Key Engineering Materials Vol. 517

Abstract: A full-scale testing model of laminated bamboo truck load bridge was made based on the original structure. The mid-span deflection of CFRP-reinforced bamboo girders, temperature and relative air humidity were obtained through over three years creep test under self-weight, and the analysis based on experimental results was finished. The results indicate that the average creep deflection of the girders after three years is approximately 8-mm. In addition, the increase in temperature and humidity may contribute to creep. On the basis of creep test, a short-term loading test was carried out applied with dead load, and the bridge collapsed under the load of 18.5-t. By the analysis of the experimental results, it is realized that long span CFRP-reinforced bamboo girders have sufficient capacity to meet the strength and durability needs of practical use. Although CFRP layers could improve the performance of bamboo girders effectively, there is a decrease in strength and stiffness when considering the long-term performance. All these studies may contribute to improving the design of bamboo bridge structures, and some construction measures are suggested for the bamboo bridge according to the results of the experimental and analysis results.

Abstract: Based on the practice of the landscape sketch bamboo buildings of Meixi Lake in Changsha, this thesis, from the perspective of material construction, aims to perceive the region and bamboo structure, to concern the bamboo frame form and space construction, to try to integrate bamboo structure with other materials and to explore the formation of bamboo-framed building and the related regional expression. Excavating bamboo value, improving bamboo performance and developing bamboo structural building can satisfy requirements as the main part of construction and expression in architecture and promote the using level of GluBam. Technological innovation such as suitable construction skills and reasonable structural system can promote the effective utilizing bamboo and development of modern bamboo structure. It is a alternative green building system for sustainable development.

Abstract: Three simply supported glue laminated bamboo (glubam), lengthened from bamboo veneer plate with glued and pressed techniques during the process of manufacture, under static experiments compare to three of fatigue experiments to analyze the fatigue damage on the stiffness and strength of bamboo elements followed by modal analysis in method of the integrated modal parameter estimator LMS PloyMax. The main outcomes of the experiments were: (1) fatigue experiment reduced the bearing capacity of glubam beams approximately by 10% due to the weakness of finger-joint and fatigued gluing; (2) when the upper value of cyclic load not surpassed its design value, there were no distinct reduction on the stiffness of specimens comparing to the static group that proved the applicability and validity of the fatigue design value; (3) Excellent flexibility of bamboo contributed to the fine stability of glubam beams in aspect of dynamic response during the fatigue loading. This paper provides an attempting experimental research as the fundamental work and reference for deeper results in the future.

Abstract: Wood frame buildings have shown good performance on past earthquakes mainly because the lateral system of those buildings was able to dissipate energy without significant loss of lateral capacity. Typically, the lateral load resisting system is provided by wood shear walls, which consist of a wood frame sheathed with wood or wood-based composites, such as Plywood or OSB panels. Taking into account the increasing forest demand for wood, there is a global need to find alternative energy-efficient, renewable and eco-friendly construction materials. Giant bamboo like Guadua Angustifolia kunt emerges as an interesting construction material, since it has a fast growing rate (3 to 4 years), high strength to weight ratio and high carbon (CO2) capture capabilities. Results of a past study conducted at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá-Colombia reported that Glued Laminated Guadua Bamboo (GLG) has mechanical properties comparable to those of the best structural timbers in Colombia. Potential applications of GLG include not only laminated beams and columns, but also structural panels to be used as a sheathing material for wood frame shear walls. A comprehensive experimental study has been performed on GLG sheathed shear walls in order to find an alternative sheathing material for wood frame buildings as well as to explore their possible application for residential and/or commercial construction in Colombia. A series of tests were conducted on full-size shear wall specimens in order to study the influence of the wall aspect ratio and the edge nail spacing on the shear wall performance. Based on cyclic tests on shear walls, it was found that the stiffness and maximum load carrying capacity of the wall increases as edge nail spacing decreases. In contrast, the displacement ductility capacity decreases, since the rotation of the panels is restricted when the edge nail spacing is reduced. Experimental results also revealed that stiffness, maximum load capacity, and ductility of the GLG sheathed shear walls are not affected by the aspect ratio of the wall. The final stage of the present study included dynamic shake-table tests on full-size one and two-story housing units using GLG sheathed shear walls. Results showed that the units had similar performance characteristics to those of OSB and Plywood sheathed shear walls, and it was concluded that wood-GLG combination could be a viable construction alternative from a structural point of view.

Abstract: Guadua Angustifolia Kunt (G.A.K.) is a bamboo specie that has been considered an alternative material for construction in some of the Latin-American countries. In Colombia, specifically in coffee region, G.A.K. has been used mainly for residential buildings, having bahareque (Split bamboo and mortar connected to a guadua frame) as the preferred structural system for this type of structures. This system has shown an adequate seismic behavior during earthquakes like the one in Armenia (1999), [. Nowadays, there is not a real understanding of the structural behavior of this kind of bamboo shear walls. For that reason, a study on the seismic performance of engineering bahareque shear walls and two kinds of non-conventional G.A.K. shear walls is done. Throughout this article, the preliminary results of this study are presented, based on monotonic tests only. So far, 13 tests have been run on the different types of shear walls. In addition, 6 static tests were performed on the connection of the shear walls to the foundation, to understand the capacity and the behavior of this type of joint. The results show that the structural behavior of engineering bahareque shear walls is both adequate and better than the one observed on the two kinds of non-conventional shear walls. In spite of that, some changes on the constructive details could improve the structural behavior of these two kinds of shear walls. As for the connection of the shear walls to the foundation, it is observable that the capacity of the joint is related to the resistance of cement mortar. Also two types of failure, identified on the study, affect directly the connection behavior.

Abstract: In 2008 began the research project "Design and construction of housing with structural elements of bamboo (guadua) laminated" of the research program Innovation for Guaduas productivity chain strengthening at the Rionegro province in Cundinamarca.In the first part of the project it was necessary to implement the production of laminated bamboo elements, for which, they were manufactured parallel saws for the production of slats, handheld devices for applying adhesive and a equipment for pressing. In Pacho and Ibama located in Rionegro province of Cundinamarca in Colombia two primary production sites for the production of slats were stablished. So, the bamboo was cut in the natural forest, the slats were obtained and were transported to the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (National University of Colombia) at Bogotá, where, after a selection process and machining, were pressed to obtain test samples and structural elements.After, it was performed the experimentation phase which included the testing of samples elaborated with four types of glue, under different types of solicitations, beams with four different configurations of slats density, solid and box section beams and columns, solid and sandwich panels, T-section boards and frames with two different types of panels.The last stage of the project included the architectural and structural design and construction of a housing prototype using structural elements in laminated bamboo.

Abstract: This article presents the experimental tests results of frames made with glued laminated pressed bamboo guadua under lateral load. The tested frames had two floors with 1.40m of height each one and 2.80m of total height; the width of the frames was 2.10m. Beams and columns had square box cross-section of 0.10m side and 0.015m of wall. Three frames had bracing type K and other threes had panels. The adhesive used for the manufacture of beams, columns and braces was Urea Melamine Formaldehyde and for the elaboration of panels was Polyvinyl Acetate. The frames of glued laminated pressed bamboo guadua had elastoplastic behavior with great ductility.

Abstract: This article aims to disclose the developments of a research on constructive methods of lightweight structures, developed by the Laboratory for Research on Living Design, LILD, from Pontifical Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, PUC-Rio. One of the objectives of this paper is, using principles of biomimesis, to systematize constructive processes by means of the understanding of how nature creates its forms. In the Laboratory, experiments with soap bubbles and catenaries have been serving this purpose In this case, studies resulted in the solution to the covering of the newly constructed LILDs building, located in the campus of the University, a textile-architecture where structural elements and joints, usually made of steel or wood, were replaced by bamboo culms tied together. The present article also demonstrates how these culms were benefited in order to meet specific requirements of the project.

Abstract: The lifestyle of the North-Eastern rural population demonstrates the example of sustainable living where bamboo plays a major role. Bamboo has its home in this tropical climatic region of India. In order to understand various aspects of Traditional bamboo constructions, a field visit was made to Assam & Mizoram. This paper studies the patterns affecting the housing styles of these regions, the traditional method of construction including bamboo treatments. Various parameters which are required to be considered for constructing a house are also studied. It has been found in the field survey that the utilization of bamboo is mostly in wall panels. Therefore, various patterns of wall panels being majorly used for house construction in this region are documented in this paper.

Abstract: Bamboo has a huge potential to be used under affordable housing. The beauty about bamboo is that it has an inherent negative carbon foot print in its natural round form. This ability can aid in developing a nearly zero carbon foot print construction using round bamboo. Also, it has been observed in India that the traditional constructions of houses are with bamboo used as a load distributor and not as a main load bearing element. The key to achieve higher bending strength, required for main load bearing elements, is through enhancing the second moment of area to achieve desired bending strength. This is achieved using a new innovative jointing technology i.e. Haritha IITD Bamcrete Technology (HIB) for developing twin bamboo columns as main load bearing elements to develop bamcrete columns (bamboo concrete composite columns). The present study reports the performance of a twin bamboo column developed using HIB technology & tested to 32 kN load under pure axial loading, with lateral restrains, developing compressive stress of 14 MPa in bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus).