Preliminary study on the effects of stochastic variations in the geometric and mechanical properties of bamboo culms on the compression capacity of round bamboo columns

This study investigates the reliability of the compression strength of round bamboo columns based onYlinen’s formula. The Monte Carlo method is employed to evaluate the effects of probabilisticvariations in culm diameter, wall thickness, flattening ratio, Young’s modulus, and crushing strengthon compression strength. The results show that variations in mechanical properties, particularlyYoung’s modulus and crushing strength, have a more significant impact than geometric variations.Additionally, compression strength does not always increase with culm diameter; instead, there existsan optimal culm diameter that maximizes strength for a given effective buckling length. Beyond thisdiameter, both strength and structural reliability decrease due to increased variability. The study alsoexamines the influence of cross-sectional modeling and finds that while different modeling approachesresult in slight deviations, the selection of a specific cross-section does not critically impact strengthevaluation. The findings emphasize the importance of selecting an appropriate culm diameter andensuring a sufficient safety margin against buckling in bamboo column design.