Performance assessment on bamboo reinforced concrete beams

摘要

In the current sustainable development, there is another interest in the utilization of bamboo for modern structures due to the ease of recyclability, low-cost and high strength to weight ratio. This experimental work focuses on material optimization and reduces its construction cost by introducing bamboo bars as reinforcement using the new interlocking technique as an alternative to steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete beams. This paper presents the experimental investigation on flexural behavior of concrete beams reinforced with bamboo bars. The flexural behavior is investigated based on load carrying capacity, deflection, failure pattern and ductility. Totally, four concrete beams were casted in the entire investigation. The beams were designated such as the bamboo bars partially replaced for steel reinforcements (bamboo bars used at compression zone-hanger bars only) was PRS-BRC, the bamboo bars fully replaced for steel reinforcements (bamboo bars used as main bars, hanger bars and stirrups) was FRS-BRC, beam having conventional steel reinforcement as RCC and plain cement concrete beam as PCC. The beams were tested under pure bending test up to failure. The load capacity, first crack load, deflection, crack pattern, and ductility of bamboo reinforced beams were compared to RCC and PCC beam. First crack load and ultimate load of FRS-BRC beam was found closer to RCC control beam, which is 2.81% and 3.17% lesser compared to RCC control beam. So, the load carrying capacity of FRS-BRC beam was closer to RCC control beam and PRS-BRC beam. The deflection of FRS-BRC beam was reduced over RCC control beam. The percentage enhancement ductility is 3.29 in FRS-BRC beam over PRS-BRC beam. The observed mode of failure in all the beams was same, and the propagation of cracks was slightly different.