Sustainability Switzerland, Volume 13, Issue 13 , 01/07/2021
Bamboo as a sustainable building material—culm characteristics and properties
Abstract
Bamboo culm is a renewable and lightweight material with high strength, particularly tensile strength. It is well accepted that bamboo culms have played a significant role in architecture because of their sustainable contribution. The culm characteristics and properties of three-year-old bamboo from five species (Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus sericeus, Dendrocalamus membranaceus, Thyrsostachys oliveri, and Phyllostachys makinoi) were investigated. The results show that each bamboo species has different culm characteristics along with culm length. Culm size, particularly the outer culm diameter and culm wall thickness, affects the ultimate load. These results confirm that a bigger culm with a thicker wall could receive more load. D. asper received the highest ultimate load, while T. oliveri received the lowest ultimate load. However, when calculating the test results for stress (load per cross-section area), P. Makinoi showed excellent mechanical properties, while D. asper showed the worst mechanical properties. This research promotes bamboo’s appropriate use for building applications and as a more sustainable material for architecture.
Document Type
Article
Source Type
Journal
Keywords
Bamboo culmBuilding materialCulm characteristicsPhysical and mechanical propertiesSustainable natural material
ASJC Subject Area
Computer Science : Hardware and ArchitectureComputer Science : Computer Networks and CommunicationsEnvironmental Science : Environmental Science (miscellaneous)Energy : Energy Engineering and Power TechnologyEnvironmental Science : Management, Monitoring, Policy and LawEnergy : Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the EnvironmentSocial Sciences : Geography, Planning and DevelopmentComputer Science : Computer Science (miscellaneous)
Funding Agency
Royal Project Foundation