Fabrication and structural evaluation of fibre reinforced bamboo composite beams as green structural elements

The production of principal construction materials, namely concrete and steel, is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions today, rendering the construction industry as a major contributor of pollution..Bamboo, a potential structural material, on the other hand, is not only a renewable, fast growing and strong, but also promises negative carbon footprint. However, in order to bring bamboo into mainstream construction, it is necessary to alleviate the structural deficiencies of single shoot bamboo. This paper presents a novel fabrication methodology involving an amalgamation of multiple bamboo culms in a cohesive matrix bound together by a mixture of polypropylene fibres and an epoxy-based adhesive, culminating in fibre-reinforced bamboo composite (FRBC) elements. This results in a composite structural member possessing a competitive capacity in compression and flexure to steel and reinforced concrete (RC). A total of three beam specimens with a 4 x 5 bamboo culm cross-section and a length of approximately 2.1 m are fabricated and tested under flexure. The test results validate composite action confirmed by continuity of strain profile across the depth of the section. A theoretical model of the flexure of an FRBC beam is proposed to determine the moment capacity, which is found to be in good agreement with the experimental results, paving the way for its use in design calculations. The proposed FRBC provides a green structural engineering material alternative to steel and RC.