Lightweight Bamboo Double Layer Grid

The paper presents the structural and environmentally sustainable aspects of bamboo as a valid construction material. A special PVC joint designed for bamboo double layer grids (DLG) is presented and implemented in a 2.3x2.3x0.9m DLG module. Experimental results obtained from evaluating two bamboo species, proof loading of the proposed PVC joint and loading of the DLG module are presented and compared to numerical predictions. The results indicate that the proposed DLG system can be used in practice for constructing lightweight medium-span bamboo structures with excellent structural, aesthetic and environmental attributes