Experimental Investigation of Galvanized Steel Sheet-Wrapped Structural Moso Bamboo as an Element of a Hybrid Beam

Abstract

One of the investigation’s main objectives is to serve as a turning point for rediscovering the potential of bamboo in Philippine construction. The researchers opted to use steel sheets to reinforce bamboo. The study sought to evaluate the effects of steel sheet wrapping by welding on the flexural strength of bamboo as a structural element of beams. bamboo culms were harvested, cut, dried, treated, and wrapped in galvanized steel sheets in three methods. The research had three different wrapping methods as variables, namely whole vertical, horizontal strip, and vertical strip wrap, applied to the bamboo specimens. Eighteen produced steel sheet-wrapped structural bamboo samples and six treated unwrapped control samples were subjected to three-point bending tests and four-point bending tests. The results showed that the addition of steel sheet wrapping by welding significantly increased the flexural strength of bamboo. The SSWB samples were found to be 1.2 to 2.5 times stronger than the control samples. Furthermore, the study found that the vertical strip and whole vertical wrapping methods were the most efficient among the three methods, with the highest flexural strengths in both bending tests. In contrast, the horizontal strip wrap method was found to be the least efficient. It is also observed that samples with smaller inner diameters were more capable of withstanding flexural tendencies. In conclusion, steel sheet wrapping can significantly increase the flexural strength of bamboo, with the vertical strip and whole vertical wrapping methods being the most efficient. These findings will be able to contribute to developing stronger, more durable, and sustainable bamboo structures, particularly in areas where bamboo is a widely available and sustainable resource.