Determination of the physical and mechanical properties of moso, guadua and oldhamii bamboo assisted by robotic fabrication

The large-scale urbanisation taking place in the developing world requires the construction industry to adopt alternative non-conventional renewable materials to reduce the unsustainable level of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of industrialised building materials. Bamboo is one of the most promising non-conventional building materials endemic to most developing countries, but there is still insufficient consistent information on the physical and mechanical properties of the numerous species suitable for construction. This study shows the potential of robotic fabrication to accelerate testing programmes on small clear samples of bamboo required to compare physical and mechanical properties across different species and differing plantation management practices. This fabrication method is applied on an experimental testing programme to determine the characteristic values of density, compressive strength, elastic modulus and shear strength of Phyllostachys pubescens (moso), Guadua angustifolia Kunth (guadua) and Guadua angustifolia (oldhamii). The efficient development of comprehensive experimental datasets of clear samples of bamboo is fundamental to inform the development of future design guidelines for bamboo as a construction material.