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Workshop Avanzato di
Progettazione Strutturale in Bambù
Advanced Workshop on
Bamboo Structural Design

FLORENCE (Italy) – 7- 8 October 2005

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Progettare e Costruire in Bambù:

Introduzione all’analisi e alle verifiche statiche
Design of bamboo structures: Conceptual Design

Mario de Miranda

Studio De Miranda Associati

Ingegneria Strutturale
Via Settembrini, 2 - 20124 Milano
Tel:02 29412387- Fax:02 29415210
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E-mail: stdma@tin.it Web: www.demiranda.it
Index

1. Bamboo as structural material

• Properties
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

2. Basic structural forms

• Frames
• Walls
• Arches
• Cable suspended structures

3. Structural performance
• Strength
• Stiffness

4. The problem of joints

• Function v/s types

5. Specific problems of bamboo structures

• Bamboo geometry and dimensional aspects
• Cracks
• Preservation and maintenance

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1. Bamboo: a structural material

Properties
- physical
- mechanical

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 Physical properties

• Hollow section:……..…….….…..structurally efficient: high strenght v/s mass

• Intermediate diaphragms
(nodes):……………………….….. avoid cross section ovalization

• Longitudinal strong fibers:….... like one-way composites weakly connected

• Variable strenght/stiffness:…….across the section:

higher strenght in radial direction
(longitudinal fibers are stronger and stiffer
in the external surface)
along the lenght:
tapered

• Initially bent:…………………..…..built-in imperfections

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Bamboo Anatomy

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 Mechanical Properties

Property Value Compared to Notes

other materials

Specific Weight Bamboo: 600-750 kg/mc Low Low mass improves

Timber: 550-800 kg/mc seismic behaviour
Steel: 7.850 kg/mc
Al-Alloy: 2.700 kg/mc Low weight allows to
Concrete: 2.400 kg/mc handle large elements with
simple lifting equipments

Longitudinal tensile Bamboo: 1000-1500 kg/cmq High High loads can be

strenght Timber: 300-700 kg/cmq resisted, provided joints
Steel: 5100 kg/cmq are strong enough
Al-Alloy: 2700 kg/cmq

Compression strenght Bamboo: 500-600 kg/cmq High Compression loads will be

Concrete: 300-600 kg/cmq lower than tension loads

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Shear strenght 90-100 kg/cmq Medium Difficulty in making joints
able to transfer high loads

Strenght vs specific Bamboo : 20.000 m Very high Can be a very high-

weight performance material
Timber : 7.500 m
Steel : 6.600 m
Al-alloy : 10.000 m
Concrete : 1.700 m

Elastic modulus 100000-200000 Kg/cmq Low Stability for compression

loads is reduced

Material stability in Low Requires protection by

natural environment preservative treatments

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 Advantages of Bamboo

ƒ Availability ……………………………....…Æ available all over the world

ƒ Very fast growth …………..…………….....Æ an easily renewable resource

ƒ A mean against pollution………….…….....Æ bamboo plantations reduce much more CO2

than most of other plants

ƒ High Strenght v/s Weight………………......Æ (higher than steel and aluminium alloys)
can be a very good material for seismic areas
ƒ Easy to be operated with basic tools………Æ same tools as in typical timber works

ƒ Availability in a finite structural form……..Æ a relatively long, (almost) straight pipe, ready
for construction

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Disadvantages of Bamboo
(weak points)

Bamboo can deteriorate if not protected…………a protection treatment is needed, like

in steel and timber construction, but
more difficult to apply

Geometrical and mechanical properties

can greatly change even for the same
bamboo species and in the same lot of culms…..- straightness
- culm thickness and external diameters
- conicity/taper
- strenght
- elastic modulus

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2. Basic structural forms

From the basic linear elements (culm)

many structural forms can be built:

• Frames
• Trusses
• Walls
• Arches
• Cable suspended structures

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3. Structural performance

• Strenght
• Deformation

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3.1 Typical strenght performance of a bamboo culm

ƒ Axial tension
ƒ Axial compression
ƒ Bending
ƒ Shear

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3.1 c

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3.2 Typical deformation

ƒ Axial tension

ƒ Bending

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4. The problem of joints

• Difficulties / problems

• Types of joints
• Types selected for statical function
• Types selected for morphology

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• Hollow sections are always difficult to joint

• Perfomance deterioration is to be avoided: rigid joints to avoid relative

displacements, protection from fungal attack

• Different geometries (diameters, thicknesses) are to be matched

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 Types of Joinery

Selected from
“Bamboo in construction”
by Jayanetti and Follett

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5. Specific problems of bamboo structures

• Cracks

• Preservation and maintenance

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Crack limit lenghts

By FE analysis the critical lenghts of cracks were computed

A crack lenght under the critical value does not affect the buckling strenght

Culmo 100 mm x 9 mm
350

300

250
C is the distance between
two contiguous cracks
L2 [mm]

200

150

100 Valore teorico

Limite inferiore
50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
c [mm]
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