Bamboo as a Structural Material

Pauline Comtat (2054477)

Introduction Bamboo is a woody herbaceous plant which is spread over different altitudes, latitudes and climates (Asia, South
America and Africa). Its culm presents large variations of its physical properties along the length and cross-section, inducing variation of
its mechanical properties. The analysis aims to determine the longitudinal culm Young’s modulus along its radius and to investigate the
effect of different structural parameters in order to explain its natural efficiency.

Bamboo: Composition and Modelling

Cross section of the culm
variation of the size and the
distribution of the vascular
bundle through the wall
thickness [1].
It can be seen that the results belong to the upper part of the
range of literature data, it can be due to the chosen input data.

Main anatomical constituent of the plant Results seem acceptable: VALIDATION of the model.
IV
composed of vessels (I), floem (II), protoxilem
II
(III), parenchyma tissue (IV) and fibre bundles Limitation: Input data because in the literature the
(composed by sclerenchyma fibres) (V). characteristics of the sample analysed are not entirely detailed.
Simplification of the culm: fibre bundles
embedded in parenchyma tissue; the density of Variation of parameters
the fibre bundles varying along its radius. Variation cellulose content
60
Culm Young's modulus (GPa)

50

40

Transverse cross-section of sclerenchyma fibres 30 Emax

Mean Value
20
in a fibre bundle. 10
Emin

0
40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
Total fibre cellulose content (%)

Schematic diagram of a bamboo bast fibre (P:

primary wall, O: outermost layer of secondary
wall, L: broad layers, N: narrow layers). Wood Bamboo
Simplification of sclerenchyma fibre: double-
Culm Young’s modulus increases with the increase of the total
helical reinforcing element model made of
cellulose content present in the fibres.
compound middle lamellae (CML), a broad layer
This result was expected as the cellulose is the material that
Lumen (B) and a narrow layer (N). Each layer is
gives the fibre its stiffness.
approximated as a “two-phase structure”:
N
cellulose microfibril (CMF) bundle and lignin- Variation MFA
hemicellulose skeleton. The CMF is oriented with 18
Culm Young's modulus (GPa)

B 16 Total cellulose
a microfibril angle (MFA) of θ in the B layer and 14
12
content of 74%

90° in the N layer. 10

8 Total cellulose
6 content of 40%
4 (Wood)
2
0
Functionally graded material: composition and physical 0 3 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 59
MFA (°)
properties change with height and radius. It leads to the variation
of the mechanical properties [2].
Experimental tests have pointed out a relation between the Culm Young’s modulus is the highest when the cellulose
structure and the mechanical properties. microfibrils are perfectly aligned with the fibre axis and then
decreases while the MFA increases.
Method: Analysis is based on the one described by Yamamoto The small variation of the modulus for different MFAs in the
[3] for the fibre Young’s modulus. Then the rule of mixture is lower range shows a robust design as the MFA, in a bamboo
applied to determine the culm Young’s modulus. fibre, typically ranges between 0 and 10°.

Result and Validation Conclusion The longitudinal culm Young’s modulus is

Aim: Determine the culm longitudinal Young’s modulus along its determined assuming that the bamboo is made of fibre bundles
radius based on its (macro and micro) structure. embedded in a parenchyma tissue. The analysis gives
References: [1] Wegst, U.G.K. (2011) Bending Efficiency through Property Gradients in Bamboo, Palm and Wood-based acceptable results and points out the influence of some
Composites, Journal of the Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials, 4(5), 744-55. [2] Osorio, L. et al. (2011) Morphological
aspects and mechanical properties of single bamboo fibers and flexural characterization of bam- boo/epoxy composites. Journal of parameters, such as the microfibril angle and the cellulose
Reinforced Plastics and Composites 30(5): 396-408. [3] Yamamoto H et al. (2004) Properties of the cell wall constituents in
relation to the longitudinal elasticity of wood – Part 2. Origin of the moisture dependency of the longitudinal elasticity of wood. content.
Wood Science and a Technology. 37: 427-434.