We are proud to present the latest research from our esteemed Bronze Sponsor, FH Aachen – University of Applied Sciences. Their presentation, titled “Enabling the Industrial Application of Full Culm Bamboo,” focuses on pioneering efforts to enhance the use of bamboo as a sustainable engineering material.
Enabling the industrial application of full culm bamboo
Y. Windeln1*, D. Bunse1
1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, University of Applied Sciences Aachen, 52064 Aachen, Germany
*windeln@fh-aachen.de
Thanks to its hollow shape and fibre-matrix material structure bamboo is an excellent light weight engineering material. Combined with the high availability and carbon sequestration potential, it represents a sustainable alternative for non-renewable resources like metals and plastics. The fast-growing plant produces mechanically strong culms with a flexural modulus-to-density ratio similar to steel or aluminium alloys. Existing applications use full culm bamboo as rods or beams in load-bearing structures. Typical examples are handmade construction applications and consumer goods such as bicycles.
However, hardly any industrialized applications of full bamboo culms can be found, especially in Europe. The development of design standards and the cultivation of bamboo in Europe might help to increase the use of bamboo as an engineering material. Regardless, there is a particular lack of scalable processing methods for bamboo culms. This is due to missing quality assurance, reliable handling and load-bearing joining methods for the naturally varying bamboo culms.
In our Research Team Bamboo at the University of Applied Sciences Aachen we focus on these methods and integrate them into a scalable production concept. In three main steps, individual bamboo culms are processed to structures of various bamboo products. In the first step, the unknown geometric properties (outer contour) and the mechanical properties (flexural stiffness) of the bamboo culm are determined by non-contact measuring methods and in a non-destructive 4-point bending test, respectively. In the second step, an algorithm assigns pieces of the measured bamboo culms to their most useful position in the given structures, evaluating factors such as geometry, mechanics and minimum offcuts. In the third step, the cut bamboo pieces are connected to predefined sleeves using a novel plug and adhesive joining method. These sleeves can then be connected to various structures such as furniture, bicycle frames and exhibition stands.
Overall, this study highlights the promising potential of full culm bamboo as a sustainable and versatile material for various engineering applications. With further advancements in design standards, processing techniques, and quality assurance methods, bamboo could become a more mainstream choice in the construction industry.