Evaluation of axial capacity of engineered bamboo columns

Engineered bamboo has been attracting wider usage in construction as it is produced from fast growing renewable raw material and for its superior mechanical properties when compared against other renewable sources such as wood. The most commonly used types of engineered bamboo products are parallel bamboo strand lumber (PBSL) and laminated bamboo limber (LBL). This paper presents an investigation of the axial capacity of engineered bamboo columns, and compares experimental and numerical results with those predicted using available timber design codes. A nonlinear finite element model for engineered bamboo columns has been developed and was validated using experimental results. Once validated, FE models were used to investigate effects of initial imperfections and material inelasticity on the axial capacity of engineered bamboo columns. Applicability of various timber design codes was examined by comparing experimental and numerical results with code predictions. It is shown that the majority of examined timber design codes provide conservative predictions for the axial capacity of engineered bamboo columns, especially for columns with large slenderness ratios. In addition, a simplistic design formula has been proposed herein to predict the axial capacity of engineered bamboo columns.