Bamboo Scaffolding

Megan Knoch

Background

Loading the Bamboo

Attaching the Strain Gages

EquationsEquations used to get Strain:

Equations for Stress:

Horizontal Steel:Horizontal Bamboo:

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

f(x) = 2.45354909713308 x − 0.00597093881953015R² = 0.99999999860458

f(x) = 0.173735245723063 x + 0.840710788187383R² = 0.994980875918483

f(x) = 9.33671097268518 x + 53.9124200169891R² = 0.996852991182713

Strain vs Load

Horizontal BambooLinear (Hor-izontal Bamboo)

Force (lb)

Stra

in (

mic

rost

rain

)

(Horizontally Loaded)

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

-1000

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

f(x) = 29.0000000000001 xR² = 1f(x) = 2.57655103782419 x − 134.397809240325R² = 0.996852991182713

Stress vs Strain for Horizontal Tubes

Bamboo

Strain (micro-strain)

Stre

ss (

psi)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 800

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

Strain vs Time to Fracture (Dynamic Load-ing)

Time (s)

Stra

in (

mic

rost

rain

)

Jump 1

Jump 2

Jump 3

Jump 4: Frac-ture

Force to Break Bamboo (est.)

Force to Break Steel

Force (lb) 8500 50,000Strain (micro-strain)

360,000 1,300,000

Fracture of Horizontal Bamboo

Conclusion

The force required to break the bamboo is 17% of the force and 28% of the strain required to break the steel.

Vertically loaded bamboo has much lower strain than horizontally loaded steel; would take more force to break than the steel.

Depending on the application and types of forces acting on the scaffolding, bamboo can be used in the place of metal scaffolding

So Which is Better?