Tensile and compressive strengths of local Sri Lankan bamboo species

Abstract

The construction industry in Sri Lanka is currently searching for sustainable and cost­ effective alternatives to conventional materials like concrete and steel. Bamboo has emerged as a promising alternative, and it is widely used in construction in many countries. Although Sri Lanka has abundant bamboo forests, their potential is largely underutilised in the industry, with most of the bamboo being used only for scaffolding. One of the main barriers to using bamboo as a construction material is the lack of knowledge regarding the key mechanical properties of local bamboo species.This study aims to evaluate the critical mechanical properties of several bamboo species found in Sri Lanka, including Bambusa vulgaris var. vittata, Bambusa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus giganteus, and Dendrocalamus hookeri. A total of 174 specimens were tested for compressive strength parallel to the grain, and 150 specimens were tested for tensile strength parallel to the grain, following the ISO 22157-1:2019 standard. The results indicate that the average compressive strength and tensile strength for all species exceeded 42 N/mm2 and 87 N/mm2, respectively. These findings demonstrate that bamboo species used in the study exhibit similar compressive strength to normal concrete, and their tensile strengths are adequate for construction purposes, highlighting their potential as a viable alternative material in Sri Lanka's construction industry.