Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Structural Bamboo and Its Relationship with Growth Parameters

Bamboo is a renewable natural building material with good mechanical properties. However, due to the heterogeneity and anisotropy of bamboo stalk, a large amount of material performance testing costs are required in engineering applications. In this work, longitudinal compression, bending, longitudinal shear, longitudinal tensile, transverse compression and transverse tensile tests of bamboo materials are conducted, considering the influence of the bamboo nodes. The mechanical properties of the whole bamboo stalk with the wall thickness and outer circumference are explored. Through univariate and multiple regression analysis, the relationship between mechanical properties and wall thickness and perimeter is fitted, and the conversion parameters between different mechanical properties are derived. The research results show that the transverse compressive strength of nodal specimen, and transverse tensile strength of nodal and inter-node specimens increase with the increase of wall thickness and outer circumference, but other mechanical properties decrease with the increase of wall thickness and outer circumference. The prediction formula and conversion parameters of bamboo mechanical properties proposed in this research have high applicability and accuracy. Moreover, this research can provide references for the evaluation of bamboo performance and saving test costs.