Comparative Analysis of Bamboo Poles and Metal Pipes for Hybrid Space Grid Structures: The Case of Vidarbha Region, India

Space grid structures are preferred, equally, by architects and engineers for their versatility to span, short, medium and large arenas of regular and diverse geometric shapes. Space grid structures are chiefly composed of two components: strut (pipe) and internodes. In the age of sustainability, ways and measures are being employed to include more and more renewable resources in engineering and architecture. For the same reason, eco-friendly hybrid versions of space grid structures are preferred for certain spans and applications. In hybrid bamboo space grid structures, metal pipes (struts) are wholly or partially replaced by nature-grown pipes (bamboos), whereas internodes remain that of mild steel. In space grid structures, as the span increases from short to medium and large, dead load increases, resulting in the usage of high-strength struts and internodes. In factory-made pipes made of mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium alloy, medium to high strength grades are available. But it is not the same in the case of nature-grown pipes, i.e. bamboo. In bamboo, wall thickness and density vary as per the species of bamboo and also due to variations in climatic conditions. Although bamboo has a tubular hollow section, just like any metal or non-metal pipe, being naturally grown, it has certain uniqueness and limitations. The undertaken research encompasses a comparative study of the physical attributes of factory-made metal pipes and nature-grown pipes (bamboo), especially in the Vidarbha region of the Maharashtra State of India. The research helps strategise and find ways to augment the mechanical strength of bamboo for hybrid bamboo space grid structures.