Center Court Brightland Chemelot Campus.

"Sustainability and safety played a key role in the Center Court project. Bamboo X-treme was selected because it is sustainable, low-maintenance and offers a long service life. In order to meet the high safety requirements, we installed the planks with an Urban Grid anti-slip profile."

Wim Achterweust, Awood

Awood website (Dutch)

Bamboo outdoor stairs in various designs

Within the MOSO^® reference projects there are several examples of bamboo outdoor staircases. We would like to present a number of recently completed projects: