INTRODUCTION

Bamboos include some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizomedependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow 91 cm (3 ft) within a 24-hour period,
at a rate of almost 4 cm (1.5 in) an hour (a growth around 1 mm every 90 seconds, or one
inch every 40 minutes). Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South
Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and
as a versatile raw product. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or
concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel.
Unlike all trees, individual bamboo culms emerge from the ground at their full diameter and
grow to their full height in a single growing season of three to four months. During these
several months, each new shoot grows vertically into a culm with no branching out until the
majority of the mature height is reached. Then, the branches extend from the nodes and
leafing out occurs. In the next year, the pulpy wall of each culm slowly hardens. During the
third year, the culm hardens further. The shoot is now considered a fully mature culm.
Bamboo cannon is type of home-made firecracker which is popular during the Hari Raya
festive season in Malaysia, and during New Year's Eve celebrations in the Philippines. Like
other fireworks, bamboo cannons are illegal as stated in Malaysian Explosive Act 1957;
ironically, more Malay children turn to the more dangerous bamboo cannon as an alternative
to commercial firecrackers which were banned by the government.

Discussion
What is Combine Loading?
The stresses caused by axial forces, torques, and bending loads have now been analyzed.
There are situations, however, where all three types of loading are present. An efficient
method to account for more than one load is to calculate the normal and shearing stresses
acting at a point of interest on planes normal and tangential to the applied loads, and then use
Mohrs circle to calculate the maximum and minimum stresses acting at that point on planes
oriented at some angle. Such maximum stresses lead to failure in machine and structural
components. The procedure follows several general steps providing the proportional limit of
the material is not exceeded so that superposition is allowed (the material must remain in the
elastic range so that there is a linear relationship between stress and deformation). The steps
are
1. Draw a free-body diagram of the member of interest.
2. Pass a section through the point of interest where the maximum stresses are anticipated.
3. Use the equations of equilibrium to find the forces and moments acting on the section
containing the point of interest.
4. Calculate the normal and shearing stresses at the point of interest using the formulas
already developed.
5. Normal stresses from axial and bending loads are added, and shearing stresses from torsion
and vertical shear loads are added on an element located at the point of interest.
6. Mohrs circle (or the equations) can then be used to find the maximum and minimum
normal and shearing stresses at the selected point, and the planes on which they act.
By looking at the calculation we assume that the maximum stress for the bamboo is 20.27
MPa. Since that a hoop direction stress experiences the greatest stress at its inside we use that
as a benchmark before the bamboo will explode because of high pressure. Therefore, by
using Hoop direction, maximum internal pressure for bamboo is 5.5MPa. For the explosion
force when firing occur, assume that the first explosion force produce pressure of 4.1 MPa, it
produces stress of 15.02 MPa. The value is lesser than the value of bamboo maximum stress.
Therefore, it still can withstand the explosion force produced. For the second explosion force,

we assume that it produces pressure of 6.3MPa. By calculating using hoop direction stress, it
produces stress of 23.07 MPa which exceed the maximum stress for bamboo. Therefore,
when this situation occur the bamboo will not have enough force to withstand the explosion.
We can conclude that the Bamboo cannon fail because the hoop direction stress produces by
the explosion force exceed the maximum stress of the bamboo.

Calculation
Assume that;
Thickness: 22.5mm

Maximum Stress for Bamboo : 20.27MPa

Radius: 82.4mm
By using Hoop Direction; maximum internal pressure for bamboo:

pr
t

p=

t
r

p=

(20.27)(22.5)
82.4

p=5.5 MPa

By using Longitudinal Direction; maximum internal pressure for bamboo:

=

pr
2t

p=

2 t
r

p=

2(20.27)(22.5)
82.4

p=11.1 MPa

Assume that the explosion produce by bamboo cannon is 4.1 MPa; we use the Hoop direction
=

(4.1)(82.4)
22.5

=15.02 MPa

Assume that the explosion produce by bamboo cannon is 6.3 MPa; we use the Hoop direction
=

(6.3)(82.4)
22.5

=23.07 MPa

Recommendation
To increase the strength of the part, we should increase the wall thickness so that it can
withstand higher internal pressure. By changing the material type we also could make the part
stronger since every type of material have different maximum stress.
To improve the safeness of bamboo cannon, we should plant most of the bamboo part into the
ground. The reason is, the ground will give additional force to the bamboo so that it can
withstand higher internal when explosion occur.
Another way is to cover the bamboo cannon with a grain sack and tie it up with a bicycle
chain. This will prevent any bamboo flakes from making contact to nearby people if failure
occurs.