ABSTRACT

Bamboo is a renewable and versatile resource, characterized by high

strength and low weight, and is easily worked using simple tools. It is
widely recognized as one of the most important non-timber forest
resources due to the high socio-economic benefits from bamboo based
products. Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing woody plant. Bamboo
grows three times faster than most other species. Housing is one of the
priority items and sensing the current shortage of the dwelling units, the
present administrative leaders around the world find tough to hit upon a
solution for. Apart from the other substances already in practice, bamboo
appears to be the most promising material. Bamboo building construction
is characterized by a structural frame approach similar to that applied in
traditional timber frame design and construction. In this case, the floor,
the wall, the roof elements are all interconnected and often one dependent
on the other for overall stability. The use of bamboo for foundation is
rather restricted. This is mainly due to the fact that like timber when in
contact with damp ground, they deteriorate and decay very quickly unless
treated with some very effective preservatives. The most extensive use of
bamboo in construction is for the walls and partitions. The major
elements, the posts and beams, generally constitute part or structural
framework. The roof offers protection against extremes of weather
including rain, sun and wind, and to provide shelter, clear and usable
space beneath the canopy. Above all it must be strong enough to resist the
considerable forces generated by wind and roof coverings. In this respect,
bamboo is ideal as a roofing material- it is strong, resilient and light
weighted. Bamboo will continue to play an important part in the
development of enterprises and the transformation of rural environments.

4
 INDEX
CHAPTER TOPIC PAGE NO
NO

1. INTRODUCTION 6-10

2. BAMBOO AS A CONSTRUCTION 11-18

MATERIAL – LITERATURE
AVAILABLE

3. PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO 19-20

4. COMPARISON BETWEEN 21-33

BAMBOO AND STEEL

(AS REINFORCEMENT )

5. USE OF BAMBOO IN CIVIL 34-39

ENGINEERING CONSTRUTION

6. CASE STUDIES 40-42

7. CONCLUSION 43-44

8. REFERANCE 45

5
 INTRODUCTION

Bamboo has a long and well-established tradition as a building material

through out the world’s tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is widely used
for many forms of construction, in particular for housing in rural areas.
Bamboo is a renewable and versatile resource, characterized by high
strength and low weight, and is easily worked using simple tools. It is
widely recognized as one of the most important non-timber forest
resources due to the high socio-economic benefits from bamboo based
products. It is estimated that there are 1200 species growing in about 14.5
million hectares area. Most of them grow in Asia, Africa and Latin
America.

Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing woody plant. It grows

approximately 7.5 to 40cm a day, with world record being 1.2m in 24
hours in Japan. Bamboo grows three times faster than most other species.
Commercially important species of bamboo usually mature in four or five
years time, after which multiple harvests are possible every second year,
for upto 120 years in some species and indefinitely in others. Bamboo also
excels in biomass production, giving 40 tons or more per hectare annually
in managed stands. It accounts for around one-quarter of biomass
produced in tropical regions and one-fifth in subtropical regions.

It has been used successfully to rehabilitate soil ravage by brick

making in India, and abandoned tin-mine sites in Malaysia. It shelters top
soil from the onslaught of tropical downpours, preserves many exposed
areas, providing micro-climate for forest regeneration and watershed
protection It is often introduced into the banks or streams or in other
vulnerable areas, for rapid control of soil erosion; one bamboo plants
closely matted roots can bind upto six cubic meters of soil.

6
1.1 Bamboo Resources and Potential in India

The global bamboo coverage worldwide is 36 million hectare that is 3.2%

of total forest area. Bamboo is mostly distributed in temperate, tropic and
sub tropical zones of all continents naturally except Europe and North
America. Recently, bamboo has been introduced into North America,
Europe and Australia (Pannipa Chaowana, 2013). Asia is the richest
bamboo producer with about 24 million hectares of the total world
bamboo resources. Five out of six countries have large extent of bamboo
forests in Asia viz. India, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Latin
America occupies the 10 million hectares of the total bamboo area in the
world whereas Africa has the smallest bamboo area of 2.7 million hectare
(FAO, 2005).

7
Bamboo Resources in India
India is the second largest country in the world after China in terms of
bamboo resources (Forest Survey of India [FSI], 2011). Worldwide, India
occupies 37.8% of the total bamboo forest area. Twenty Percent of its
overall forest area is of bamboo. In India there are 125 indigenous and 11
exotic species of bamboo belonging to 23 genera (FSI, 2011). Bamboos
are found in all most all parts of the country except Kashmir where
bamboo does not occur naturally. Percentage of Distribution of bamboo
forest area (major state wise) out of total bamboo area of the country and
its growing stock (number of trees grown in that particular area) are given
in table 1. This data represents bamboo resources grown on government
land.

More than 50% of principle genera are found in Eastern India that is
approximately fifty-eight species of bamboo belonging to 10 genera are
distributed in the northeastern states alone (Food and Agriculture
Organization [FAO], 2003). The National Bamboo mission has identified
bamboo species grown in India which include Bambusa balcooa, B.
bambos, B. nutans, B. pallid, B. polymorpha, B. tulda, B. vulgaris,
Dendrocalamus bramdissii, D. giganteus, D. Hamiltonii, D. Strictus, etc.
From many researches these species have also found to be suitable for
different construction applications

8
Potential In India
The current demand of bamboo for various purposes is estimated at 26.69
million tones as against the supply of 13.47 million tons (Tripathi, Thakur,
and Bhuyan, 2008). Of the 13.47 million tones of bamboo, 3.4 billion are
currently being consumed for scaffolding alone all over India (Rain Forest
Research Institute, 2008). Table 2 shows the current usage of bamboo in
different sectors. Besides scaffolding, bamboo is utilized industrially in
paper mills, as scaffolding, for internal consumption in bamboo growing
households for making spoons, skewer, plates, trays, containers, mat, etc.,
handicrafts and miscellaneous items like incense sticks, ladder, ice cream
sticks, etc. Also, some of it is illegally exported to Bangladesh and
Myanmar. Current market of bamboo/bamboo products in India is
estimated to be Rs. 4,500 crores expected Table 2 Current Usage of
Bamboo to increase to Rs. 20,000 crores by 2015. Table 3 shows the
market size of bamboo (specifically for construction and housing needs)
in 2003 and expected market by 2015 The yield per hectare of bamboo in
India is very low as compared to other countries like China, Japan, and
Taiwan. As compared to China and Taiwan, India’s productivity is one
fourth to one fifth (Samir Jamatia, u.d). The annual yield of bamboo per
hectare varies around 2 tons per hectare per annum against China, Taiwan
and Japan which contribute about 80% to the world’s bamboo market. The
reasons behind the low per hectare yield are the poor management,
unscientific exploitation and low investment in raising preferred bamboo
species (Arnab Hazra, u.d).Very little attention has been paid to ensure
sustained supply of this raw material that result in constraining and
reducing the potential benefits and value of bamboo applications. It could
be increased to 4-5 times in rain fed area by ensuring proper grazing and
management practices. It is estimated that only about 15.4% of the total
Bamboo resources of India lie on private lands; as a result, 84.6% of the
resources are unavailable for utilization in industrial purposes without
excessive regulation getting in the way (FAO, 2005)
9
Need of Bamboo
The biggest anthropocentric reason to build with bamboo is its low cost
that will easily shelter millions who could not normally afford a roof over
their heads. India has a 60 million unit housing deficit which is one of the
reasons that India is likely to face serious shortage of timber. It has been
seen that with the increase in consumption and population the demand for
timber as a raw material is set to increase while supply diminishes.
According to the Planning Commission, the demand for timber is
estimated to increase from 58 million cubic meters in 2005 to 153 million
cubic meters in 2020 whereas its supply is projected to increase from 29
million cubic meters in 2000 to 60 million cubic meters in 2020 (T.R
Manoharan, 2011). This gap has led to rising timber prices, which thus
presents an opportunity for bamboo products, widely seen as more eco-
friendly due to the quick regeneration of bamboo as compared to timber.

10
 2 . BAMBOO IS A CONSTRUCTION
MATERIAL- LITERATURE AVAILABLE

2.1 Bamboo Housing

The majority of bamboo construction relates to the rural community needs
in developing countries. As such domestic housing predominates and in
accordance with their rural origins, these buildings are often simple in
design and construction relying on a living tradition of local skills and
methods. Other common types of construction include farm and school
building s and bridges. Further applications of bamboo relevant to
construction include its use as scaffolding, water piping and as shuttering
and reinforcement for concrete.

2.2 Domastic Housing And Small Buildings

There is a long-standing tradition of bamboo construction, dating back to
many hundreds of years. Different cultures have found in this material an
economical system of building, offering sound yet light and easily
replaceable forms of shelter. The methods, activities and tools are often
simple, straightforward, accessible even to the young and unskilled.
Despite human exploitation and unfavorable treatment, trees maintain it’s
contributively role towards the dwelling of mankind. Man has for
centuries enjoyed the benefits of the free gift of nature. Housing is one of
the priority items and sensing the current shortage of the dwelling units,
the present administrative leaders around the world find tough to hit upon
a solution for. Bamboo building construction is characterized by a

11
structural frame approach similar to that applied in traditional timber
frame design and construction. Bamboo based materials are widely used
too. In its natural condition as solid culms, halved culms or as
longitudinally split strips, bamboo has been used in almost all parts of
house construction except for the fireplace and the chimneys. These are
described in detail below.

2.2.1 Foundation
The use of bamboo for foundation is rather restricted. This is mainly due
to the fact that like timber when in contact with damp ground, they
deteriorate and decay very quickly unless treated with some very effective
preservatives. However, in spite of their short life considerable use of
bamboos is made as foundation or supporting posts in case of houses built
on raised platforms. The types of bamboo foundations identified are

A) The use of bamboo for foundation is rather restricted. This is mainly

due to the fact that like timber when in contact with damp ground,
they deteriorate and decay very quickly unless treated with some
very effective preservatives. However, in spite of their short life
considerable use of bamboos is made as foundation or supporting
posts in case of houses built on raised platforms. The types of
bamboo foundations identified are
B) Bamboo on rock or preformed concrete footings: where bamboo is
being used for bearings, it should be placed out of ground contact
on footings of either rock or preformed concrete. The largest and
stiffest sections of bamboo should be used.
C) Composite bamboo/concrete columns: a concrete extension is given
to a bamboo post using a plastic tube of the same diameter. The
result is a bamboo post with an integral durable foundation.

12
D) Bamboo piles: it is used to stabilize soft soils and reduce building
settlement. The treated split bamboo piles were filled with coconut
coir strands wrapped with jute. The sections were then tied with
wire. After installation of the piles the area was covered with a sandy
material

2.2.2 Flooring
The floors may be at ground level, and therefore consists only of
compacted earth, with or without a covering of bamboo matting. The
preferred solution is to raise the floor above the ground creating a stilt
type of construction. This improves comfort and hygiene and can
provide a covered storage area below the floor. The surface of earth
floor is sometimes made more stable by paving it with crude bamboo
boards made by opening and flattening whole culms. The various types
used are

A) Small bamboo culms: they are directly tied and nailed together
B) ) Split bamboo: culms are split along their length into strips, several
centimeters wide
C) Flattened bamboo: formed by splitting green bamboo culms
removing the diaphragms, then rolling and flattening them. The
resulting board is laid across the joists and fixed by nailing or tying.
They are screened with cement mortar for reasons of hygiene and
comfort as they are uneven and difficult to clean.
D) Bamboo mats: thin strips varying in size from 5-6mm or 10-15mm
and thickness of 0.6-1.2mm. These slivers are then woven into mats
of different sizes according to the available hot-press plates and
user’s demands. After drying the mats to 6-10% moisture content,
sufficient glue is applied to ensure enough bonding between the

13
 overlapped areas. In construction using bamboo mats, phenolic
resins are employed.

E) Bamboo plastic composites: it is an innovative technology in which

bamboo fiber is the raw material and compounded with plastic as
the core material of the flooring. This has higher water resistance
and dimensional stability properties than those of normal floorings.

2.2.3 Walls
The most extensive use of bamboo in construction is for the walls and
partitions. The major elements, the posts and beams, generally constitute
part or structural framework. They are to carry the self-weight of building
and loads imposed by the occupants and the weather. An infill between
framing members is required to complete the wall. The purpose of the
infill is to protect against rain, wind and animals, to offer privacy and to
provide in plane bracing to ensure the overall stability of the overall
structure when subjected to horizontal forces.

2.2.4 Roofing

The roof offers protection against extremes of weather including rain, sun
and wind, and to provide shelter, clear and usable space beneath the
canopy. Above all it must be strong enough to resist the considerable
forces generated by wind and roof coverings. In this respect, bamboo is
ideal as a roofing material- it is strong, resilient and light weighted. The
bamboo structure of a roof can comprise of purlins, rafters and trusses.

14
 A) The simplest form consists of a bamboo purlin and beams,
supported on perimeter posts. Halved culms are then laid convex
side down, edge-to-edge, spanning from the ridge to the eaves. A
second layer, convex side up, is then laid to cover the joints.
B) Corrugated sheets made out of bamboo are also used commonly as
roof covering. The bamboo mats are dipped in resin, dried and heat
pressed under pressure in a specially made platen, to give strong,
reliable sheets of bamboo, which is lightweight. It has good
insulation properties too.
C) A layer of bitumen is sandwiched between two mats of bamboo
forming a semi rigid panel. The mats can be fixed to rafters at 200-
250mm center to center. A bituminous or rubberized weatherproof
coating is then applied to the finished roof.
D) Plastered bamboo: A cement plaster, with or without the addition of
organic fibers, is traditionally applied to bamboo roofs, to get
stronger roof coverings. Various forms of trusses are also adopted
using bamboo culms of diameter ranging from 40mm-100mm. The
king post trusses are the most common and the simplest.

2.2.5 Scaffolding
Because of the favorable relationship between load-bearing capacity and
weight, bamboo can be used for the construction of save scaffoldings even
for very tall buildings. Only lashed joints are used. The cane extension is
carried out by lashing the cane ends together with several ties. The ties are
arranged in such a way that forces acting vertically downwards wedges
the nodes in the lashing. The vertical and horizontal canes used for
scaffolding are almost exclusively joined using soft lashing. This
technique has the great advantage that the joints can be re-tensioned to the
right degree without difficulty and also quickly released again.

15
A. Bamboo composite for structural concrete
In this study, simulated acid rain solution was more aggressive
towards BFRP than alkaline concrete pore water solution.
Performance of BFRP composite in concrete pore water solution
complements well with previous study, indicating the ability of
bamboo to retain its mechanical properties in the alkaline
environment of a concrete matrix. Although Sikadur-31 enhanced
the bond strength of BFRP rebar’s, the coating was detrimental to
the composite as it increased susceptibility of BFRP to alkaline
degradation, and did not protect the BFRP from acidic environment.
On the other hand, BPA based epoxy coating not only enhanced the
durability of the BFRP in acidic environment but also improved the
BFRP rebar bonding behaviour, especially with introduction of sand
particles.

B. Designed reinforced bamboo scrimber composite beams

To expand the application of bamboo in construction such as in
large-span members, a new type of RBSC beams was developed by
combining the bamboo and reinforcement elements. Based on the
results of six type beams, the following main conclusions were
drawn: Both the ultimate load capacities and bending stiffness of the
RBSC beams could be significantly improved and had a maximum
increase of 58% and 82%, respectively, compared with the un-
reinforced bamboo scrimber beams. Based on the simplified
mechanical model of RBSC beams proposed in this study, the
predicted deflection and load capacity matched well with the
experimental results. Thus, it could be an effective way to evaluate
the bending properties of RBSC beams. For the whole cross-section
of RBSC beams, the ratios of bending stiffness and ultimate load
capacity contributed by the reinforcement element ranged from 23%

16
 to 45% and from 15% to 31%, respectively, when the reinforcement
diameter was increased from 12 mm to 20 mm. Three typical failure
modes exist: a crack along the longitudinal direction of bamboo
element, a crack along the vertical direction of bamboo element, and
shear failure.

C. Utilization of Bamboo as Reinforcement in Concrete for Low-

CostHousing
The inclusion of bamboo splints in concrete beams increased the
load carrying capacity of the beams but not proportionately.
Strength was observed to improved by up to 134.65% above the
strength of unreinforced beams at 28- day curing for 2.68%
reinforcement volume fraction. For the same section and percentage
reinforcement the failure load of mild steel reinforced beam was
approximately 1.5 times that of its equivalent bamboo reinforced
beams. Bamboo splints imparted post-cracking strength to concrete
beams. 1470Bamboo splint deteriorated in concrete with age.
Application of impervious surface coating like bitumen makes it
more resistant to deterioration. The strength of bamboo reinforced
beams is adequate for low-cost housing projects but further work
needs to be done before final recommendation on the use of bamboo
as reinforcement in concrete can be made.

D. Axial compressive behaviour of sprayed composite mortar–original

bamboo composite columns

The axial compressive performance of sprayed composite mortar–

original bamboo composite columns and BCs were investigated
using experiments and calculations, and the following conclusions
are drawn. The failure mode of the short columns was strength
failure at the ends of the columns, and the failure mode of the slender
columns was buckling. The experimental ultimate load and ductility

17
of the short composite column supported by the total cross section
were 1.5 and 2.6 times higher than those of the short BC,
respectively. The confining effects of the composite mortar on the
original bamboo could not enhance the bearing capacity of the latter,
and the bearing capacity of the composite column was culated using
the superposition method. However, the confining effect of the
composite mortar improved the stability of the original bamboo. The
finite-element results for the columns agreed well with the
experimental results. Thus, the buckling capacities of the slender
composite columns and slender BCs with different slenderness
ratios were obtained using FEMs. Considering the effects of the
change of the cross-sectional dimensions and the initial deflection
of the columns on the stability, a calculation method for the buckling
coefficient of slender columns based on the edge fiber yield was
proposed, and the results of this method agreed with the finite-
element results and experimental results.

18
 3. PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO

TENSILE STRENGTH

Bamboo is able to resist more tension than compression. The fibres of

bamboo run axial. In the outer zone are highly elastic vascular bundle,
that have a high tensile strenght. The tensile strenght of these fibres is
higher than that of steel, but it’s not possible to construct connections that
can transfer this tensile strength. Slimmer tubes are superior in this aspect
too. Inside the silicated outer skin, axial parallel elastical fibers with a
tensile strength upto 400 N/mm2 can be found. As a comparison,
extremely strong wood fibers can resist a tension upto 50 N /mm2

. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

Compared to the bigger tubes, slimmer ones have got, in relation to their
cross-section, a higher compressive strength value. The slimmer tubes
possess better material properties due to the fact that bigger tubes have
got a minor part of the outer skin, which is very resistant in tension. The
portion of lignin inside the culms affects compressive strength, whereas
the high portion of cellulose influences the buckling and the tensile
strength as it represents the building substance of the bamboo fibers

. ELASTIC MODULUS

The accumulation of highly strong fibers in the outer parts of the tube
wall also work positive in connection with the elastic modulus like it does
for the tension, shear and bending strength. The higher the elastic
modulus, the higher is the quality of the bamboo. Enormous elasticity
makes it a very useful building material in areas with very high risks of
earthquakes.
19
ANISOTROPIC PROPERTIES

Bamboo is an anisotropic material. Properties in the longitudinal

direction are completely different from those in the transversal direction.
There are cellulose fibers in the longitudinal direction, which is strong and
stiff and in the transverse direction there is lignin, which is soft and brittle.

SHRINKAGE

Bamboo shrinks more than wood when it loses water. The canes can tear
apart at the nodes. Bamboo shrinks in a cross section of 10-16 % and a
wall thickness of 15-17 %. Therefore it is necessary to take necessary
measures to prevent water loss when used as a building material.

FIRE RESISTANCE

The fire resistance is very good because of the high content of silicate
acid. Filled up with water, it can stand a temperature of 400° C while the
water cooks inside.

20
 4.COMPARISON OF BAMBOO AND
STEEL
(AS REINFORCEMENT)

1 INTRODUCTION
Bamboo and steel are structural materials with different engineering
qualities used for the construction of buildings and other engineering
construction related purposes. The rapid growth and maturity rate of
bamboo, sustainability, aesthetics, and acceptability; its strength
properties, low cost, makes it worth investigating as a substitute
structural material for steel. However, bamboo is relegated and
underrated to steel as a structural material in construction generally, as
such; it has been mainly employed for none/or marginal engineering
purposes. The current study assessed bamboo for its tensile strength and
ability to carry load in comparison to steel to highlight its acceptability
or otherwise of bamboo as a substitute for steel as structural member in
engineering construction. According to [5], due to a unique rhizome
dependent system of growth, bamboo is known to have over 1200
different species worldwide which makes it a common and easily
accessible material; it is also known to have been widely used in
building construction in different parts of the world. Some species of
bamboo can grow as tall as 35inches within a 24-hour period. Bamboo
has a high compressive strength than wood, brick and concrete and
exhibits a tensile strength that rivals steel. Bamboo has several
properties of engineering material like steel used in construction but
unlike wood, bamboo is known to have more evenly distributed yield
stress strength; this is due to the absence of ray and knots in its stem.
Today, bamboo is employed in building construction not only because
of strength but other properties which makes it favorable for

21
construction works such as; resistant to pest, sturdiness, flexibility and
availability. Bamboo has been used in constructing; walls, support
structures, piers, roof, floor and room dividers amongst other things.
These engineering structures are constructed with bamboo not for
aesthetics alone but the amazing engineering qualities of the material.
Steel on the other hand has dominated in engineering construction
because of its load bearing strength, yield stress strength etc. According
to [4], bamboo has strong mechanics and good adaptability, it is easy
to be processed which causes it to be used for wide range of
architectural and industrial purposes. The comparative tensile strength
of bamboo is about that of wood but has a compressive strength 10%
higher than wood. Although, the tensile strength of steel is 2.5-3.0 times
higher than bamboo and the specific gravity 6-8 times that of bamboo;
but by counting their tensile strength/unit weight (bamboo vs steel), the
tensile strength of bamboo is 3- 4 times that of steel. It is based on this
fact that the study sets out to compare the tensile strength of bamboo to
steel as structural engineering material.

2. METHODOLOGY
1.1 Materials

1. High Yield; 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 25mm steel

reinforcement bars produced locally.
2. Mild Yield; 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 25mm steel

bars produced locally.

3. Locally available bamboo culm cut to same sizes as the

steel.

Tensile strength test to measure the force required to break a material

and the extent to which the material is elongated before breaking was
carried out. ASTM D-638, specimen of steel and bamboo was placed
at different times in the holding grips of a universal test machine (see
Fig1. and Fig2. below) at specified grip separation points and pulled
22
until failure. The test speed was determined by the material
specification. An extensometer was used to determine the elongation
and tensile modulus of the tested materials

23
2.2 Criteria for Testing the Sample Materials (Steel
& Bamboo)
The test parameters are:
Test: Universal tensile test
UTM type: Machine
Load cell: Force1000
Extensometer: XHead
Test area: lower test area Sample dimensions:
Length data: Le = 205mm; Lc = 205mm
Test Rates: V0 = 30mm/min; V1 = 6MPa/s Rate switch
points: F0 = 10kN
End of test criterions: Force = 1000kN; dF = 50%

Final High yield Steel Tensile Strength Properties

High yield
steel bar 10m 12mm 16mm 20mm 25mm
m
MaxTensile 35.90 77.94 143.0 224.1 389.2
Force(kN) 8 2 1

Tensile 457.1 689.1 711.6 713.4 792.9

Strength 3 2 1 0 0
(N/mm²)
Yield 379.0 551.3 494.1 614.7 678.4
Stress 2 0 0 4 6
(N/mm²)
Breakig 126.6 163.9 306.1
Force 24.42 52.14 7 7 7
(kN)
Breaking
Elongation 19.25 26.10 35.27 30.72 26.11
(%)
Breaking
Extension 39.67 36.58 70.87 61.57 52.36
(mm)
24
Test Result of the Tensile Test on 10mm High Yield Steel Bar.

Test Results on the Tensile Test on 12mm Re-bars

25
Test Results on 16mm High Yield Steel Rod.

Test Results on 20mm High Yield Steel Rod.

26
 Test Results on 25mm High Yield Steel Rod.

FINAL MILD STEEL REINFORCEMENT-BAR TENSILE

PROPERTIES
Mild Steel 10mm 12mm 16mm 20mm 25mm
Max Tensile 102.2 117.1 220.4
Force(kN) 22.82 57.46 8 7 6
Tensile Strength 290.4 508.0 508.7 372.9 701.7
(N/mm²) 9 8 1 8 4
Yield 233.1 376.1 349.1 284.6 559.7
Stress(N/mm²) 7 7 0 4 7
Mild Steel 10mm 12mm 16mm 20mm 25mm
Breaking 163.0
Force(kN) 14.76 40.35 79.72 83.04 4
Breaking
Elongation (%) 51.61 39.57 55.53 23.68 29.65
Breaking
Extension(mm) 78.86 84.10 111.39 47.40 58.84

27
10mm Tensile Strength Test Result for Mild Steel.

Tensile Strength Test Result for 12mm Mild Steel

28
16mm Mild Steel Tensile Strength Test Result..

20mm Mild Steel Tensile Strength Test Result

29
 25mm Mild Steel Tensile Strength Test Result.

FINAL BAMBOO TENSILE STRENGTH

PROPERTIES
Bamboo 10mm× 12mm 16mm 20m× 25mm×
10mm × × 10mm 10mm
10mm 10mm
Max Tensile 3.16 3.73 13.38 12.53 18.92
Force (kN)
Tensile 31.55 31.07 68.82 62.66 94.60
Strength
N/mm²)
Yield Stress 0.00 0.00 49.45 50.23 50.19
(N/mm²)
Breaking -2.01 -1.28 1.85 -0.12 4.76
Force (kN)
Breaking 0.00 0.00 15.07 12.10 10.91
Elongation
(%)
Breaking 0.00 0.00 30.40 18.20 21.11
Extension
(mm)

30
10mm Bamboo Tensile Strength Test Result.

12mm Bamboo Tensile Strength Test Result.

31
16mm Bamboo Tensile Strength Test Result.

20 mm Bamboo Tensile Strength Test Result

32
 25mm Bamboo Tensile Strength Test Result.
TEST RESULTS SHOWING THE COMPARATIVE TENSILE
STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF STEEL AND BAMBOO

High Yield Steel

Bar Mild Steel Bar Bamboo
Tensile Tensile Tensile
Sample Strengh Breaking Strengh Breaking Strengt h Breaking
Size (n/mm) Elongatin (n/mm) Elongatin (n/mm²) Elongation (%)
(%) (%)
10mm 457.13 19.25 290.49 51.61 31.55 0.00

12mm 689.12 26.10 508.08 39.57 31.07 0.00

16mm 711.61 35.27 508.71 55.53 68.82 15.07

20mm 713.40 30.72 372.98 23.68 62.66 12.10

25mm 792.90 26.11 701.74 29.65 94.60 10.91

33
 USE OF BAMBOO IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

POTENTIAL OF BAMBOO
It is Fastest growing plant. Bamboo has highest carbon dioxide
absorption. It has Continuous absorption of carbon dioxide and release of
oxygen .Quick harvest is possible which can be also continuous harvest
.Sustains green cover of world.
1 . BAMBOO FOOTINGS
For use as foundation, the bamboo poles are directly driven into the
ground. They have to, however, be pre-treated for protection from rot and
fungi.
2 . BAMBOO TRUSSES
For the spanning larger distances in public utility buildings like schools,
storage areas, commercial buildings, bamboo is utilized as a truss
member. Bamboo has a high strength
/weight ratio and hence is a good alternative for roof framing.

Bamboo Trusses
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3 . BAMBOO SCAFFOLDING
Since ancient times, bamboo poles have been tied together and used as
scaffolding. The properties of bamboo such as resilience, shape and
strength make it an ideal material for the purpose. The working
platforms for masons can also be built of bamboo.

Bamboo Scaffolding

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4 . BAMBOO TILE ROOFING
• This is the simplest form of bamboo roofing. The culms are split

into halves, the diaphragms scooped out and these run full length
from eave to ridge.

Bamboo Tile Roofing

The first layer of bamboo splits are layed concave side up and the second
layer interlock over the first with convex side up. Though a very simple
method, it can be completely watertight. The minimum pitch of the roof
should be 30°.

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5 BAMBOO REINFORCEMENT
Besides the use of bamboo as a building material, there have been
proposals to use bamboo as reinforcement in RC columns, beams and
slabs. One of the examples is a silo made of bamboo-reinforced
concrete. This is the avenue for further research in the process of
combining the ancient of bamboo building with modern materials like
concrete.

Bamboo Reinforcement

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6 . THE FRACTURE BEHAVIOR

The behavior of breaking of common building wood differs clearly

from the breaking conditions of bamboo. Here you don't have a
spontaneous break through the whole material after the tearing of single
bamboo fibers like wood does. The appearing clefts are led off
immediately in direction of the fiber and so they impair the critical
region less. The energy transfer is delayed by diffusion. Especially the
pressure-, shearing-, and inter laminar strength are raised by the knots.
Those symptoms are titled as increasing factor of the fracture
toughness. In the research of modern compound material it is less
important to prevent the formation of cracks than to counteract the
distribution of the clefts by finding a suitable material construction.

The fracture behavior

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The work that is needed for the punch of a bamboo tube is nearly the same
whether the punch hits the knot or the intern odium. But the breaking
conditions itself are totally different. If the punch hits the knot the tube
will burst in axial stripes; that means a break as a result of the effort of the
strength vertical to the fibers.. It is not comparable to the value of the
spruce (0,5 mkp/cm²) because the bamboo is of course not solid but a tube.

The punch fracture behavior of bamboo

PROPERTIES BAMBOO
Specific gravity 0.575 to 0.655
Average weight 0.625kg/m
Modulus of rupture 610 to 1600kg/cm2
Modulus of Elasticity 1.5 to 2.0
x105kg/cm2
Ultimate compressive stress 794 to 864kg/cm2
Safe working stress in 105kg/cm2
compression
Safe working stress in tension 160 to 350kg/cm2
Safe working stress in shear 115 to 180kg/cm2
Bond stress 5.6kg/cm2
Properties of Bamboo

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 CASE STUDY

Is bamboo tree or grass?

For 90 years, bamboo was considered as tree. Its cutting and transporation
was problematic. Modi government amended old law and categorised
bamboo as grass.

HIGHLIGHTS
 Indian Forest Act, 1927 considered bamboo as tree.
 Cutting or transportation of bamboo was invited trouble.
 Lok Sabha today amended the law and labelled bamboo as grass.

BAMBOO FOREST

40
Following the amendment in the Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo has
been removed from the category of tree. Now there is no prohibition on
growing or cutting bamboo trees even outside the forests.

Earlier on November 23, the Narendra Modi government had

promulgated an ordinance removing bamboo from the definition of tree.
Today, the Lok Sabha passed the Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017
which would bring bamboo outside the definition of tree.

As bamboo was defined as a tree under the previous law, its inter-state
movement required a permit. Consequent to the change brought in by the
amended Act, felling or transportation of bamboos grown in non-forest
areas will not require such permits.

Replying to a debate on the Bill, Environment, Forests, and Climate

Change Minister Harsh Vardhan said the amended law will enable
farmers to cut and transport bamboo grown on their land outside forest.
He said that it would not only help increasing the income of farmers, but
will also generate employment in big number.

Several industries including paper and furniture making ones will

immensely benefit out of the amended law. An exponential increase in the
growing and consumption of bamboo cannot be denied. It augurs a new
era for the tribal areas as well.

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42
 CONCLUSION

India having the largest reserves of bamboo in the world is dealing with
the shortage of bamboo as a raw material in its industries. Presently it is
underutilized and found in abundance. If bamboo sector has to be grown
beyond the certain level the regulatory restrictions on trade and transits
need to be taken care off. India can have 4-5 times better productivity then
now and is expected to have an increase in the market size by 2015 if
proper management, cultivation and plantation practices are followed
with proper market linkages. Thus, bamboo can play an important role in
meeting the future human needs of timber used as input for housing and
construction. In the light of increasing demand of raw materials for
housing and construction, including timber and decreasing forest area,
bamboo based materials can serve as an alternative in bridging the gap of
demand and supply.

Bamboo, on using as reinforcement in concrete deflects more due to low

density; but it attains flexural strength almost equivalent to Steel
reinforced concrete. Hence it can be used in member taking fewer loads
such as roof slabs of parking area, public toilets, watchman cabins and
sunshades. It also helps in cost effectiveness and reduces environmental
effects that are cost by steel production. . Using Bamboo we can reduce
the cost of the construction by 25%.Bamboo concrete composite
structural members can provide tailored solutions to the eco-housing
initiatives at cheaper costs

 The sample concrete beam increases its flexural strength while adding
the steel reinforcement.

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  Bamboo is also use for manufacturing non load bearing portico beams
and columns in low cost
.  Steel will be corroded, so the partial replacements of the bamboo can
reduce the cost of concrete.
 It helps in reducing the pollution in environment

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REFERENCES

1. www.google.com
2.. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bamboo-grass-tree-lok-sabha-
parliament-narendra-modi-bjp-government-forest-act-cabinet-ordinance-
1113641-2017-12-20
3 . S.Amada, ―Bamboo: A Natural, Super-advanced and Intelligent
Material,‖ In Proceeding of the 2nd International Conference on Non-
Conventional Construction Materials (NOCMAT-97), Bhubaneswar,
India, 1997, pp. 1–9, 1997.
4 . Ghavami, K. “Bamboo as Reinforcement in Structural Concrete
Elements”, Cement & Concrete Composite. Vol. 27, pp 637-649, 2005.
5 . Atul agarwal and Damodar maity “Experimental investigation on
behaviour of bamboo Reinforced concrete members” 16th
InternationalConference on Composite Structures (ICCS 16). Porto 2011.
6 . Concrete floors on ground," Portland Cement Association Concrete
Information, ST-51..
7 . Rahman M. M., Rashid M. H., Hossain M. A., Hasan M. T. and Hasan
M. K, Performance Evaluation of Bamboo Reinforced Concrete Beam,
International Journal of Engineering & Technology IJET-IJENS 2011,,
Vol. 11 No. 04.
8 . Concrete floors on ground," Portland Cement Association Concrete
Information, ST-51
9 . University of Southern Californial Los Angeles (CA90089- 2551)
10 . Markos Alito(2005), Bamboo Reinforcement As Structural Material
For The Construction Of Low-Cost Houses In Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
University
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