The Geometrical Properties of Round Bamboo of Gigantochloa levis and Their Effects on Construction Design

(Sifat Geometri Batang Buluh Gigantochloa levis dan Kesannya terhadap Reka Bentuk Pembinaan)

MOHD JAMIL ABDUL WAHAB* & NOR MARZUINA F.K. NAYSIR

Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109 Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 17 April 2023/Accepted: 20 December 2023

AbstrACT

Round bamboo is reviewed as a highly potential material for building components. However, the assessable data of the geometrical variability of Malaysian bamboos proposed as structural members are greatly lacking. A study was conducted to establish the geometric properties of Gigantochloa levis culms and to derive the important parameters that will affect engineering design. The evaluations were based on the internode length, culm diameter, wall thickness, and the second moment of area with respect to the height of the culm. Most internode sections measured between 35 and 50 cm. An internodal crack could severely change the cross-sectional geometry of the culm. Two major factors concerning culm diameter that need to be considered in the design are diameter shrinkage and taper rate. The diameter of a culm was fairly equal within the height of 1 to 5 m and decreased from 5 m onwards. Upon drying, the culm of the larger diameter tended to shrink more than the smaller one. Thickness irregularity around the circumference of the internode wall was minor. The shrinkage of the internode wall was within 20%. The selection of culms for construction is best between the height of 1 and 5 m whereby the internodal length is more consistent.

Keywords: Beam; column; dimensional measurements; second moment of area; structure

Abstrak

Buluh bulat dikaji sebagai suatu bahan yang amat berpotensi untuk komponen bangunan. Walau bagaimanapun, data keragaman geometri untuk jenis buluh di Malaysia yang dicadangkan untuk kegunaan struktur adalah sangat kurang. Satu kajian telah dijalankan untuk menubuhkan sifat geometri batang buluh Gigantochloa levis dan seterusnya menerbitkan parameter penting yang akan mempengaruhi reka bentuk kejuruteraan. Penilaian dijalankan berdasarkan panjang ruas, diameter batang, tebal dinding dan momen luas kedua, dengan merujuk kepada ketinggian batang. Kebanyakan bahagian ruas berukuran antara 35 hingga 50 cm panjang. Keretakan ruas boleh mengubah geometri keratan rentas batang. Dua faktor utama berkaitan diameter batang buluh yang perlu dititik beratkan dalam reka bentuk adalah pengecutan dan kadar tirus. Diameter batang buluh adalah hampir seragam pada ketinggian 1 hingga 5 m dan berkurang daripada 5 m ke atas. Sewaktu pengeringan, batang buluh yang berdiameter lebih besar mempunyai kecenderungan untuk mengecut dengan peratusan yang lebih tinggi berbanding yang lebih kecil. Kadar ketidakteraturan tebal di sekeliling dinding ruas pula adalah rendah. Kadar pengecutan dinding ruas adalah di bawah 20%. Pemilihan batang buluh untuk tujuan pembinaan adalah paling sesuai pada ketinggian antara 1 hingga 5 meter yang panjang ruasnya adalah lebih seragam.

Kata kunci: Momen luas kedua; pengukuran dimensi; rasuk; struktur; tiang

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*Corresponding author; email: mohdjamil@frim.gov.my

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