steveJ ) writes:

There is also an HDO plywood that is used for concrete form work. I have
never used it but its worth a look if you have a source.

I looked at some at a constrcution site. They were delivering full skids
of it to use on a high rise condo. It was too thick and heavy looking lof
light boats. I copied down the name stencilled on teh side of teh skid and
looked it up on the Internet.There were no details about its compostiion
or characteristics. i can't remember what it was called.

In Asia they use a "plywood" made of bamboo for concrete forming. It is
said to last longer than fir plywood. Apparently they use it many more
times before they have to throw it out. It's made by weaving thin strips
of the tough outer layer of the bamboo into veneers which are glued
together in layers like plywood. I imagine that would leave an uneven
surface which would be filled with resin like fibreglass cloth, making the
"plywood" heavy. I looked up a supplier (Sino Forest) on the Internet. It
doesn't seem to come in thin sheets. It would be interesting to get one's
hand on a sample. Bamboo is a grass which growns very fast so it sounds
like a more "ecologically sustainable" material.

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