After deadly Hong Kong fire, the art of bamboo scaffolding hangs in the balance | CBC News

When Daisy Pak determined she needed to grow to be a bamboo scaffolder, she needed to overcome a worry of heights. 

The 32-year-old did so, little by little, and developed a ardour for working with a fabric that has been used in development in Hong Kong for greater than a century. Pak’s speciality is establishing bamboo lattices excessive up on buildings to switch home windows or air conditioners on the outdoors of buildings.

“I used to work in a nightclub,” she stated. “Bamboo scaffolding means a lot to me. It’s actually modified my life.”

However this life-changing ardour was thrust into the highlight final 12 months following a deadly catastrophe. 

On Nov. 26, 2025, the deadliest fireplace in a long time broke out when a Hong Kong house complicated, which was beneath renovation, caught fireplace. The Wang Fuk Courtroom fireplace engulfed seven of the property’s eight blocks, which have been lined in bamboo scaffolding and security netting. It took firefighters greater than 40 hours to place the flames out.

Not less than 168 folks have been killed, together with one firefighter. Practically 5,000 residents have been displaced.

Bamboo scaffolding got here beneath scrutiny. The inexperienced netting, which lined the outdoors of the scaffolding, caught fireplace and a few of the bamboo lattices additionally burned and fell. 

Native residents shortly defended the observe on-line and the authorities subsequently pointed to flammable styrofoam, which had been used to seal home windows, and substandard netting round the scaffolding as contributing to the fireplace’s fast unfold. 

An investigation into the trigger of the fireplace remains to be ongoing. Greater than a dozen folks have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and corruption in relation to the property’s renovation.

Conventional approach

The bamboo scaffolding approach used in Hong Kong originated in mainland China, with roots in historic structure. 

Low-cost, ample and sustainable, bamboo — certain along with nylon cords — is often seen masking buildings in Hong Kong. Throughout the border in mainland China, builders largely use steel alternate options, after regulators in the Nineteen Nineties mandated that bamboo get replaced with metal and aluminum.  

Bamboo scaffolding can be used in open-air bamboo theatres for non secular rituals and conventional Cantonese opera performances.

Secretary for Improvement Bernadette Linn stated final November that whereas bamboo scaffolding has an extended historical past in Hong Kong, the “authorities considers it essential to develop a roadmap to change to steel scaffolds as quickly as potential beneath appropriate worksite situations.”

Final March, the Hong Kong Improvement Bureau introduced that half of new public constructing initiatives would wish to make use of steel scaffolding to align with development requirements in mainland China and “superior economies.” It cited security causes. 

In response to the Labour Division, there have been 20 industrial fatalities involving bamboo scaffolds on development websites between 2019 and 2025. Final 12 months, 11 staff have been injured when bamboo scaffolding collapsed at a piece website. Simply final week, a employee died after falling whereas erecting bamboo scaffolding.

The Improvement Bureau stated that bamboo scaffolding had “intrinsic weaknesses,” similar to “variation in mechanical properties, deterioration over time and excessive combustibility.”

Robert Crawford, a professor in development and environmental evaluation at the College of Melbourne, stated that the connections in metal scaffolding are most likely stronger than bamboo connections, and subsequently higher for employee security.

Hong Kong phasing out bamboo scaffolds

Daisy Pak feels it was unfair for folks guilty bamboo scaffolding for the Wang Fuk Courtroom fireplace, because it has a slower combustion price. She stated bamboo can be lighter to hold than steel and it is easy to chop to totally different lengths.

Ho Ping-tak, chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Bamboo Scaffolding Employees Union, does not consider bamboo scaffolding was the supply or the major accelerator of the blaze at Wang Fuk Courtroom final 12 months. 

He pointed as an alternative to the use of non‑compliant constructing supplies, home windows sealed with foam adhesive, non‑fireplace‑retardant scaffold nets, staff who smoked on website, simultaneous scaffolding throughout eight towers, malfunctioning alarm methods and inaction by regulatory authorities. 

WATCH | Hearth alarm by no means went off throughout Hong Kong house fireplace, says resident:

Hearth alarm by no means went off throughout Hong Kong fireplace, says resident | Hanomansing Tonight

Not less than 44 persons are useless after a fireplace ripped by way of a highrise house complicated in Hong Kong, with one other 45 nonetheless in essential situation, police stated. Resident Adler Suen tells Hanomansing Tonight it was the smoke, not the fireplace alarm, that tipped her off of the large fireplace.

“The incident underscores the pressing want to handle deficiencies in threat administration, materials requirements, development high quality, regulatory accountability and the safeguarding of residents’ basic proper to security,” he stated.

Hong Kong nonetheless has round 2,500 folks registered as bamboo scaffolding masters, in accordance with official figures. However the quantity of steel scaffolders is round triple that.

“We’ve assessed that the quantity of bamboo scaffolds used in new development websites will lower dramatically in the subsequent one to 2 years,” Ho stated. 

Pak stated even earlier than the fireplace, the authorities had begun to part out bamboo scaffolding. 

“In comparison with once I first began in this business in 2021, they use much less bamboo … they usually have fewer jobs now,” she stated.

Bamboo ‘much less space-hungry’ than steel

Swiss architect Raffaella Endrizzi, who researches bamboo scaffolding and teaches at the Chinese language College of Hong Kong, stated the constructing density of Hong Kong was made potential by bamboo scaffolding.

“The shortage of land is actual, and bamboo simply is much less space-hungry than steel,” she stated.

Ho stated the benefit of bamboo scaffolding in development websites in Hong Kong lies in its excessive flexibility, cost-effectiveness and adaptableness — and that it is quick to erect.

Simon Liu, president of the Hong Kong Development Affiliation, who has labored in the business for 40 years, acknowledges bamboo’s benefits. However he helps a broader transfer to steel. 

“Metallic scaffolding makes use of a rigorous engineering design strategy. It is extra protected and sturdiness is excessive. After it’s erected, it could possibly final for one to 2 years and isn’t that delicate to incremental climate results,” he stated. 

He believes the authorities will nonetheless enable bamboo scaffolding in some circumstances, similar to for previous constructing upkeep. 

For brand spanking new constructing constructions, Liu is already seeing the transfer to steel scaffolding and expects it to proceed over the subsequent few years.

Metallic longer-lasting, says prof

Robert Crawford at the College of Melbourne stated that whereas the manufacture of metal is extra pricey up entrance and generates carbon emissions, metal lasts longer than bamboo.

“You have to contemplate the longer-term implications. Is it truly cheaper in the long run, since you don’t have to switch it as usually? In the end, it may final a long time, actually, if it is taken care of and handled nicely,” he stated.

“Clearly, from a fireplace perspective, metal goes to be higher than bamboo in that context, however I feel so much of it is about avoiding or minimizing the likelihood of fireplace in the first place.”

Kent A. Harries, professor of structural engineering at the College of Pittsburgh, stated up till the constructing increase in the Center East and Dubai, some of the most spectacular buildings in the world have been constructed in Hong Kong utilizing bamboo scaffolding, pointing to the iconic Financial institution of China constructing.

He stated bamboo has been the “proper answer” for Hong Kong and close by Macau for many years, and there was a neighborhood and business constructed round it. 

“Erecting bamboo scaffolding could be very a lot an artisan factor. Because it tails out, that information base will disappear, and bamboo scaffolding will finally disappear, since you simply cannot preserve the ability set wanted,” he stated.

Pak stated some of her fellow staff have been contemplating altering careers.

“Bamboo scaffolding is a convention from previous to now, so I feel there may be nonetheless extra to study bamboo scaffolding strategies,” she stated. “Metallic scaffolding lacks the soul of the bamboo scaffolding.” 

Whereas Pak now has a licence to work with steel, she hopes bamboo can keep in Hong Kong.

“I’ll preserve working [with the material] so long as I can.”