A STRUCTURAL USE OF RENEWABLE LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIAL

This thesis investigated the structural adequacy of using a renewable lightweight material, bamboo, to construct a commonly used lattice structure, double layer grid, in a dimension of 2.6m x 2.6m x 0.9m. The structural potential of two Australian grown bamboo species, Phyllostachy Pubesecens and Phyllostachy Bambusoides, were conducted through compression, bending and buckling tests. A structurally stronger bamboo specie was then chosen to build the grid and subjected to a total load of 10kN testing. Material elastic geometry non-linear analysis using high order beam-column elements were performed to predict the deformation characteristics of the grid for comparison with test data. An important feature of this project was the development of a lightweight PVC (polyvinyl chloride) joint system, consisted of hub and connector, to connect bamboo members. The designed joint system was simple, efficient in fabrication and assembly, and was economical. Finite element method (FEM) was adopted to establish the detailed configuration of the joint and to perform both material and geometry linear structural analysis. A total of 8 joint prototypes were tested under load cases of tension, compression and bending, and the results were validated with FEM. This thesis proved that Mao Jue was mechanically strong for structural application, and the proposed new joint system worked well with bamboo in the grid