Mechanical behaviour of bamboo slat structural beams

We investigated the mechanical behaviour of structural beams made from bamboo slats. This technology has high potential as a sustainable and alternative structural construction element. Through an experimental programme, we assessed the performance of structural beams fabricated with bamboo slats, focusing on three bamboo species: Dendrocalamus asper , Phyllostachys edulis and Phyllostachys reticulata . We explored the impact of reinforcement techniques on the beams' structural integrity and load-bearing capacity, providing insights into the use of bamboo as an eco-friendly construction material. The bending test results for load-bearing capacity revealed that the structural elements investigated sustained loads ranging from 9 kN to 16 kN across all three species, thereby evidencing mechanical performance that was comparable to, and in some cases competitive with, conventional construction materials. Among the species analyzed, D. asper exhibited the best performance, with an average capacity of 14.4 kN, whereas P. edulis presented an average capacity of 12.2 kN. The results of the bending tests demonstrated that the proposed structural element was effective and achieved similar results to more commonly used construction methodologies for bamboo-based materials such as bamboo scrimber and laminated bamboo. Microscopic characterization and tensile testing were employed to understand the material's properties further, showing that the bamboo's strength complemented its environmental benefits. The tensile tests performed on dog-bone-shaped specimens provided average strengths of 113.79 MPa, 129.29 MPa, and 149.28 MPa for P. reticulata , D. asper and P. edulis , respectively. Despite challenges such as variability in performance across species, the findings underscore the viability of bamboo as a key player in sustainable construction. • New structural elements made of bamboo slats were developed; • Dendrocalamus Asper bamboo presented the highest mechanical behavior; • The use of threaded rods improved the stiffness of the bamboo slats; • The proposed structural element presented adequate mechanical performance.