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?