- Bamboo has been used as a construction material in certain areas for centuries. A study of bamboo used as a reinforcement in precast concrete elements was carried out at U.S. Army Engineer Waterway experiment station in 1964.
- Bamboo was given recent consideration for use as reinforcement in soil-cement pavement slabs in which the slabs behave elastically even under light loads.
- Bamboo is characterized as a bio-degradable, renewable, and energy-efficient natural resource.
- It is an environmentally sustainable building material.
- Bamboo can be used as an alternative material in the reinforcement of concrete.
Characteristics of Bamboo Reinforced Concrete
- Bamboo can prevent pollution.
- The specific gravity of bamboo varies between 0.4 to 0.5
- The strength of bamboo is more significant than most timber products.
- Bamboo is a giant grass, not a tree.
- The tensile strength ratio to the bamboo’s specific weight is about 6 times that of steel.
- The density of fibers in the cross-section of a bamboo shell varies with thickness and height.
- Bamboo is more prone to insect attacks than other trees and grasses.
