Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Experimental Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties and Flexural Behavior of Bamboo-Reinforced Concrete Beams
by Usidamen Daniel, Ogirigbo Okiemute Roland and Nwankwo Ebuka

Abstract:
The construction industry urgently needs sustainable alternatives to conventional materials due to environmental concerns. Bamboo, with its rapid growth and renewable properties, offers a promising solution for reinforcing concrete structures. This study investigates the structural performance of bamboo-reinforced concrete (BRC) beams, comparing them with conventional steel-reinforced beams (SRC) and hybrid configurations (HYB). The research involved tests on bamboo specimens for density and moisture content, tensile and compressive tests on bamboo, and flexural tests on steel-reinforced, bamboo-reinforced, and hybrid beams to determine first crack load, ultimate failure loads, deflections, flexural strength, and energy absorption capacity under three-point bending. Results indicated that bamboo specimens without nodes exhibited better mechanical properties compared to those with nodes. Flexural tests revealed SRC beams retained 32% of load-carrying capacity after the first crack, while BRC beams retained 14%, and HYB-1 and HYB-2 beams retained 23% and 30%, respectively. The average flexural strength for BRC beams was 82.8% lower than SRC beams, while HYB-1 and HYB-2 showed reductions of 16.9% and 76.1%. The energy absorption capacity of HYB-1 beams was close to SRC beams, with only a 29.1% reduction. These findings suggest that hybrid configurations, particularly HYB-1, balance structural strength and sustainability.

Keywords: Bamboo-reinforced Concrete, Sustainable construction, Flexural Strength, Energy Absorption, Hybrid Reinforcement, Tensile Strength, Compressive Strength

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