Bamboo culm (structural bamboo)
Natural composite of cellulose fibres in a lignin and parenchyma matrix (culm wall of Dendrocalamus asper)
Bamboo culm is the stem of a bamboo grass.
Evidence level
2 of 5
Lab-measured
- 0Predicted only. No one has made it, or no measurement exists.
- 1Calculated. Only calculated or predicted values from sources.
- 2Lab-measured. Measured properties with their conditions stated.
- 3Space-relevant tests. Measured in conditions relevant to space, such as vacuum or atomic oxygen.
- 4Ground-qualified. Qualified for an application on the ground.
- 5Flown or field-proven. Flight or field results exist.
Stiffness in tension
18140 to 28230 MPa
Tensile strength
193 to 340 MPa
Bending strength
121 to 209 MPa
Bending stiffness
9375 to 14280 MPa
Moisture
8.4 to 11.2 %
Recipe, share of the weight
- not statedCellulose fibres
- not statedLignin matrix
- not statedParenchyma matrix
Best for
Local building where the stem is grown nearby, and fibre composites that use the stem's fibre
Weakest at
Strength and stiffness vary with position in the culm and with moisture; rapid moisture change can cause shrinkage, swelling and layer-bond failure (Javadian et al. 2019)
Risk at a glance
- People Low. Dust can irritate sensitive people
- If it fails Moderate. Dimensional change and layer-bond failure during moisture swings
- Corrosion Moderate. At 45 °C and 80% relative humidity the culm samples held 11.5 to 15.0% moisture, against 8.4 to 11.2% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity.
Quick facts: Bamboo culm (structural bamboo)
| Property | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.71 to 0.94 g/cm³ | 3 sourced values across conditions |
| Tensile strength | 100 to 400 MPa | 5 sourced values across conditions |
| Young's modulus | 5 to 40 GPa | 3 sourced values across conditions |
What is the density of Bamboo culm?
Bamboo culm has a density of 0.71 to 0.94 g/cm³. The range covers 3 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is the tensile strength of Bamboo culm?
Bamboo culm has a tensile strength of 100 to 400 MPa. The range covers 5 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is the Young's modulus of Bamboo culm?
Bamboo culm has a Young's modulus of 5 to 40 GPa. The range covers 3 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is Bamboo culm used for?
Uses recorded in the sources include Small village housing and construction in Java; Bamboo fibre composite reinforcing bar for concrete (laboratory prototype, made from processed fibre, not culm); Strand-woven bamboo flooring (engineered product, not culm).
Why it exists
Bamboo culm is the stem of a bamboo grass, which reaches its full height within a few months (Javadian et al. 2019). It is a natural composite. The paper measures how its density, stiffness and strength change with culm diameter, wall thickness and moisture, so a culm can be judged before it is used in building or in fibre composites.
Where it's used
Local building in Java
The paper says Dendrocalamus asper is widely available in Java and mostly used to build small village houses.
Concrete reinforcement research (fibre composite, not culm)
The same authors made bamboo fibre composite bars and tested them in concrete beams, as a laboratory check of their approach.
Recipe
Natural composite of cellulose fibres in a lignin and parenchyma matrix (culm wall of Dendrocalamus asper); no single chemical formula
Bamboo is a natural composite. Cellulose fibres reinforce a lignin matrix, and the paper says the fibres act like the reinforcement in fibre-reinforced polymer composites (Javadian et al. 2019).
| Ingredient | Share of the weight | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Cellulose fibres | not stated | Carry most of the mechanical load. Their density is higher at the outer wall and at the top of the culm, which raises stiffness and strength there. |
| Lignin matrix | not stated | The matrix the fibres reinforce. Thicker walls carry more lignin relative to fibre, which the paper links to lower stiffness in large culms. |
| Parenchyma matrix | not stated | The tissue in which the vascular bundles sit. The supporting fibres surround the bundles. |
Weight shares are as printed in the sources.
What it can do
Stiffness in tension
18140 to 28230 MPa
measured
In tension, culm samples reached 18,140 to 28,230 MPa, depending on culm class (Table 5).
Tensile strength
193 to 340 MPa
measured
Tensile strength along the fibre ranged from 193 to 340 MPa across culm classes (Table 4).
Bending strength
121 to 209 MPa
measured
Modulus of rupture ranged from 121 to 209 MPa in two-point flexure (Table 6).
Bending stiffness
9375 to 14280 MPa
measured
Modulus of elasticity in flexure ranged from 9,375 to 14,279 MPa (Table 7).
Moisture
8.4 to 11.2 %
measured
Moisture content was 8.4 to 11.2% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity, and 11.5 to 15.0% at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity (Table 2).
How it compares
In Table 8 of Javadian et al. (2019), citing Green et al. (1999), bamboo Petung has a higher mean tensile strength along the fibre than Balau, Sumatran Pine and Indonesian Rosewood. Its mean modulus of elasticity is higher than all three except the top of the Balau range, and its mean modulus of rupture is higher than all of them. The timber figures are not copied into this profile, so read them in the source table.
The same measurements for each material, so you can compare them. Each row names the key condition under the value; the full conditions and methods are in the numbered notes under Technical details.
| Measurement | Bamboo culm (structural bamboo) |
|---|---|
| Physical and electrical | |
| Specific density (oven-dry), range across culm subsections | 0.711 to 0.94 (specific gravity, no unit printed)1 |
| Mean specific density, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | 0.72 to 0.91 (specific gravity, no unit printed)2 |
| Specific gravity, air-dried condition, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms, Dendrocalamus asper) | 0.77 (specific gravity, no unit printed)15 |
| Other measurements | |
| Tensile strength along the fibre, range across culm classes | 193 to 340 MPa3 |
| Mean tensile strength along the fibre, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | 216 to 323 MPa4 |
| Modulus of elasticity in tension, range across culm classes | 18140 to 28230 MPa5 |
| Mean modulus of elasticity, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | 19600 to 26110 MPa6 |
| Modulus of rupture, range across culm classes | 121 to 209 MPa7 |
| Mean modulus of rupture, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | 130 to 205 MPa8 |
| Modulus of elasticity in flexure, range across culm classes | 9375 to 14280 MPa9 |
| Moisture content at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity, range across classes | 8.4 to 11.2 %10 |
| Moisture content at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity, range across classes | 11.5 to 15 %11 |
| Young's modulus, range across radial and longitudinal positions (thesis abstract) | 5 to 40 GPa12 |
| Strength range across radial positions (thesis abstract) | 100 to 400 MPa13 |
| Highest tensile strength quoted for a named species (Bambusa tulda) | 400 MPa14 |
| Moisture content at natural green condition, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms, Dendrocalamus asper)Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis | 46 %16 |
| Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, tangential direction, mean | 2.53 %17 |
| Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, radial direction, mean | 1.35 %18 |
| Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, longitudinal direction, mean | 0.21 %19 |
| Modulus of rupture, mean (static bending, Sweet-Bamboo culms) | 135 MPa20 |
| Modulus of elasticity in static bending, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms)Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis | 13120 MPa21 |
| Tensile stress parallel to grain, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms) | 314 MPa22 |
Why choose it, and why not
Good for
- Local building where the stem is grown nearby, as the paper reports for small houses in Java.
- Fibre composites that use the stem's fibre; the paper's bamboo fibre reinforcement was tested in concrete beams in the laboratory.
Watch out for
- Strength and stiffness fall in thick-walled culms and change from the outer wall to the inner wall.
- Rapid moisture change can cause shrinkage, swelling and layer-bond failure in laminates.
- Laboratory jar tests over 32 weeks gave a maximum mass loss of 8.4% (Coniophora puteana) and 4.6% (Schizophyllum commune) for untreated bamboo, which is a test result and not a durability class.
- No space data, no durability rating and no raw-culm hazard data were found.
The record supports bamboo culm as a structural stem with measured stiffness and strength in the ranges the paper reports. Its values change with culm class and with humidity, so each culm needs grading before use.
Technical details
For scientists and researchers. Everything above comes from the record below: every number with its method, its conditions and its source.
Notes
The method, full conditions and any caveat for the numbered rows above.
| # | Measurement | Method | Conditions | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specific density (oven-dry), range across culm subsections | Measured by the authors on samples from the middle and bottom 1 m subsections of 15 culms, by the standard cited in the paper | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung), Javabasis oven-dry weight divided by the weight of an equal volume of water (the paper's definition); dimensionless, no unit printedtest ASTM D2395-14 as cited by the papermoisture oven-dry | The lowest value (0.711) is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall; the highest (0.940) is class 4 at 6 to 7 mm wall. |
| 2 | Mean specific density, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors | species Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)basis mean specific density compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8; no moisture basis stated | — |
| 3 | Tensile strength along the fibre, range across culm classes | Tensile tests by the authors per ASTM D143-09, one value per culm diameter and wall-thickness class as printed | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)form small clear specimens cut from culm walls, tested along the fibretest ASTM D143-09 small clear specimensmoisture not stated per row; culms as received had 12 to 15% moisture | The lowest value is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall; the highest is class 5 at 8 to 9 mm wall. |
| 4 | Mean tensile strength along the fibre, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors | species Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)basis mean tensile strength along the fibre compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8 | — |
| 5 | Modulus of elasticity in tension, range across culm classes | Tension tests by the authors per ASTM D143-14, one value per culm class as printed | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)mode tension, along the fibretest ASTM D143-14 as cited by the paper | The lowest value is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall; the highest is class 4 at 9 to 10 mm wall. |
| 6 | Mean modulus of elasticity, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors | species Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)basis mean modulus of elasticity compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8; mode not stated in the table | — |
| 7 | Modulus of rupture, range across culm classes | Two-point flexure tests by the authors per ASTM D3043-00(2011), one value per culm class as printed | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)test two-point flexure, ASTM D3043-00(2011) as cited by the paperform culm samples from 1 m subsections | The highest value is class 1 at 6 to 7 mm wall; the lowest is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall. |
| 8 | Mean modulus of rupture, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed) | Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors | species Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)basis mean modulus of rupture compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8 | — |
| 9 | Modulus of elasticity in flexure, range across culm classes | Measured by the authors from the flexure load-deflection curve per ASTM D3043-00(2011) | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)test two-point flexure with mid-span deflection from an extensometer, ASTM D3043-00(2011), room temperature and 65% relative humidity | The highest value is class 2 at 9 to 10 mm wall; the lowest is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall. |
| 10 | Moisture content at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity, range across classes | Measured by the authors on 1 m subsection samples at the stated condition; one value per class as printed | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)condition 20 °C and 65% relative humiditystandard ASTM D4442-07 cited by the paper for moisture content determination | The lowest value is class 2 at 9 to 10 mm wall; the highest is class 3 at 9 to 10 mm wall. |
| 11 | Moisture content at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity, range across classes | Measured by the authors on 1 m subsection samples at the stated condition; one value per class as printed | species Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)condition 45 °C and 80% relative humidity | The paper says this condition was reached after 6 days for walls over 13 mm and after 3 days for walls under 13 mm. |
| 12 | Young's modulus, range across radial and longitudinal positions (thesis abstract) | Range quoted in the abstract of the MIT S.B. thesis; the full thesis PDF was not read in this run | species Not stated in the abstractposition varied radially across the culm wall and along the culmtest tensile tests on culm, per the abstract (the test standard is not given there) | Caveat: the species and specimen form are not stated in the abstract, and the thesis PDF could not be downloaded in this run (HTTP 429), so the detail is unverified. |
| 13 | Strength range across radial positions (thesis abstract) | Range quoted in the abstract of the MIT S.B. thesis; the abstract says that tensile tests were run and that they follow the model trends | species Not stated in the abstractposition varied radially across the culm wallbasis strength as printed in the abstract; the abstract does not name the test | The abstract says strength, not tensile strength. It is read here as tensile strength because the abstract reports tensile tests. |
| 14 | Highest tensile strength quoted for a named species (Bambusa tulda) | Single figure quoted in the Wikipedia article; secondhand, not from a primary test report | species Bambusa tulda (Bangladesh and adjoining India)basis as high as 60,000 psi (400 MPa), as printed; test method and culm position not stated | Secondhand highest figure for one species; not a typical value for culm. |
| 15 | Specific gravity, air-dried condition, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms, Dendrocalamus asper) | Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 Kasetsart University thesis; test standard not given in the abstract | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), four culms from Prachinburi Province, Thailandcondition air-driedbasis specific gravity as printed in the thesis abstract; dimensionless, no unit printed | — |
| 16 | Moisture content at natural green condition, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms, Dendrocalamus asper) | — | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailandcondition natural green, as printed in the abstract | moisture_content is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used. |
| 17 | Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, tangential direction, mean | Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; one of three directions (tangential, radial, longitudinal) | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailanddirection tangentialcondition air-dried, as printed in the abstract (drying from green to air-dried) | linear_shrinkage is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used. |
| 18 | Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, radial direction, mean | Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; one of three directions (tangential, radial, longitudinal) | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailanddirection radialcondition air-dried, as printed in the abstract (drying from green to air-dried) | linear_shrinkage is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used. |
| 19 | Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, longitudinal direction, mean | Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; one of three directions (tangential, radial, longitudinal) | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailanddirection longitudinalcondition air-dried, as printed in the abstract (drying from green to air-dried) | linear_shrinkage is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used. |
| 20 | Modulus of rupture, mean (static bending, Sweet-Bamboo culms) | Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; test standard not given in the abstract | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailandtest static bending, as printed in the abstractbasis mean modulus of rupture; moisture condition for this value not stated separately in the abstract | — |
| 21 | Modulus of elasticity in static bending, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms) | — | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailandtest static bending group in the abstract, printed next to the modulus of rupturebasis mean modulus of elasticity; the abstract prints it in the static bending sentence without a separate test standard | The abstract prints this value in the static bending sentence without naming the test mode separately, so it is read here as the bending modulus. |
| 22 | Tensile stress parallel to grain, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms) | Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; test standard not given in the abstract | species Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailandform tension parallel to grain, as printed in the abstractbasis mean tensile stress parallel to grain | — |
Corrosion and compatibility
What happens when it meets other materials and environments.
| Environment | Concern | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Humid air at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity | moderate | At 45 °C and 80% relative humidity the culm samples held 11.5 to 15.0% moisture, against 8.4 to 11.2% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity.1 |
| Rapid moisture change, wetting and drying | moderate | Rapid moisture change can make bamboo layers shrink or swell, and can cause layer-bond failure.2 |
| Processing and service at moisture above 10% | moderate | The paper recommends moisture below 10% before culm is processed into composites.3 |
| Ground contact or rain, untreated culm | not rated | Wikipedia says untreated bamboo in ground contact or rain breaks down quickly. No decay rate is given.4 |
| Standing culm in the field, fungal colonisation | not rated | Wikipedia reports that fungal growth on culms leads to collapse and decay about 5 to 8 years later.5 |
| Laboratory decay test with the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana, untreated culm sections (Gigantochloa atroviolacea and Phyllostachys pubescens), 32 weeks | moderate | In a 32-week laboratory jar test, untreated bamboo lost up to 8.4% of its mass to the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana.6 |
| Laboratory decay test with the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, untreated culm sections, 32 weeks | low | In the same 32-week test, untreated bamboo lost at most 4.6% of its mass to the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune.7 |
| # | Environment | Details | Test conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Humid air at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity | Moisture content rose in every class at 80% relative humidity. The paper says that condition was reached after 6 days for walls over 13 mm and after 3 days for walls under 13 mm, so thin-walled culms respond faster. | exposure culm samples conditioned at 45 °C and 80% relative humiditysample Dendrocalamus asper, 1 m subsectionsbasis moisture content by class as printed in Table 2 |
| 2 | Rapid moisture change, wetting and drying | The paper says rapid moisture changes can cause severe shrinkage or expansion of bamboo layers, which in laminates or composites can produce layer-bond failure. It cites Lee et al. (1996), Zaidon et al. (2004) and Malanit et al. (2011). The paper gives no shrinkage percentage for the culm. | basis qualitative statement with citations; no test conditions given in the paper |
| 3 | Processing and service at moisture above 10% | The average moisture content of culms selected for processing should fall below 10%, to reduce excessive delamination and long-term degradation of the final composite. The authors dried their fibres in an oven at 80 °C until moisture content was below 10%. | basis recommendation by the authors from their moisture data; no long-term test reported |
| 4 | Ground contact or rain, untreated culm | The article says bamboo exposed to ground contact or rain breaks down just as quickly as incorrectly harvested material, and that durability in construction depends on how well the material is handled. It gives no test standard, time or durability class. | basis general statement in a reference article; no test conditions |
| 5 | Standing culm in the field, fungal colonisation | The article says fungal growth starts on the outside of the culm and, about 5 to 8 years later depending on species and climate, causes the culm to collapse and decay. This is an ecological account, not a durability test. | basis ecological description in a reference article; species and climate not specified in the source |
| 6 | Laboratory decay test with the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana, untreated culm sections (Gigantochloa atroviolacea and Phyllostachys pubescens), 32 weeks | The paper says maximum mass loss of bamboo was 8.4%, and that P. pubescens was more decayed than G. gigantochloa. The paper states that most earlier investigations found bamboo degradation due to white and soft rot fungi, with brown-rot species less aggressive, so this brown-rot result runs against that general pattern in this test. | method vermiculite jar test (fungus cellar and agar tests are separate methods in the paper), 32 weeks at 20±2 °C and 65±5% relative humiditybasis mass loss after 32 weeks of incubation, as printed; not an EN 350 or ISO 22156 durability class |
| 7 | Laboratory decay test with the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, untreated culm sections, 32 weeks | The paper says maximum mass loss of bamboo was only 4.6% for this fungus, and that the paper found this fungus common on bamboo culms during storage and use. The paper also says most investigations found bamboo degradation was caused by white and soft rot fungi. | method vermiculite jar test, 32 weeks at 20±2 °C and 65±5% relative humiditybasis mass loss after 32 weeks of incubation, as printed; not an EN 350 or ISO 22156 durability class |
Risks and side effects
Hazards to people, what happens when a cell overheats, and how the material is handled and stored.
For people
No hazard classification for raw culm was found. The only hazard sheet held is for an engineered bamboo flooring product.
- Dust
- Dust from cutting, sanding or planing can trigger respiratory conditions or allergies, according to the vendor sheet. The sheet prints an OSHA limit of 15 mg/m3 for total dust for the bamboo ingredient.
- Long term
- The same sheet says no tests have shown long-term respiratory effects or cancer from bamboo dust. That is the vendor's statement, not a peer-reviewed finding.
If the culm takes up water
Moisture content tracks humidity, and rapid change can damage layered parts.
- Humid air
- At 45 °C and 80% relative humidity the samples held 11.5 to 15.0% moisture. At 20 °C and 65% relative humidity they held 8.4 to 11.2%.
- Layers
- Rapid moisture change can cause shrinkage or swelling of bamboo layers and layer-bond failure in laminates, the paper says.
- Ground contact
- Wikipedia says untreated bamboo in ground contact or rain breaks down quickly. The article gives no time or decay rate.
Handling and storage
- Moisture before use
- The authors dried their fibres in an oven at 80 °C until moisture content was below 10%.
- Dust
- Where cutting or sanding makes dust, the vendor sheet advises local exhaust and a dust respirator if dust limits are exceeded.
Test details
The original wording and numbers from the sources, for readers who want them.
Failure risks
| Failure | Trigger and consequence |
|---|---|
| Dimensional change and layer-bond failure during moisture swingsmoderate severity | Rapid moisture change from wetting or dryingShrinkage or expansion of bamboo layers, which in laminates or composites can cause layer-bond failure (Javadian et al. 2019, citing earlier work). The paper gives no shrinkage percentage for the culm. |
| Lower strength and stiffness in thick-walled culmsmoderate severity | Culm classes 5 to 7, with thicker wallsThe paper reports that in classes 5 to 7 both tensile strength and modulus of elasticity decrease as wall thickness increases. |
| Fungal decay of untreated culm | Ground contact or rainWikipedia says untreated culm in ground contact or rain breaks down quickly. The article gives no time or decay rate. |
Handling and storage
- Dry processed culm fibre to below 10% moisture before use. The authors oven-dried their fibres at 80 °C until moisture content was below 10%.
- Where cutting or sanding makes dust, use local exhaust or a dust respirator and goggles if dust limits are exceeded. The SDS gives this advice for the flooring product.
- For the finished flooring product, the SDS warns that excessive moisture, condensation or water vapour can cause warping or popping of boards.
Mitigations
- Measure culm geometry and specific density before choosing culm for use. The paper proposes both as rapid, non-destructive quality checks.
Supply and geography
How common the raw materials are and where they come from.
Bamboo, area of bamboo forest and other land by country
FAO reports that bamboo may total more than 36 million hectares worldwide in its 2005 assessment. Asia's reporting countries held 23,620 thousand ha of bamboo forest in 2005, with India at 11,361 thousand ha and China at 5,444 thousand ha.
- Recycling
- Not found in any source we hold.
Bamboo culm, growth and renewal
Javadian et al. say bamboo reaches its full height of 20 to 30 m within only a few months, which makes the stem renewable on a short cycle.
- Recycling
- Not found in any source we hold.
Bamboo production statistics, global and by country
FAO states that bamboo production data are not available at the global level. The only country tonnage on the page is China's dry bamboo shoot output of 858 083 tonnes in 2017, one product category from China's statistical yearbook, not total bamboo culm.
- Recycling
- Not found in any source we hold.
Documents
Datasheets, safety data sheets, papers and standards you can open.
Full record
The complete spore, as stored. Free to reuse under CC-BY-4.0. Images keep the licence shown with each one.
Show the full YAML
spore: profile
id: bamboo
spore_version: 0.2
family: bamboo
name: Bamboo culm (structural bamboo)
role: Structural stem for building, and fibre for fibre-reinforced composites
category: living
type: bio-grown-building-materials
summary: |
Bamboo culm is the stem of a bamboo grass. Measured Petung bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) culms had tensile strength of 193 to 340 MPa along the fibre and a tensile modulus of 18,140 to 28,230 MPa, varying with culm diameter and wall thickness (Javadian et al. 2019). Moisture content moves with humidity, from 8.4 to 11.2% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity, so each culm needs checking before use.
best_for: Local building where the stem is grown nearby, and fibre composites that use the stem's fibre
weakest_at: Strength and stiffness vary with position in the culm and with moisture; rapid moisture change can cause shrinkage, swelling and layer-bond failure (Javadian et al. 2019)
identity:
formula: Natural composite of cellulose fibres in a lignin and parenchyma matrix (culm wall of Dendrocalamus asper); no single chemical formula
source: javadian2019
where: Introduction, microstructure paragraph (cellulose fibres reinforce the lignin matrix)
tags:
applications:
- structures
properties:
- benchmark: density
label: Specific density (oven-dry), range across culm subsections
value: 0.711
value_high: 0.94
bound: range
unit: (specific gravity, no unit printed)
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung), Java
basis: oven-dry weight divided by the weight of an equal volume of water (the paper's definition); dimensionless, no unit printed
test: ASTM D2395-14 as cited by the paper
moisture: oven-dry
method: Measured by the authors on samples from the middle and bottom 1 m subsections of 15 culms, by the standard cited in the paper
status: ground
note: The lowest value (0.711) is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall; the highest (0.940) is class 4 at 6 to 7 mm wall.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 3 (oven-dry SD by culm diameter and wall thickness)
- benchmark: density
label: Mean specific density, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed)
value: 0.72
value_high: 0.91
bound: range
unit: (specific gravity, no unit printed)
scope: material
conditions:
species: Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)
basis: mean specific density compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8; no moisture basis stated
method: Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors
status: ground
source: javadian2019
where: Table 8, row Bamboo Petung, mean specific density
- benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
label: Tensile strength along the fibre, range across culm classes
value: 193
value_high: 340
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)
form: small clear specimens cut from culm walls, tested along the fibre
test: ASTM D143-09 small clear specimens
moisture: not stated per row; culms as received had 12 to 15% moisture
method: Tensile tests by the authors per ASTM D143-09, one value per culm diameter and wall-thickness class as printed
status: ground
note: The lowest value is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall; the highest is class 5 at 8 to 9 mm wall.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 4 (tensile strength by culm diameter and wall thickness)
- benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
label: Mean tensile strength along the fibre, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed)
value: 216
value_high: 323
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)
basis: mean tensile strength along the fibre compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8
method: Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors
status: ground
source: javadian2019
where: Table 8, row Bamboo Petung, mean tensile strength along the fiber
- benchmark: elastic_modulus
label: Modulus of elasticity in tension, range across culm classes
value: 18140
value_high: 28230
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)
mode: tension, along the fibre
test: ASTM D143-14 as cited by the paper
method: Tension tests by the authors per ASTM D143-14, one value per culm class as printed
status: ground
note: The lowest value is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall; the highest is class 4 at 9 to 10 mm wall.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 5 (modulus of elasticity in tension by culm diameter and wall thickness)
- benchmark: elastic_modulus
label: Mean modulus of elasticity, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed)
value: 19600
value_high: 26110
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)
basis: mean modulus of elasticity compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8; mode not stated in the table
method: Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors
status: ground
source: javadian2019
where: Table 8, row Bamboo Petung, mean modulus of elasticity
- benchmark: flexural_strength
label: Modulus of rupture, range across culm classes
value: 121
value_high: 209
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)
test: two-point flexure, ASTM D3043-00(2011) as cited by the paper
form: culm samples from 1 m subsections
method: Two-point flexure tests by the authors per ASTM D3043-00(2011), one value per culm class as printed
status: ground
note: The highest value is class 1 at 6 to 7 mm wall; the lowest is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 6 (MOR by culm diameter and wall thickness)
- benchmark: flexural_strength
label: Mean modulus of rupture, bamboo Petung (Green et al. 1999, as printed)
value: 130
value_high: 205
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Bamboo Petung (Dendrocalamus asper)
basis: mean modulus of rupture compiled from Green et al. (1999) and printed in Table 8
method: Compiled mean printed in Table 8 of the paper; not measured by the authors
status: ground
source: javadian2019
where: Table 8, row Bamboo Petung, mean modulus of rupture (MPa)
- benchmark: flexural_modulus
label: Modulus of elasticity in flexure, range across culm classes
value: 9375
value_high: 14279
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)
test: two-point flexure with mid-span deflection from an extensometer, ASTM D3043-00(2011), room temperature and 65% relative humidity
method: Measured by the authors from the flexure load-deflection curve per ASTM D3043-00(2011)
status: ground
note: The highest value is class 2 at 9 to 10 mm wall; the lowest is class 7 at 19 to 20 mm wall.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 7 (modulus of elasticity in flexure by culm diameter and wall thickness)
- benchmark: moisture_content
label: Moisture content at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity, range across classes
value: 8.4
value_high: 11.2
bound: range
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)
condition: 20 °C and 65% relative humidity
standard: ASTM D4442-07 cited by the paper for moisture content determination
method: Measured by the authors on 1 m subsection samples at the stated condition; one value per class as printed
status: ground
note: The lowest value is class 2 at 9 to 10 mm wall; the highest is class 3 at 9 to 10 mm wall.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 2, column MC at 20 °C with 65% relative humidity
- benchmark: moisture_content
label: Moisture content at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity, range across classes
value: 11.5
value_high: 15
bound: range
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper (bamboo Petung)
condition: 45 °C and 80% relative humidity
method: Measured by the authors on 1 m subsection samples at the stated condition; one value per class as printed
status: ground
note: The paper says this condition was reached after 6 days for walls over 13 mm and after 3 days for walls under 13 mm.
source: javadian2019
where: Table 2, column MC at 45 °C with 80% relative humidity; Results, Moisture Content (MC) paragraph on time to equilibrium
- benchmark: elastic_modulus
label: Young's modulus, range across radial and longitudinal positions (thesis abstract)
value: 5
value_high: 40
bound: range
unit: GPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Not stated in the abstract
position: varied radially across the culm wall and along the culm
test: tensile tests on culm, per the abstract (the test standard is not given there)
method: Range quoted in the abstract of the MIT S.B. thesis; the full thesis PDF was not read in this run
status: ground
note: 'Caveat: the species and specimen form are not stated in the abstract, and the thesis PDF could not be downloaded in this run (HTTP 429), so the detail is unverified.'
source: garcia2011
where: Abstract, sentence on Young's modulus and strength
- benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
label: Strength range across radial positions (thesis abstract)
value: 100
value_high: 400
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Not stated in the abstract
position: varied radially across the culm wall
basis: strength as printed in the abstract; the abstract does not name the test
method: Range quoted in the abstract of the MIT S.B. thesis; the abstract says that tensile tests were run and that they follow the model trends
status: ground
note: The abstract says strength, not tensile strength. It is read here as tensile strength because the abstract reports tensile tests.
source: garcia2011
where: Abstract, sentence on Young's modulus and strength
- benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
label: Highest tensile strength quoted for a named species (Bambusa tulda)
value: 400
bound: exact
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
species: Bambusa tulda (Bangladesh and adjoining India)
basis: as high as 60,000 psi (400 MPa), as printed; test method and culm position not stated
method: Single figure quoted in the Wikipedia article; secondhand, not from a primary test report
status: ground
note: Secondhand highest figure for one species; not a typical value for culm.
source: wikipedia-bamboo
where: Article text on bamboo tensile strength
- benchmark: density
label: Specific gravity, air-dried condition, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms, Dendrocalamus asper)
value: 0.77
unit: (specific gravity, no unit printed)
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), four culms from Prachinburi Province, Thailand
condition: air-dried
basis: specific gravity as printed in the thesis abstract; dimensionless, no unit printed
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 Kasetsart University thesis; test standard not given in the abstract
status: ground
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on moisture content and specific gravity at air-dried condition
- benchmark: moisture_content
label: Moisture content at natural green condition, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms, Dendrocalamus asper)
value: 46
unit: '%'
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
condition: natural green, as printed in the abstract
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis
status: ground
note: moisture_content is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used.
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on moisture content at natural green condition
- benchmark: linear_shrinkage
label: Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, tangential direction, mean
value: 2.53
unit: '%'
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
direction: tangential
condition: air-dried, as printed in the abstract (drying from green to air-dried)
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; one of three directions (tangential, radial, longitudinal)
status: ground
note: linear_shrinkage is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used.
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on shrinkage at air-dried condition
- benchmark: linear_shrinkage
label: Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, radial direction, mean
value: 1.35
unit: '%'
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
direction: radial
condition: air-dried, as printed in the abstract (drying from green to air-dried)
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; one of three directions (tangential, radial, longitudinal)
status: ground
note: linear_shrinkage is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used.
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on shrinkage at air-dried condition
- benchmark: linear_shrinkage
label: Linear shrinkage at air-dried condition, longitudinal direction, mean
value: 0.21
unit: '%'
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
direction: longitudinal
condition: air-dried, as printed in the abstract (drying from green to air-dried)
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; one of three directions (tangential, radial, longitudinal)
status: ground
note: linear_shrinkage is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used.
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on shrinkage at air-dried condition
- benchmark: flexural_strength
label: Modulus of rupture, mean (static bending, Sweet-Bamboo culms)
value: 135
unit: MPa
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
test: static bending, as printed in the abstract
basis: mean modulus of rupture; moisture condition for this value not stated separately in the abstract
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; test standard not given in the abstract
status: ground
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on mean modulus of rupture
- benchmark: flexural_modulus
label: Modulus of elasticity in static bending, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms)
value: 13115
unit: MPa
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
test: static bending group in the abstract, printed next to the modulus of rupture
basis: mean modulus of elasticity; the abstract prints it in the static bending sentence without a separate test standard
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis
status: ground
note: The abstract prints this value in the static bending sentence without naming the test mode separately, so it is read here as the bending modulus.
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on mean modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity
- benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
label: Tensile stress parallel to grain, mean (Sweet-Bamboo culms)
value: 314
unit: MPa
bound: exact
scope: material
conditions:
species: Dendrocalamus asper Backer (Sweet-Bamboo), Thailand
form: tension parallel to grain, as printed in the abstract
basis: mean tensile stress parallel to grain
method: Mean printed in the abstract of the 1997 thesis; test standard not given in the abstract
status: ground
source: parkkeeree1997
where: Abstract, sentence on tensile, compressive and shear stresses parallel to grain
corrosion:
- environment: Humid air at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity
headline: At 45 °C and 80% relative humidity the culm samples held 11.5 to 15.0% moisture, against 8.4 to 11.2% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity.
effect: Moisture content rose in every class at 80% relative humidity. The paper says that condition was reached after 6 days for walls over 13 mm and after 3 days for walls under 13 mm, so thin-walled culms respond faster.
rating: moderate
conditions:
exposure: culm samples conditioned at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity
sample: Dendrocalamus asper, 1 m subsections
basis: moisture content by class as printed in Table 2
source: javadian2019
where: Table 2 and Results, Moisture Content (MC)
- environment: Rapid moisture change, wetting and drying
headline: Rapid moisture change can make bamboo layers shrink or swell, and can cause layer-bond failure.
effect: The paper says rapid moisture changes can cause severe shrinkage or expansion of bamboo layers, which in laminates or composites can produce layer-bond failure. It cites Lee et al. (1996), Zaidon et al. (2004) and Malanit et al. (2011). The paper gives no shrinkage percentage for the culm.
rating: moderate
conditions:
basis: qualitative statement with citations; no test conditions given in the paper
source: javadian2019
where: Introduction, paragraph on water absorption and dimensional stability
- environment: Processing and service at moisture above 10%
headline: The paper recommends moisture below 10% before culm is processed into composites.
effect: The average moisture content of culms selected for processing should fall below 10%, to reduce excessive delamination and long-term degradation of the final composite. The authors dried their fibres in an oven at 80 °C until moisture content was below 10%.
rating: moderate
conditions:
basis: recommendation by the authors from their moisture data; no long-term test reported
source: javadian2019
where: Results, Moisture Content (MC), closing paragraph; Bamboo Composite Fabrication Using Material Correlation Relationships
- environment: Ground contact or rain, untreated culm
headline: Wikipedia says untreated bamboo in ground contact or rain breaks down quickly. No decay rate is given.
effect: The article says bamboo exposed to ground contact or rain breaks down just as quickly as incorrectly harvested material, and that durability in construction depends on how well the material is handled. It gives no test standard, time or durability class.
rating: unknown
conditions:
basis: general statement in a reference article; no test conditions
source: wikipedia-bamboo
where: Cultivation, leaching section
- environment: Standing culm in the field, fungal colonisation
headline: Wikipedia reports that fungal growth on culms leads to collapse and decay about 5 to 8 years later.
effect: The article says fungal growth starts on the outside of the culm and, about 5 to 8 years later depending on species and climate, causes the culm to collapse and decay. This is an ecological account, not a durability test.
rating: unknown
conditions:
basis: ecological description in a reference article; species and climate not specified in the source
source: wikipedia-bamboo
where: Ecology section
- environment: Laboratory decay test with the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana, untreated culm sections (Gigantochloa atroviolacea and Phyllostachys pubescens), 32 weeks
headline: In a 32-week laboratory jar test, untreated bamboo lost up to 8.4% of its mass to the brown-rot fungus Coniophora puteana.
effect: The paper says maximum mass loss of bamboo was 8.4%, and that P. pubescens was more decayed than G. gigantochloa. The paper states that most earlier investigations found bamboo degradation due to white and soft rot fungi, with brown-rot species less aggressive, so this brown-rot result runs against that general pattern in this test.
rating: moderate
conditions:
method: vermiculite jar test (fungus cellar and agar tests are separate methods in the paper), 32 weeks at 20±2 °C and 65±5% relative humidity
basis: mass loss after 32 weeks of incubation, as printed; not an EN 350 or ISO 22156 durability class
source: wei2013
where: Results, paragraph on mass loss by Coniophora puteana (Figure 4)
- environment: Laboratory decay test with the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, untreated culm sections, 32 weeks
headline: In the same 32-week test, untreated bamboo lost at most 4.6% of its mass to the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune.
effect: The paper says maximum mass loss of bamboo was only 4.6% for this fungus, and that the paper found this fungus common on bamboo culms during storage and use. The paper also says most investigations found bamboo degradation was caused by white and soft rot fungi.
rating: low
conditions:
method: vermiculite jar test, 32 weeks at 20±2 °C and 65±5% relative humidity
basis: mass loss after 32 weeks of incubation, as printed; not an EN 350 or ISO 22156 durability class
source: wei2013
where: Results, paragraph on mass loss by Schizophyllum commune (Figure 3); Introduction
risks:
hazards:
- text: Dust from cutting, sanding, planing or drilling is the main health concern in the vendor SDS for a bamboo strand flooring product. The SDS says dust can trigger respiratory conditions or pre-existing allergies.
ghs: []
source: ambient-msds
where: Sections III and IV (hazard identification and first aid)
- text: The same SDS says bamboo dust can cause respiratory difficulties, nasal irritation, cough or sneezing in sensitive people, and that no tests have shown long-term respiratory effects or cancer from bamboo dust.
ghs: []
source: ambient-msds
where: Sections III and IV
- text: The SDS prints an OSHA PEL-TWA of 15 mg/m3 for total dust for the bamboo ingredient, which is 94 to 95% of that product.
ghs: []
source: ambient-msds
where: Section II (ingredients)
failure_risks:
- mode: Dimensional change and layer-bond failure during moisture swings
trigger: Rapid moisture change from wetting or drying
consequence: Shrinkage or expansion of bamboo layers, which in laminates or composites can cause layer-bond failure (Javadian et al. 2019, citing earlier work). The paper gives no shrinkage percentage for the culm.
severity: moderate
source: javadian2019
where: Introduction, paragraph on water absorption and dimensional stability
- mode: Lower strength and stiffness in thick-walled culms
trigger: Culm classes 5 to 7, with thicker walls
consequence: The paper reports that in classes 5 to 7 both tensile strength and modulus of elasticity decrease as wall thickness increases.
severity: moderate
source: javadian2019
where: Results, Modulus of Elasticity in Tension, and Table 4
- mode: Fungal decay of untreated culm
trigger: Ground contact or rain
consequence: Wikipedia says untreated culm in ground contact or rain breaks down quickly. The article gives no time or decay rate.
source: wikipedia-bamboo
where: Cultivation, leaching section
handling:
- text: Dry processed culm fibre to below 10% moisture before use. The authors oven-dried their fibres at 80 °C until moisture content was below 10%.
source: javadian2019
where: Bamboo Composite Fabrication Using Material Correlation Relationships
- text: Where cutting or sanding makes dust, use local exhaust or a dust respirator and goggles if dust limits are exceeded. The SDS gives this advice for the flooring product.
source: ambient-msds
where: Sections VI and VIII
- text: For the finished flooring product, the SDS warns that excessive moisture, condensation or water vapour can cause warping or popping of boards.
source: ambient-msds
where: Section X (stability and reactivity)
mitigations:
- text: Measure culm geometry and specific density before choosing culm for use. The paper proposes both as rapid, non-destructive quality checks.
source: javadian2019
where: Abstract
uses:
- application: structures
device: Small village housing and construction in Java
example: The paper says Dendrocalamus asper is widely available in Java and mostly used for construction of small housing in local villages.
source: javadian2019
where: Materials and Methods, Bamboo Species
- application: structures
device: Bamboo fibre composite reinforcing bar for concrete (laboratory prototype, made from processed fibre, not culm)
example: The authors bonded processed bamboo fibre bundles in epoxy and tested the bars in pull-out and beam tests, to validate the approach for structural concrete.
source: javadian2019
where: Section Bamboo Composite Fabrication, and Table 13
- application: structures
device: Strand-woven bamboo flooring (engineered product, not culm)
example: The vendor SDS covers prefinished solid strand woven bamboo flooring for residential and commercial indoor use.
source: ambient-msds
where: Section I (product identification and applications)
supply:
- subject: Bamboo, area of bamboo forest and other land by country
abundance: FAO reports that bamboo may total more than 36 million hectares worldwide in its 2005 assessment. Asia's reporting countries held 23,620 thousand ha of bamboo forest in 2005, with India at 11,361 thousand ha and China at 5,444 thousand ha.
producers: []
critical_lists: []
recycling: Not found in any source we hold.
substitutes: []
source: fao2007
where: Table 4 (extent of bamboo forest by country, 2005 column) and the text before it
- subject: Bamboo culm, growth and renewal
abundance: Javadian et al. say bamboo reaches its full height of 20 to 30 m within only a few months, which makes the stem renewable on a short cycle.
producers: []
critical_lists: []
recycling: Not found in any source we hold.
substitutes: []
source: javadian2019
where: Introduction, first paragraph
- subject: Bamboo production statistics, global and by country
abundance: FAO states that bamboo production data are not available at the global level. The only country tonnage on the page is China's dry bamboo shoot output of 858 083 tonnes in 2017, one product category from China's statistical yearbook, not total bamboo culm.
producers: []
critical_lists: []
recycling: Not found in any source we hold.
substitutes: []
source: fao-bamboo-stats
where: Statistics page, paragraphs on global production data and on China's dry bamboo shoots
media: []
documents:
- title: Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Through Measurement of Culm Physical Properties for Composite Fabrication of Structural Concrete Reinforcement (Frontiers in Materials 6:15, open access)
type: paper
url: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/articles/10.3389/fmats.2019.00015/pdf
year: 2019
- title: Radial and longitudinal variation of the mechanical properties of bamboo (MIT S.B. thesis, DSpace record)
type: paper
url: https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/101858
year: 2011
- title: World bamboo resources (FAO Non-Wood Forest Products 18)
type: report
url: https://www.fao.org/4/a1243e/a1243e00.pdf
year: 2007
- title: 'Material Safety Data Sheet: Strand Bamboo (Ambient Bamboo Floors, prefinished solid strand woven bamboo flooring)'
type: sds
url: https://www.ambientbp.com/pdf/MSDS_StrandBamboo.pdf
- title: Method to test fungal degradation of bamboo and wood using vermiculite as reservoir for moisture and nutrients (Wei, Schmidt and Liese; Maderas. Ciencia y Tecnologia 15(3), open access)
type: paper
url: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/485/48528861008.pdf
year: 2013
- title: Physical and mechanical properties of wood from sweet bamboo culms (Dendrocalamus asper Backer), Kasetsart University thesis, abstract read on AGRIS
type: report
url: https://agris.fao.org/search/en/records/6472350208fd68d546000dc7
year: 1997
- title: Bamboo production statistics, Non-Wood Forest Products statistics page (FAO)
type: database
url: https://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/statistics/bamboo/en
gaps:
- No space-environment data (vacuum, radiation, atomic oxygen, UV, thermal cycling, outgassing) for bamboo culm in any source read in this run. No flight or ground test found.
- Durability classes for untreated culm against decay fungi and powder-post beetles (for example EN 350 or ISO 22156 classes) not read. The ResearchGate and ScienceDirect pages returned HTTP 403.
- 24-hour water absorption and thickness swelling for untreated raw culm not found in an open source we could read. The open Dendrocalamus asper papers found report treated or densified samples only.
- Shrinkage is known only from the 1997 Thai thesis abstract, which measures air-dried wood from sweet bamboo culms (tangential 2.53%, radial 1.35%, longitudinal 0.21%). The thesis full text was not readable, and the Frontiers paper states the moisture effect but gives no shrinkage number.
- Country production shares not found. FAO 2007 gives bamboo area, not production, and the FAO statistics page says bamboo production data are not available at the global level. Web search snippets with production shares conflicted and were not used.
- Durability class for untreated culm (EN 350, EN 113 class or ISO 22156) not found. The Wei et al. (2013) jar test gives mass loss after 32 weeks for two bamboo species, not a durability class. Search snippets that report a six-year ground-contact trial were not read in full and are not used.
- Critical-mineral lists (USGS, EU) not checked. Bamboo is a plant, not a mineral, so no list entry was read.
- Recycling and end-of-life not found in any source we hold.
- No hazard classification for raw culm (SDS or GHS) found. The only hazard data are a vendor SDS for an engineered strand-bamboo flooring product, and the dust limit and sensitisation statements come from that product.
- The MIT thesis PDF could not be downloaded in this run (HTTP 429). Only the abstract on the DSpace record was read, so the species, specimen form and test standard for the 5 to 40 GPa and 100 to 400 MPa ranges are unverified.
- Data for Dendrocalamus asper (Petung) come from one paper and a 1997 thesis abstract (Thai sweet bamboo, same species name). The thesis full text and the Hamburg dissertation on D. asper were not readable in this run (HTTP 403). Other bamboo species are not covered, apart from the single Bambusa tulda figure in Wikipedia, which has no test details.
- Thermal properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat, thermal expansion) not found in any source read in this run.
- Powder-post beetle attack and treatment performance not read in a fetched source. Search snippets on beetle attack and borate treatment were not verified.
- The bamboo fibre epoxy composite data in Javadian et al. (Tables 11 and 13) describe a composite, not the culm, and are left out of the culm properties.
- moisture_content is not a canonical name in spores/property-canon.yaml, so the snake_case name is used.
sources:
javadian2019:
title: Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Through Measurement of Culm Physical Properties for Composite Fabrication of Structural Concrete Reinforcement
id: doi:10.3389/fmats.2019.00015 (Front. Mater. 6:15)
url: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/articles/10.3389/fmats.2019.00015/pdf
year: 2019
kind: paper
license: CC BY (as published by Frontiers; not reproduced here)
garcia2011:
title: Radial and longitudinal variation of the mechanical properties of bamboo (S.B. thesis, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MIT)
id: MIT DSpace handle 1721.1/101858
url: https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/101858
year: 2011
kind: report
license: MIT DSpace record (abstract read; full PDF not read in this run)
fao2007:
title: World bamboo resources (FAO Non-Wood Forest Products 18, thematic study for the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005)
id: FAO NWFP 18 (a1243e)
url: https://www.fao.org/4/a1243e/a1243e00.pdf
year: 2007
kind: report
license: FAO publication, cited not reproduced
wikipedia-bamboo:
title: Bamboo (Wikipedia article, en.wikipedia.org)
id: Wikipedia article, read 2026-11-01; not a primary source
url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo
kind: web
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)
ambient-msds:
title: 'Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): Strand Bamboo, prefinished solid strand woven bamboo flooring (Ambient Bamboo Floors)'
id: Vendor SDS, undated; covers an engineered flooring product
url: https://www.ambientbp.com/pdf/MSDS_StrandBamboo.pdf
kind: datasheet
license: supplier document, cited not reproduced
wei2013:
title: Method to test fungal degradation of bamboo and wood using vermiculite as reservoir for moisture and nutrients
id: doi:10.4067/S0718-221X2013005000027 (Maderas. Cienc. Tecnol. 15(3):349-356)
url: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/485/48528861008.pdf
year: 2013
kind: paper
license: Open access journal article (Redalyc); cited not reproduced
parkkeeree1997:
title: Physical and mechanical properties of wood from sweet bamboo culms (Dendrocalamus asper Backer), Kasetsart University thesis
id: AGRIS record 6472350208fd68d546000dc7 (thesis, 89 leaves); full text not readable in this run
url: https://agris.fao.org/search/en/records/6472350208fd68d546000dc7
year: 1997
kind: report
license: AGRIS bibliographic record (abstract read); cited not reproduced
fao-bamboo-stats:
title: Bamboo production statistics, Non-Wood Forest Products statistics page (FAO)
id: FAO NWFP statistics, bamboo page (no date printed on the page)
url: https://www.fao.org/forestry/nwfp/statistics/bamboo/en
kind: web
license: FAO web page, cited not reproduced
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-11-01'
review:
status: draft
method: assistant
checked_values: 22
unreachable: 0
caveats: 4
note: 'Written 2026-11-01 by an AI assistant from pages fetched in this run: the Frontiers PDF (text and tables read with pdftotext), the FAO PDF, the MIT DSpace abstract, the Wikipedia article and a vendor SDS. Deepened 2026-11-02 with the Redalyc PDF (Wei et al. 2013, decay test mass loss), the AGRIS abstract of a 1997 Thai thesis on D. asper culm wood, and the FAO bamboo statistics page. Values copied as printed. verify-values found all 22 values in their cited sources. The MIT thesis PDF was rate-limited, so only its abstract was read.'
story:
recipe:
line: Bamboo is a natural composite. Cellulose fibres reinforce a lignin matrix, and the paper says the fibres act like the reinforcement in fibre-reinforced polymer composites (Javadian et al. 2019).
parts:
- name: Cellulose fibres
role: Carry most of the mechanical load. Their density is higher at the outer wall and at the top of the culm, which raises stiffness and strength there.
source: javadian2019
where: Introduction, microstructure paragraph; Results, Modulus of Rupture
- name: Lignin matrix
role: The matrix the fibres reinforce. Thicker walls carry more lignin relative to fibre, which the paper links to lower stiffness in large culms.
source: javadian2019
where: Results, Modulus of Elasticity in Tension
- name: Parenchyma matrix
role: The tissue in which the vascular bundles sit. The supporting fibres surround the bundles.
source: javadian2019
where: Introduction, microstructure paragraph
risk_groups:
- title: For people
level: 1
verdict: Dust can irritate sensitive people
lead: No hazard classification for raw culm was found. The only hazard sheet held is for an engineered bamboo flooring product.
points:
- label: Dust
line: Dust from cutting, sanding or planing can trigger respiratory conditions or allergies, according to the vendor sheet. The sheet prints an OSHA limit of 15 mg/m3 for total dust for the bamboo ingredient.
- label: Long term
line: The same sheet says no tests have shown long-term respiratory effects or cancer from bamboo dust. That is the vendor's statement, not a peer-reviewed finding.
- title: If the culm takes up water
level: 2
verdict: Moisture changes dimensions
lead: Moisture content tracks humidity, and rapid change can damage layered parts.
points:
- label: Humid air
line: At 45 °C and 80% relative humidity the samples held 11.5 to 15.0% moisture. At 20 °C and 65% relative humidity they held 8.4 to 11.2%.
- label: Layers
line: Rapid moisture change can cause shrinkage or swelling of bamboo layers and layer-bond failure in laminates, the paper says.
- label: Ground contact
line: Wikipedia says untreated bamboo in ground contact or rain breaks down quickly. The article gives no time or decay rate.
- title: Handling and storage
points:
- label: Moisture before use
line: The authors dried their fibres in an oven at 80 °C until moisture content was below 10%.
- label: Dust
line: Where cutting or sanding makes dust, the vendor sheet advises local exhaust and a dust respirator if dust limits are exceeded.
why: Bamboo culm is the stem of a bamboo grass, which reaches its full height within a few months (Javadian et al. 2019). It is a natural composite. The paper measures how its density, stiffness and strength change with culm diameter, wall thickness and moisture, so a culm can be judged before it is used in building or in fibre composites.
uses:
- where: Local building in Java
line: The paper says Dendrocalamus asper is widely available in Java and mostly used to build small village houses.
- where: Concrete reinforcement research (fibre composite, not culm)
line: The same authors made bamboo fibre composite bars and tested them in concrete beams, as a laboratory check of their approach.
can_do:
- label: Stiffness in tension
benchmark: elastic_modulus
line: In tension, culm samples reached 18,140 to 28,230 MPa, depending on culm class (Table 5).
- label: Tensile strength
benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
line: Tensile strength along the fibre ranged from 193 to 340 MPa across culm classes (Table 4).
- label: Bending strength
benchmark: flexural_strength
line: Modulus of rupture ranged from 121 to 209 MPa in two-point flexure (Table 6).
- label: Bending stiffness
benchmark: flexural_modulus
line: Modulus of elasticity in flexure ranged from 9,375 to 14,279 MPa (Table 7).
- label: Moisture
benchmark: moisture_content
line: Moisture content was 8.4 to 11.2% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity, and 11.5 to 15.0% at 45 °C and 80% relative humidity (Table 2).
compare: In Table 8 of Javadian et al. (2019), citing Green et al. (1999), bamboo Petung has a higher mean tensile strength along the fibre than Balau, Sumatran Pine and Indonesian Rosewood. Its mean modulus of elasticity is higher than all three except the top of the Balau range, and its mean modulus of rupture is higher than all of them. The timber figures are not copied into this profile, so read them in the source table.
compare_rows:
- label: Specific density (oven-dry, range)
benchmark: density
- label: Tensile strength along the fibre
benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
- label: Modulus of elasticity in tension
benchmark: elastic_modulus
handling:
- Dry culm fibre to below 10% moisture before processing, as the paper recommends.
- Use dust control and a dust respirator where cutting or sanding makes dust (vendor sheet).
- Keep finished bamboo products dry, because excessive moisture can warp or pop boards (sheet for the flooring product).
good_for:
- Local building where the stem is grown nearby, as the paper reports for small houses in Java.
- Fibre composites that use the stem's fibre; the paper's bamboo fibre reinforcement was tested in concrete beams in the laboratory.
watch_out:
- Strength and stiffness fall in thick-walled culms and change from the outer wall to the inner wall.
- Rapid moisture change can cause shrinkage, swelling and layer-bond failure in laminates.
- Laboratory jar tests over 32 weeks gave a maximum mass loss of 8.4% (Coniophora puteana) and 4.6% (Schizophyllum commune) for untreated bamboo, which is a test result and not a durability class.
- No space data, no durability rating and no raw-culm hazard data were found.
verdict: The record supports bamboo culm as a structural stem with measured stiffness and strength in the ranges the paper reports. Its values change with culm class and with humidity, so each culm needs grading before use.
References
Every number above carries a reference number. Click one to see the source and where in it the value comes from.
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