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Bamboo is commonly used as a construction material in low-cost housing projects located in tropical and subtropical countries. This practice is especially prevalent in rural areas where bamboo grows naturally and families have experience working with it. Bamboo can be a sustainable building material for homes, even in cases where houses need to be resistant to earthquakes or storms. The traditional bahareque technology was enhanced in Costa Rica and Colombia to make it earthquake resistant. After the year 2000, this technology was transferred to several other countries in Latin America and Asia, gaining recognition as an innovative building technique. Many successful examples of bamboo housing constructions can be found in various countries, where modern architectural solutions are combined with innovative bamboo methods. Local communities can play a crucial role in bamboo processing, allowing residents to actively participate in the construction of their homes under technical supervision. This emphasizes the social sustainability aspect associated with bamboo. Ensuring the durability of bamboo housing constructions is paramount for the longevity of the houses, highlighting the need for technical assistance for self-builders and resident groups. With proper organization, bamboo housing has the potential to become part of the social production of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo is gaining more and more attention in the field of building materials thanks to its unique characteristics, such as resistance, lightness, sustainability, and flexibility. However, the widespread adoption of bamboo as a building material presents some challenges, especially in relation to the durability of the material. In fact, being a natural material, it requires protection from atmospheric agents, such as rain and sun, as well as from attacks by insects and animals. Ensuring the longevity of bamboo involves implementing tailored treatments, precise precautions, and regular structural inspections to detect any potential degradation over time. In this context, the article focused on the monitoring of a structure made of bamboo and on the testing of an innovative system to identify the structural critical issues present, in the context of a FISR project which envisaged a cultural exchange between China and Italy. Starting from the survey of the structure carried out with a drone, a 3D model was then built using a commercial software. For the monitoring phase of the structure, an innovative system was used that exploits the YOLO v5s6 algorithm to identify structural critical issues, supported by a Virtual/Augmented/Mixed reality app developed by the authors. This app is useful not only during the monitoring phase, but also in the subsequent phase of disseminating information relating to the potential of the use of bamboo in the field of structural engineering. The tested and proposed methodologies have proven to be particularly useful and high-performance, especially regarding the monitoring of bamboo structures, in relation to the resolution of problems linked to their possible fragility and limitations in certain application areas. The contribution provided in this paper by Geomatics methodologies is evident to better highlight the potential of this eco-friendly material for its desirable ever-increasing use in the construction sector by becoming aware of its potential.

In Indonesia, bamboo is an easy-to-find building material. In addition to being valued as a plant, bamboo is also used as an alternate material in building. One example of how bamboo is evaluated from both a strength and an aesthetics perspective is the development of bamboo as a substitute material in architecture. In order for the educational system, one of which is UIA, to produce professional architects in the future, architectural education is one of the systems that will do so. The International Union of Architects has three examinations, including knowledge, design, and skills, through the APTARI Association of Indonesian Architectural Higher Education, an association for all architectural higher education in Indonesia. The bamboo architecture learning system is tested using these three factors as parameters. The research methodology combines quantitative analysis with qualitative design using the JMP 17 software to produce an overview of the UIA-related education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, compression mechanical properties of five giant bamboo species from different continents were investigated based on the ISO 22157:2019 standard. The selected species have been used for rural construction for centuries. The chosen bamboo species for this study, which are considered strong candidates to be used in modern construction as well, are as follows: Phyllostachys edulis (Moso), Guadua angustifolia (Guadua), Gigantochloa apus (Tali), Gigantochloa atroviolacea (Black Java), and Phyllostachys bambusoides (Madake). The excellent properties of bamboo species in tension are well established. Hence, this article principally focuses on the behaviour of selected giant species in compression to be used as structural members. In this study, the mentioned bamboo species were gathered from different continents of origin to be critically assessed, analysed, and compared with one another to better understand their compression behaviour as structural columns. The compression properties of these bamboo species have not been evaluated and compared with one another in an academic study so far. The results show that all tested species were able to provide mean compressive strengths greater than 50 MPa, which makes them highly promising construction material candidates for modern construction. The Guadua test series was able to provide outstanding consistency in the presented compression behaviour and strengths among all the tested species. The specimens with the maximum sustained load belonged to the Tali species. The greatest average failure load belonged to the Moso species. The greatest mean compressive strength measured was 88.9 MPa, reported for Madake species with smaller diameters compared to the other test series. Among the specimens with larger diameters, the greatest mean ultimate strengths were for Moso, Guadua, and Tali species with 69.9 MPa, 60.7 MPa, and 59.1 MPa compressive strengths, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo is a naturally available, fast growing and renewable resource. Bamboo plants are found all over the world in tropical and non-tropical regions. Asia pacific region is specifically rich in bamboo biodiversity. Due to high energy demand of existing construction materials and scarcity of other naturally available materials like wood, bamboo is a good alternative for construction. This paper reviews the mechanical properties and use of bamboo in construction. The tensile strength of different bamboo species varies in the range 70-210 MPa, compressive strength 20-65 MPa, elastic modulus 2500-17500 MPa, and modulus of rupture 50-200 MPa. Bamboo is a versatile material and can be used in construction in various ways. Bamboo can be engineered to specific need in construction such as laminated and scrimber bamboo. Engineered bamboo are used for various housing purposes such as roofing and flooring. Bamboo culms are often used directly without any alteration as structural members such as beams and columns. Bamboo can also be used as reinforcement in concrete as a replacement to steel. The shear and flexural behavior of bamboo reinforced concrete (BRC) beams is significantly better than plain concrete beams. Bamboo fibers reinforced concrete (BFRC) is a good alternative to existing synthetic fibers reinforced concrete such as glass and steel fibers. Development of standardized testing procedures and structural specifications utilizing existing and future research findings will pave the way towards an extensive use of bamboo in construction industry.

Round bamboo culms offer excellent sustainable materials for a green building construction. Round bamboo culms are tied or fastened into a multi-culm composite member to resist the heavier load. Circles externally touching each other can well model a multi-culm bamboo composite's section. This study aimed to obtain formulas for drawing a cross-section of a multi-culm bamboo composite, calculating its section properties, and then embedding them into a graphing calculator and spreadsheet. As many as nine full-sized single and multi-culm bamboo composite columns were tested in the laboratory to resist the buckling load until the failure occurred. The column acting as the sum of some individual culms capacity was considered. In addition, the embedded equations analyzed the multi-culm column working in unity as a composite. This study found that the multi-culm columns tend to inhibit the combination (pseudo-composite) behavior rather than acting as a perfect composite column or the sum of individual culm's capacities. A perfect composite columns approach resulted overestimated value of the multi-culm column's critical buckling load; on the other hand, the sum of individual culm's capacity approach approximated underestimated value. The weighted average approach with a weight coefficient of k = 1 explains the empirical critical buckling load-bearing capacity's variance very well.

This study focuses on and investigates bamboo as a workable building material for civil engineering projects. The various bamboo species suitable for the building are identified and their intrinsic mechanical and physical properties are investigated to get a thorough understanding. A detailed methodology is proposed that presents all the steps performed from sample size collection to investigating the characteristics of the bamboo species and demonstrating bamboo's structural capabilities. The study provides insightful and technical knowledge that will be extremely helpful in advancing the sustainable incorporation of bamboo into civil engineering construction methods. The findings have proven that varieties of bamboo with higher density and lower shrinkage rates, such as Thyrsostachys Oliveri (Oliveri), perform superior in structural applications. Multi-criteria decision-making techniques (TOPSIS and VIKOR) revealed Dendrocalamus strictus (Manvel) and Thyrsostachys Oliveri (Oliveri) as top-performing species, making them suitable for structural applications. • Experimental investigation of mechanical properties of the bamboo. • Multi-criteria decision-making technique for ranking of different bamboo species. • Analysis of physical and mechanical characteristics of the bamboo. • Selection of the best bamboo specie for structural application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe literature-based research on the viability of whole-culm bamboo as a construction technology for South Africa. South Africa has one bamboo species considered suitable for construction, namely Bambusa balcooa, found in various parts of the country. Quantitative production figures are not currently available; however, local reports indicate that South Africa can expand its bamboo growth industry to meet any possible expected demand. Although the South African bamboo plant has not yet been evaluated in terms of its material properties, engineering design approaches and material properties from the literature indicate that this species is a viable construction material. The limitations for bamboo design and construction are not unique to South Africa but are common to countries involved in bamboo construction. Their experience in overcoming these limitations can be transferred to the use of bamboo in South Africa, making bamboo construction a potentially viable construction technology in South Africa. Significance: • Whole-culm bamboo can be used as a structural material in buildings and other specialised structures such as bridges, assembly halls, and the like. • South Africa has a bamboo species that should potentially be suitable for the construction of structures that lend themselves to this type of construction. • The information given here should allow designers, engineers and technologists to assess the viability of bamboo construction in South African situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo is a naturally available, fast growing and renewable resource. Bamboo plants are found all over the world in tropical and non-tropical regions. Asia pacific region is specifically rich in bamboo biodiversity. Due to high energy demand of existing construction materials and scarcity of other naturally available materials like wood, bamboo is a good alternative for construction. This paper reviews the mechanical properties and use of bamboo in construction. The tensile strength of different bamboo species varies in the range 70-210 MPa, compressive strength 20-65 MPa, elastic modulus 2500-17500 MPa, and modulus of rupture 50-200 MPa. Bamboo is a versatile material and can be used in construction in various ways. Bamboo can be engineered to specific need in construction such as laminated and scrimber bamboo. Engineered bamboo are used for various housing purposes such as roofing and flooring. Bamboo culms are often used directly without any alteration as structural members such as beams and columns. Bamboo can also be used as reinforcement in concrete as a replacement to steel. The shear and flexural behavior of bamboo reinforced concrete (BRC) beams is significantly better than plain concrete beams. Bamboo fibers reinforced concrete (BFRC) is a good alternative to existing synthetic fibers reinforced concrete such as glass and steel fibers. Development of standardized testing procedures and structural specifications utilizing existing and future research findings will pave the way towards an extensive use of bamboo in construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe literature-based research on the viability of whole-culm bamboo as a construction technology for South Africa. South Africa has one bamboo species considered suitable for construction, namely Bambusa balcooa, found in various parts of the country. Quantitative production figures are not currently available; however, local reports indicate that South Africa can expand its bamboo growth industry to meet any possible expected demand. Although the South African bamboo plant has not yet been evaluated in terms of its material properties, engineering design approaches and material properties from the literature indicate that this species is a viable construction material. The limitations for bamboo design and construction are not unique to South Africa but are common to countries involved in bamboo construction. Their experience in overcoming these limitations can be transferred to the use of bamboo in South Africa, making bamboo construction a potentially viable construction technology in South Africa. Significance: • Whole-culm bamboo can be used as a structural material in buildings and other specialised structures such as bridges, assembly halls, and the like. • South Africa has a bamboo species that should potentially be suitable for the construction of structures that lend themselves to this type of construction. • The information given here should allow designers, engineers and technologists to assess the viability of bamboo construction in South African situations.

The study describes and analyzes the costs of joints used in the construction with bamboo culms, both conventional models and innovation joints developed to reduce execution times and facilitate the workflow. The results are essential inputs for the elaboration of meds and budgets of bamboo structures and offer comparative values to guide decision-making in the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates the possibilities and problems of the formation of a new type of human–technique–nature relationship – the organic technique – in modern civilization. It is a relationship in which neither human nor nature must adapt to the needs of technology; rather, the technique is embedded in nature and becomes 'human-sized'. We can find a model for building this new type of relationship in the construction of buildings from bamboo. The uniqueness of bamboo as a building material manifests in two ways. The first relates to resources: bamboo is a very fast-growing plant, so cutting it's stem does not destroy the plant itself and in three to four years there is a new 'harvest'. This means bamboo has an extremely low cost, which is critical for developing countries with rapidly growing populations. Second, bamboo has a number of architectural advantages. Due to the flexibility and elasticity of this product, bamboo buildings are earthquake resistant. Such structures do not violate the natural landscape, but instead work with it; they are characterized by low cost and ease of construction, in a variety of forms. This has led to the widespread use of bamboo by leading architects and innovators from different countries. This article shows that the application of bamboo in architecture – as opposed to artificial materials such as concrete, which exploit and destroy nature and impose their forms on cultures – helps this building technique to integrate into the life of ecosystems and society, and thus to become a model of harmonizing human–technique–nature relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction systems based on cross-laminated timber (CLT) have versatility in material development and are an interesting alternative for construction. This study evaluated the structural performance of crosslaminated timber-bamboo produced from wood (Pinus spp.) and bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus). Panels were produced by strips (wood and bamboo) assorted, under non-destructive structural grading, to support a better panel configuration. Small-length pine pieces were also included in the study, considering their low added-value and underutilization in sawmills from Telêmaco Borba, Brazil. Gluing tests of small specimens were performed to evaluate the bonding quality of three adhesives: melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF), isocyanate polymeric emulsion (IPE), and castor oil-based resin (COR). Shear stress strength parallel to grain between bamboo and wood showed the best performance for MUF resin. After preliminary gluing testing, eight cross-laminated panels were produced with MUF adhesive in a three-layered configuration, with transversal orientation: two external bamboo layers and a central layer of pine wood. Stiffness and rupture strength values were above those specified by the ANSI/APA PGR 320 (2012) standard. Elasticity and rupture moduli were 13,310 MPa and 65 MPa, respectively, showing good potential of this composite for structural uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Coupled heat and moisture process was simulated for bamboo exterior walls in Hot-Humid climate region. • Indicators involved annual dynamic exterior walls performance, indoor environment and HVAC demand. • Factor impact analysis was carried out to investigate the effect of material and construction parameters. • Climate responsive design in terms of partition boards, thermal insulation infill and air layer arrangement were generated. Abstract Bamboo forest distributes largely in Hot-Humid climate regions, where the local application of bamboo in building industry possesses multiple potentials such as high-value utilization of bamboo resources and improvement of building sustainability. To support the application of bamboo in building envelope, the paper carried out study on the bamboo construction design optimization in Hot-Humid climate region. For bamboo as a hygroscopic material, the coupled heat and moisture process model was adopted for the hygrothermal performance study of bamboo construction. With 4 groups of meteorological data from 2 representative cities in the Hot-Humid climate region of North America as external conditions, exterior walls were constructed in WUFI Plus and the coupled heat and moisture process simulation was performed. Based on the statistical analyses of a large sample of simulation results, scientific laws for promoting the parameter optimization were generated, for which the simulation results were grouped to the indicators on three level, including annual exterior walls hygrothermal performance, indoor hygrothermal environment and HVAC demand. Factor impact analyses were carried out to investigate the effect of the partition boards, thermal insulation infill and air layer arrangement. Hygrothermal performance design optimization suggestions were generated, in terms of material and construction parameters optimization, which would support the climate adaptive design of bamboo building envelope in Hot-Humid climate region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Maluku is one of the archipelago provinces in Indonesia. As reported by the Ministry of Public Works, this province has more than three thousand kilometers of coastline indicated to erosion [1]. The infrastructures and residences along coastal area have been frequently attacked by big waves. To protect the coastal aforementioned from the risk of natural disaster, the local government must construct a robust coastal bank. However, the bearing capacity of the soft ground is very weak for working as a bank. The procedure of the bank construction includes: preparing the construction area, installing bamboo piles, laying geo-bamboo on the piles, placing sandbags as the mattress and constructing selected materials. To make a reasonable way for the design of foundation soil using traditional reinforcement system for a coastal bank, an empirical calculation based on the rule of geotechnics has been discussed. The field CBR method was studied by conducting the full scale of model soil bags on very soft soil reinforced bamboo pile. Finally, the bearing capacity results of foundation soil were compared to the field CBR test for several properties of very soft soil, dimensions of soil bags and bamboo piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-frame buildings commonly employ shear wall realized by framing and sheathing panels made of wood materials. Recently, much research has focused on the use of engineered bamboo composites to substitute wood in light-frame buildings. The aim of this study is to investigate the thermal insulation performances of bamboo- and wood-based shear walls in light-frame buildings. First, an archetype wall with characteristics similar to those commonly employed in wood shear walls was defined. Starting from the archetype wall, four specific configurations representing one classical full wood-based configuration, one hybrid bamboo-wood-based configuration and two full bamboo-based configurations with different studs thickness were identified to be tested. The thermal conductivity of the materials composing the wall was measured using a hot plate apparatus varying the temperature in the range of 10–50°C. The anisotropy of the thermal conductivity was analyzed for the wood and bamboo materials. The four specific configurations of the archetype wall were tested in a guarded hot box apparatus in order to determine the thermal resistance and transmittance. The experimental results were compared with the estimates obtained using the ISO 6946 procedure and a Finite Element (FE) model of the wall, both adopting the thermal conductivity previously measured. A good agreement between the experiments and the models was found with the better results obtained with the FE model. Finally, the so-validated FE model was used to optimize the archetype wall with only bamboo-based materials to the Chinese thermal regions, showing the possibility of real application in the practice. All the results indicate that the thermal insulation performances of engineered bamboo composites are slightly lower compared with wood ones, both at the material and the shear wall levels. This indicates that there is the possibility of using bamboo-based shear walls in light-frame buildings ensuring thermal insulation performances similar to classical wood-based one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminated bamboo in structural applications has the potential to change the way buildings are constructed. The fibrous microstructure of bamboo can be modelled as a fibre-reinforced composite. This study compares the results of a fibre volume fraction analysis with previous experimental beam bending results. The link between fibre volume fraction and bending stiffness shows that differences previously attributed to preservation treatment in fact arise due to strip thickness. Composite theory provides a basis for the development of future guidance for laminated bamboo, as validated here. Fibre volume fraction analysis is an effective method for non-destructive evaluation of bamboo beam stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the bending capacity of laminated bamboo lumber (LBL) beams, material performance tests and beam tests have been carried out. A strain-stress relationship is proposed based on compression and tensile tests conducted parallel to the grain. Two failure modes are identified based on the locations of cracks in the beam specimens. Direction of bending and the location of internal joints are shown to influence the mechanical properties of LBL beams. Internal joints have more influence on specimens under tangential bending (where the culms are bent across their width) than that under radial bending (where the culms are bent across their thickness). Irrespective of the bending direction, the strain across the cross-section of the laminated bamboo beam is shown to be linear throughout the test process, following standard beam theory. Based on this theory and the proposed simplified strain–stress relationship for the beam, calculation approaches for the ultimate bending moment and ultimate bending deflection are proposed for three bending failure modes which give a good agreement with the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesian people traditionally use Gigantochloa apus bamboo as structural materials. For modern building design, structural grading should be conducted on bamboo culm to get its design characteristic values. Non-destructive assesment on each culm condition, dimension, and geometric were conducted to predict the strength and capacity. Wall density ( ρ w ) and Modulus of Elasticity measured by fixed load deflection using Panter machine ( E p ) have moderate correlation with apparent and true modulus of elasticity ( E app , E true ) and Modulus of Rupture (MOR). Additional predictors in multiple regression improved the adj- R 2 , but it was not reliable enough for estimating E app , E true , and MOR of G. apus culm, thus bamboo structural grading should better use capacity grading rather than strength grading. Diameter ( D ) is a potential grading parameter that provides strong evidence to predict flexural capacity. Non destructive test which deals with measuring linear mass ratio ( q ) is a simple method that refers to dimension and density, and it has strong correlation with flexural rigidity ( EI app , EI true ) and capacity ( M max ). The measurements of both D and q are proper indicating variables for predicting the capacity of G. apus. The grade of structural bamboo could be classified by D , q, and combination of both measurement based on ISO 22156 and confident band method. Confident band method resulted in a more conventional value than that from ISO 22156, thus it proved to be safer and more reliable. The combination of linear mass and square of diameter ( qD 2 ) was the best predictor for estimating the stiffness, while qD was the best one for estimating M max . In capacity grading, additional measurement of eccentricity ( E c ), culm density ( ρ c ) , wall density ( ρ w ) , moisture content ( M c ) , and ovality ( O v ) predictors significantly improved the model rather than a single predictor, but fixed load bending stiffness measured using panter machine ( EI p ), taper ( t a ), and out of straightness ( s o ) addition into the model did not give significant contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For obtaining material parameters of typical bamboos, assessing the performance of bamboo in building envelope, timber units were set as reference model, accordingly bamboo units of the same construction and space size as evaluation model, by which the performances in aspects of material, building component and enclosed space unit were compared. Results showed that bamboo units had strengths on heat storage and vapor resistance but weakness on heat transport performance, which varied with climate condition, building function and construction type. Bamboo showed disadvantages in severe cold and cold zones, and advantages in full bamboo/timber constructions in hot and temperate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of bamboo as longitudinal reinforcement, coupled with the application of self-compacted concrete (SCC) in the construction industry, may be a promising solution to issues involving sustainable development in developing countries. This study seeks to investigate the flexural performance of bamboo-reinforced SCC beams with adequate transverse reinforcement. The major design parameters were the shear span-to-depth ratio, the percentage of longitudinal reinforcement, and the maximum size of coarse aggregate. The load-deflection curves, serviceability and ultimate failure characteristics, cracking behavior, and ductility measures were evaluated and discussed among tested beams. Results indicated that their structural performance at service and ultimate failure would be adequate when a material reduction factor of three is used with BS 8110 design code. However, to achieve maximum ductility, the level of longitudinal reinforcement should be in range of 2.6-3.1%. Furthermore, an increase in the size of coarse aggregate will greatly impact the degree of ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat transfer through external walls plays a significant role in building energy saving. This paper tries to investigate the thermal and energy performance of a novel lightweight steel-bamboo wall structure. A testing residential building was constructed using the prefabricated steel-bamboo composite wall and field measurement was carried out to determine the heat transfer coefficient, time lag and decrement factor of the steel-bamboo wall. Numerical simulation was conducted in order to further evaluate its performance improvement compared to two commonly used wall structures in this climate region. The results show that the steel-bamboo wall has a high thermal performance with an improvement of U value by up to 26.1%–48.4%, indicating a lower heating demand compared to common wall structures in winter. Meanwhile, it has a high resistance to outdoor air temperature fluctuation with a low decrement factor of 0.022. The relatively low time lag (2 h) contributes to a lower indoor temperature during summer nighttime and thus reduces cooling energy demand. The improvement of total energy performance reaches 27.1%–40.9%, indicating a great potential of applications of this steel-bamboo wall in residential buildings in hot summer and cold winter zone. However, the main drawback of the steel-bamboo structure is that its indoor thermal performance during the hottest hours in summer is poorer than conventional walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current methods of reducing giant Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) to elements for composite manufacture are often inefficient and waste valuable biomass. This study employed geometric modelling to analyze and optimize the recovery of strands for oriented strand board manufacture. Three geometric models for calculating the numbers of strands, their widths, and their distribution based on culm diameter, wall thickness, target strand thickness, and flitch size were developed to determine an optimum slicing configuration. Real strands were produced by a disk flaker at the model strand thickness of 0.65 mm. Optimum configuration for the maximum number of usable strands per culm was from splitting culms into quarters, tight stacking, and radial slicing through the culm wall, which produced 37% more 'usable' strands 10 mm to 30 mm in width, fewer fines, and fewer excessively wide strands. Proportions of real strands fell into three size classes: < 10 mm, 10 mm to 30 mm, and > 30 mm, and closely matched modelled predictions. A slightly bimodal strand width frequency distribution observed from stranding full rounds was reflected in the distribution of the model strands calculated from slicing a full round into 0.65 mm increments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a quest to ensure sustainability of the future generation, various research attempts are focusing on the use of alternative materials for construction. In this study, bamboo strips were used as reinforcement in a concrete that was made with supplementary cementitious materials and partial replacement of river sand with manufactured sand (m-sand). Cement was partially replaced by 25% of combination of admixtures such as fly ash and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS). In alignment with standard requirements, concrete samples such as cubes, cylinders and beams were produced and tested at stipulated periods. Micro scale analysis was performed on the bamboo using SEM and FTIR, and its tensile strength was also determined. The results of the micro scale and tensile strength tests revealed that bamboo is a strong and ductile material. The study showed that a combination of fly ash, GGBS and m-sand used as alternative materials in concrete improves the compressive and split tensile strengths. Under flexural loading, performance of bamboo reinforced concrete (BRC) made with alternative materials (fly ash, GGBS, and m-sand) was significantly low compared to BRC containing conventional materials. In addition, BRC made with conventional materials developed more flexural strength than the SRC, with a variation representing 6.5% strength gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of shaking table tests of shear wall panels made of cob materials. A proposed low-cost retrofit design was applied on one of the panels. The retrofitting was carried out with vertical bamboo sticks and horizontal layers of plastic coated steel wire mesh. A similar wall panel without retrofit was used as a control specimen. The wall panels were 1 m in height and length each with a thickness of 150 mm. The height and thickness were selected to simulate one-third model dimensions of the prototype walls employed in cob buildings in Balochistan, Pakistan. The walls were instrumented with accelerometer and string pots to measure acceleration and displacement, respectively. The decay in the dynamic characteristics of the retrofitted wall panel was less than the unretrofitted control wall panel. The displacement and acceleration of the unretrofitted control specimen increased drastically after a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 1 g (0.33 g in the prototype domain). The acceleration response of the control specimen decreased at a PGA of 2.25 g (0.75 g in the prototype domain) and it failed by toe crushing at a PGA of 4.55 g (1.52 g in the prototype domain). No significant damage or change in the behaviour of the retrofitted wall panel was observed up to a PGA of 5.19 g (1.73 g in the prototype domain). The applied in-plane moment on the unretrofitted wall panel reached to a maximum value at a PGA of 1.23 g (0.41 g in the prototype domain) whereas the retrofitted wall was subjected to similar maximum moment at a PGA of 3.43 g (1.14 g in the prototype domain). The results clearly indicate that the proposed retrofit design is effective in improving the in-plane response of the cob shear wall and can be used for both the existing and new cob structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo is a construction material that is renewable, environmentally friendly and widely available. It has long been used in various projects, ranging from temporary, easily assembled and rectilinear structures to complex freeform pavilions. Design with bamboo has never been easy to architects and engineers due to its irregular shape and round section. This prompts the need to develop a new design process that can accommodate those properties that hinder bamboo to be used by designers. In this article, we take a close look at freeform structure design and specifically demonstrate how systematically and algorithmically parametric modelling can be used to tackle bamboo material irregularities and bamboo jointing challenges. A two-stage optimization process is proposed to support a fabricable freeform structure design through encoding material properties and freeform shape optimization. The approach approximates the given freeform shape using a finite set of unique bamboo elements while maintaining the aesthetic design intention. By limiting the number of bamboo elements, it will provide insight to both designers and engineers on the efficiency and cost benefits of producing required structure elements for the final assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel strand bamboo (PSB) is a bamboo-based composite which is increasingly used to fabricate beams and columns in building constructions. The span of PSB bending member, however, is usually limited in 5 m due to the relatively lower tensile strength and stiffness compared to reinforced concrete (RC) beams. In order to increase the load-carrying capacity of PSB bending members, fiber reinforced PSB beam stratagem was proposed in present study. Flexural performance of PSB beams reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets was studied. Failure modes of PSB bending members with and without CFRP reinforcement were studied by 4-point bending experiments. Test results revealed that the damage of PSB beams presents pronounced nonlinear progressive process. An analytical model, taking into consideration the nonlinear constitutive relation of PSB composite, was developed to estimate flexural performances of CFRP reinforced PSB beams. The results showed that load-carrying capacities of CFRP reinforced beams may averagely increase about 27% compared to unreinforced members. The analytical model can well predict the ultimate load-carrying capacities and deflections of CFRP reinforced PSB beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]