Bamboo is one of sustainable materials for reinforcing concrete elements. Is Bamboo reinforcement durable and effective?
Dear Salam Alobaidi,
Now a days, many research works on the utilization of bamboos as civil Engineering material are going on in Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET). Bamboos are utilized in beam and column as primary reinforcement and the results are promising for low cost, low load, environment friendly construction. Recently, one of the prominent professor of BUET named Dr. Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad invented the method of constructing a telecom tower by using bamboos. He found that utilization of bamboo is durable as well as effective provided they are well treated. The link is given below:
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/first-telecom-tower-made-bamboo-installed-dhaka-1383022
Dear Salam
One of my colleagues here at Coventry University works on Bamboo. You may wish to get in touch with him for collboration.
His name David Trujillo - you will find his details through a google search.
Best wishes,
Messaoud
Hi Salam,
Yes. However, the performance of bamboo as a reinforcing element in concrete depends largely on its specie, maturity, and level of treatment before use.
It may interest you to check the following links for more details on bamboo reinforcement:
Article Empirically derived connection design properties for Guadua bamboo
Article Strength properties of bamboo and steel reinforced concrete ...
Chapter Structural Integrity Assessment of Bamboo for Construction Purposes
Article Beneficiated pozzolans as cement replacement in bamboo-reinf...
All the best!
Dear Salam Alobaidi
Already you have received number of tips regarding the usage of Bamboo as a Building material.
But you have to go for Loss of Ignition test before applying that as a material in R.C.C since it is an organic matter.
using this material is one of methods to produce strength light weight concrete.
Dear Salam
Bamboo can be effective light weight reinforcement. As mentioned by other researchers, the age and quality of bamboo is major concern, Being Organic matter, there are chances for absorption of water from the concrete itself. I would suggest a suitable resin coating before use.if there is a resin coating provided, ensure that the coating doesnt make the surface too smooth which can reduce bonding.
Bamboo can be cost effective for smaller buildings. (Low cost Housing)
Bamboo can be used as reinforcement in concrete. we can also used Borassus Aethiopum . we 've experimented it as reinforcement in concrete. and i've obtained an interesting result. read this article.
There are a lot of issues with using bamboo reinforcement in concrete. Although bamboo is a material with extraordinary mechanical properties, we consider its use in bamboo-reinforced concrete to be an ill-considered concept, having significant durability, strength and stiffness issues, and does not meet the environmentally friendly credentials often attributed to it. See our paper " Bamboo reinforced concrete: a critical review"
Recently, myself and other international experts (Kent Harries, David J A Trujillo, Sebastian Kaminski, Edwin Zea Escamilla) working on bamboo, wood and engineering in general, led an extensive review of the use of bamboo as replacement of steel in reinforced concrete and demonstrated that:
- Bamboo reinforced concrete is an ill-considered concept and has a number of additional practical barriers in terms of building performance and construction.
- Bamboo reinforcement (in concrete)– if used safely – is not an environmentally friendly or sustainable alternative to steel.
- Bamboo-reinforced concrete must be designed to remain uncracked; the presence of 3 to 5% bamboo reinforcing is intended to impart a degree of ductility to the section – and may impart some post-cracking reserve capacity – in the event of an overload that results in cracking. This post-cracking behaviour is only possible if there is sufficient bond between the bamboo and concrete. It has been shown that some bond-enhancing surface treatments are sufficient to impart the bond capacity required.
Nonetheless, the required ‘uncracked’ design increases concrete member dimensions significantly.
- Additionally, the poor durability and bond characteristics of bamboo require through-thickness treatment and additional surface treatment of bamboo reinforcement, respectively. Such treatments are labour intensive, costly, and often utilise materials of known toxicity.
Please read the paper attached for more information.
Hector F Archila
As you said " Bamboo reinforced concrete is an ill-considered concept and has a number of additional practical barriers in terms of building performance and construction" you are true.
We experimented Borassus aethiopum mart as reinforcement in concrete and we had the same problem.
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