MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND FAILURE BEHAVIOUR OF GIGANTOCHLOA SCORTECHINII

• Published in: Journal of tropical forest science Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 336 - 344
• Main Authors: Hamdan, H, Anwar, UMK, Zaidon, A, Tamizi, M Mohd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kuala Lumpur Forest Research Institute Malaysia 01-10-2009
• Subjects: Anatomy; Bamboos; Bending; Compressive stress; Internodes; Mechanical properties; Moisture content; Parenchyma; Tropical forests; Vascular bundles
• ISSN: 0128-1283; 2521-9847

The physical and mechanical properties of bamboo have been widely studied but information of these properties at the nodes is still lacking. The presence of node in a bamboo split may affect the mechanical strength of the material. To enable usage of bamboo in a longer length, understanding the mechanical properties and behaviour of the bamboo at the node is crucial. This study used 4-year-old Gigantochloa scortechinii bamboo. The physical and mechanical properties at the nodal and internodal sections of the bamboo split were tested in green and air dry conditions. The orientations of the bamboo splits with the periphery of the bamboo split oriented facing downwards (referred to as compression) and facing upwards (referred to as tension) were taken into consideration during the mechanical test. Results suggested avoiding orientating the bamboo splits with the peripheral skin positioned at the bottom as it reduced the mechanical properties. The failure behaviour of bamboo splits at the node and internode were evaluated and compared. Ciri fizikal dan mekanik buluh banyak dikaji tetapi maklumat tentang ciri buluh pada buku masih berkurangan. Kehadiran buku dalam buluh bilah boleh mempengaruhi kekuatan mekaniknya. Agar buluh yang lebih panjang dapat digunakan, pemahaman tentang ciri mekanik dan kelakuan buluh pada buku amat penting. Kajian ini menggunakan buluh Gigantochloa scortechinii berusia 4 tahun. Ciri-ciri fizikal dan mekanik pada buku dan ruas buluh bilah diuji dalam keadaan basah dan kering udara. Orientasi buluh bilah dengan kulit di atas (dirujuk sebagai tekanan) dan kulit di bawah (dirujuk sebagai tegangan) diambil kira semasa ujian dijalankan. Keputusan mencadangkan supaya buluh bilah tidak digunakan dengan kulitnya di bawah kerana ia akan mengurangkan ciri mekanik buluh. Kegagalan buluh di buku dan ruas dinilai dan dibandingkan.