Selected physical and mechanical properties of giant timber bamboo grown in South Carolina
1994
Lee, A.W.C. | Bai, X. | Peralta, P.N.
Physical and mechanical properties of giant timber bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) grown in South Carolina were investigated. The bamboo culms had an average specific gravity (SG) of 0.48 in the green condition and the bamboo splits had SG values of 0.40 and 0.52 in the green and air-dry conditions, respectively. The average green moisture content was 171 percent for the splits and 138 percent for the culms. The average percent shrinkages of splits from green to air-dry were 0.02, 9.25, and 18.21 percent in longitudinal, tangential, and radial directions, respectively. Effects of selected variables such as moisture condition (green or air-dry), height location on bamboo culm (top, middle, or bottom), and presence of node on compressive and tensile strengths were analyzed. An additional variable, orientation of outer perimeter (up or down) was included for the bending tests. The results of statistical analyses indicated that 1) strength properties increased from the bottom to the top of bamboo; 2) air-dry specimens had much higher compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE), and modulus of rupture (MOR) than green specimens; 3) the presence of a node greatly reduced the compressive and tensile strengths, and the MOR, but affected MOE only slightly; 4) testing with the outer perimeter placed up in the bending test yielded a considerably higher MOR, but did not significantly change the MOE; and 5) average compressive, tensile, MOE, and MOR values of giant timber bamboo in the air-dry condition were about 6,100 psi; 17,400 psi; 1,550,000 psi; and 14,900 psi, respectively.
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