Mechanical Properties and Strength Grading of Engineered Bamboo Composites in China

Abstract

Engineered bamboo composite (EBC) is a new high-strength anisotropic structural material, which has standardized sections and less inherent variability than the natural material. For safety reasons in structural applications, the characteristic values of mechanical behaviors are needed to build the design values utilized in practical application. Recent research studies on EBC focused on the mechanical properties from a single source, with little research on the sampling of the manufacturers. The present work investigates mechanical properties of two types of commercially available EBC—parallel strand bamboo (PSB) and laminated veneer bamboo (LVB). The main aim of this work is to evaluate the best probability distribution model (normal, lognormal, and Weibull) and mechanical properties for EBC in China and determine the characteristic values indicated by ASTM D2915. The mechanical properties in tensile, compression, and shear were evaluated using about 4300 small clear specimens from seven manufacturers in five raw bamboo origins of China. Based on the confidence band method, the strength grading of EBC subjected to compressive strength was developed with two predictors (density and MOE). By using intervals of each predictor, several strength grades were built. Each grade has the mean compressive strength, 5th percentile lower value (R0.05), and characteristic value (Rk), which could be used in structural design. This research contributes to the establishment of EBC standards and is essential for further accepting these materials in structural engineering.

An In-Depth Review on the Eccentric Compression Performance of Engineered Bamboo Columns

“…Engineered bamboo refers to bamboo-based materials that have undergone processing and manufacturing techniques to enhance their mechanical and structural properties for various applications, especially in construction and engineering. Engineering bamboo aims to make it a more reliable and versatile material with improved strength, durability, and other desirable characteristics [39]. Engineered bamboo's uniform and stable mechanical properties make it an attractive alternative to traditional construction materials such as steel, concrete, and timber [40].…”

Bamboo as a valuable resource and its utilization in historical and modern-day China

“…They are produced using waste bamboo particles and resin. In recent years, laminated bamboo lumber (LBL) has also attracted great demand from building contractors, owing to its superior mechanical strength and structural stability (Tang et al 2021). Laminated bamboo lumber is characterized by its excellent modulus of rupture (98 to 138 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (9,000 to 21,000 MPa), suggesting that the material is super strong compared to typical laminated wood lumber.…”

Experimental Study on the Flexural Behavior of I-Shaped Laminated Bamboo Composite Beam as Sustainable Structural Element

“…Laminated bamboo (LB) is a composite material that is manufactured through a sequence of procedures, such as splitting, grinding, antiseptic treatment, and hot-pressing, which could eliminate or minimize inherent flaws and redistribute bamboo fibers randomly, consequently increasing the overall bamboo fiber content. As an artificial orientational reinforced material, the ultimate tensile strength and modulus along the grain could reach 120 MPa and 12 GPa, respectively, exceeding those of wood and composite wood products and positioning this material as a promising candidate for wood-like applications in engineering [10][11][12][13][14].…”