Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Core Sandwich Panels

Bamboo is a material that has been used in construction for generations. One of the biggest disadvantages to this material is the natural variability, however, there is the potential for it to be used as core material in sandwich panels. Therefore, to maximise bamboo's potential for usage as a structural material and limit the impact of natural variability, bamboo core sandwich panels were developed. The experimental procedure was broken down into 3 stages. The first stage reviewed the impact of different core configurations on the modulus of rupture and compressive strength of sandwich panels produced with plywood as the outer skin and bamboo rings as the core. The second stage took the best configuration from stage 1 and produced a 2m beam to review the mechanical properties and was thereafter compared to a control beam with no bamboo rings. The final stage of the experimental procedure reviewed the compressive strength of the bamboo rings both parallel and perpendicular to the grain to validate the results obtained in stage 1 and 2. Results showed that the core configuration has a big impact on the modulus of ruptures and that there was a clear relationship between density and modulus of rupture. Stiffness of the beams and cubes tested increased as the cross-sectional area of rings increased and allowed for a greater contact area. Finally, the testing of the bamboo rings aligned with results that were expected when testing parallel and perpendicular to the samples, with split bamboo rings producing good strengths in comparison to good rings.