The structure and mechanics of Moso bamboo material
Author(s)
Dixon, Patrick Gerard; Gibson, Lorna
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Although bamboo has been used structurally for millennia, there is currently increasing interest in the development of renewable and sustainable structural bamboo products (SBPs). These SBPs are analogous to wood products such as plywood, oriented strand board and glue-laminated wood. In this study, the properties of natural Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) are investigated to further enable the processing and design of SBPs. The radial and longitudinal density gradients in bamboo give rise to variations in the mechanical properties. Here, we measure the flexural properties of Moso bamboo in the axial direction, along with the compressive strengths in the axial and transverse directions. Based on the microstructural variations (observed with scanning electron microscopy) and extrapolated solid cell wall properties of bamboo, we develop models, which describe the experimental results well. Compared to common North American construction woods loaded along the axial direction, Moso bamboo is approximately as stiff and substantially stronger, in both flexure and compression but denser. This work contributes to critical knowledge surrounding the microstructure and mechanical properties of bamboo, which are vital to the engineering and design of sustainable SBPs.
Description
Related research data available at: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/88464
Date issued
2014-07Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and EngineeringJournal
Journal of The Royal Society Interface
Publisher
Royal Society
Citation
P. G. Dixon and L. J. Gibson. The structure and mechanics of Moso bamboo material. J R Soc Interface 2014 11: 20140321.
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
1742-5689
1742-5662