J. Bamboo and Rattan, Vol. 13, Nos. 3&4, pp.

81-89 (2014)
Special Issue: Proc. First Bamboo Colloquium, Kumasi, Ghana, April, 2014
c KFRI 2014

Investigating the mechanical properties of some bamboo

species for efficient utilization in Ghana

E. Appiah-Kubi*, F. W. Owusu, S. L. Tekpetey, C. Essien, and H. Seidu

CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Fumesua-Kumasi

Abstract: The use of bamboo is advocated to reduce pressure on dwindling commercial timber species,
around the world. To extensively utilize bamboo in various forms such as housing, their properties need to
be known. But little information exist on these properties especially their mechanical properties. In this
study, the mechanical properties viz. static bending strength (MOR), Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) and
compressive strength, of laminated bamboo boards produced from three plantation managed bamboo
species namely Bambusa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus brandisii and Guadua chacoensis were determined.
The bamboo species were obtained from Kade which is located at the moist semi-deciduous ecological
zone in Ghana. The bamboo culms were prepared and glued into boards after they were air dried to about
13% moisture content. The lamination was done with three different glue types available on the Ghanaian
market. The test specimens were prepared as required by the British Standard BS 373:1957. Tests
revealed that Bambusa vulgaris laminated with a 5-minute hardening polyurethane adhesive had a mean
MOR of 62.58N/mm2 and MOE of 9915 N/mm2. Dendrocalamus brandisii laminated boards had mean
MOR of 99.73N/mm2 and MOE of 11594 N/mm2. Guadua chacoensis with the same adhesive had a mean
MOR of 80.25N/mm2 and MOE 7861N/mm2. The laminated boards from these three species exhibited
properties that make it suitable to be used as boards for housing.

Key words: strength properties, bamboo species, utilization, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity

INTRODUCTION

Bamboo has a lot of features that differ from the other woody plants and grasses
(Yulong, 2001). The strength of bamboo, its lightness, straightness, flexibility, extra-
ordinary hardness, range in size, abundance and ease of propagation make it suitable
for a variety of purposes and hundreds of different end- uses (Jayanetti, 2001). It is a
viable alternative to the dwindling tropical timber resources that are used for furniture
and building/construction. It is one of the strongest plant-based building materials, and
there are bamboo structures that have been in existence for hundreds of years. The
properties of the bamboo plant are advantageous especially in tensile and bending
strength where they supersede man-made materials (Dunkelberg, 1985; Schaur, 1985;
Hidalgo, 1996). The hollow tube shape gives a strength factor of almost two times
more than a solid wood beam. Some species of bamboo have twice the compression
strength of concrete and roughly the same strength-to-weight ratio of steel (Hidalgo,
1996; Adewuyi et al., 2015). Bamboo as a building material in comparison with
* To whom correspondence should be addresses: [email protected] / [email protected]
82 Journal of Bamboo and Rattan

concrete, steel and wood has four major advantages according to Janssen (1987).
These include the energy needed for production of structures, safety of material in
construction, of which bamboo is next to steel, strength and stiffness per unit area of
material and the ease of production of material.

Ghana is endowed with vast areas of natural bamboo resources and has formed part of
everyday lives of the rural people. Ghana is reported to have about 200,000 ha of
bamboo land (UNIDO, 2001). Some of the common species available include
Bambusa vulgaris, B.vulgaris var. vittata, Dendrocalamus strictus, B. bambos and
Oxytenanthera abyssinica. These bamboo species occur mainly in the wild mostly the
wet and moist evergreen; the dry and moist semi-deciduous forests of Ghana (Hall and
Swaine, 1981). They are also found in river catchment areas and are mainly used for
fences, scaffolding, ladders, musical instruments, baskets, construction of barns and
huts, etc. The species has an enormous potential for alleviating both environmental
and housing problems facing Ghanaians.

Lack of knowledge on the properties of bamboo species and the low level of
processing has hindered its extensive use especially as building and construction
material in Ghana. The government of Ghana was seeking to ensure that by the year
2015 at least sixty percent of materials used in the building and construction industry
would be indigenous raw materials (MESTI, 2011). As part of the housing policy
programme on the utilization of local building material, the technological properties
of bamboo and some selected lesser utilised timber species for housing needed to be
established. Over the years, few studies have been conducted on some bamboo species
in Ghana. Ebanyele & Oteng-Amoako (2007) and Tekpetey et al. (2007) have worked
on selected physical and morphological properties of bamboo species in Ghana.
Essien et al. (2011) also worked on the susceptibility of bamboo to termite and fungi
decay. Although bamboos have been used in various forms for a long time, knowledge
on their physical and mechanical properties is scarce (Lwin et al., 2006). Information
on these properties is of utmost importance especially its use as structural elements in
construction and furniture where strength and stiffness are warranted. Over the years,
several bamboo species have been introduced to diversify and expand its utility. These
species including Dendrocalamus membranaceus, B. heterostachya, D.barbatus,
Guadua chacoensis and D. brandisii are performing well in plantation trials.

The main objective of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of
laminated bamboo species using adhesives available on the Ghanaian market. The
study of these properties would enhance the promotion and utilization of bamboo as
construction materials in Ghana.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Feasibility studies

Desk study was undertaken to identify sites in six regions in Ghana where bamboo
species are grown both in the natural and plantations, and the types of bamboo species.
 Journal of Bamboo and Rattan 83

This made it possible for some bamboo sites to be selected for the reconnaissance
study. One of the bamboo plantations is located at Kade in the Kwaebibirem District,
Eastern Region of Ghana. Its geographical coordinates are 6° 5' 0" North, 0° 50' 0"
West. The plantation was set up by the Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) of the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in the moist semi-deciduous
ecological zone. An assessment was carried out at the plantation to identify the species;
their availability and conditions of the stands/clumps and culms. Based on this, three
species were selected for the study.
Extraction of selected bamboo species

The selected bamboo species include the following: Dendrocalamus brandisii,

Bambusa vulgaris and Guadua chacoensis. For each species five bamboo culms from
different clumps of the selected bamboo species were harvested at the age of 7 years. A
mini-chainsaw and a cutlass were used in extracting the culms. Each culm was
measured for its length. Depending upon the full length of the culms, it was cross-cut
into two parts as bottom and top and were labeled. This was done for easy
identification of the various culms and their parts during processing. Prophylactic
treatment was done by brushing culm ends as well as other exposed surfaces with
preservatives (Dursban) to prevent fungi and borers (insects) attack. The materials
were then transported to woodworking laboratory at CSIR-FORIG for further
processing into various sample sizes for testing.
Processing of Culms

A circular saw, Wadkin AGS 250/300 – Tilting Arbor Saw bench was used in ripping
the bamboo culms. The bamboo culms were ripped into four to six pieces depending
upon their diameters to facilitate drying of the samples. These were dipped into a
mixture of chemical preservative (Dursban) and water in a container for treatment in
batches for five to ten minutes, and stacked to permit air drying after the excess
solution was allowed to drain off. When the moisture content of 18% and below were
attained, all the stacked bamboo strips were further ripped into smaller strips to make
them easier for planing and production of laminated boards.
Lamination of bamboo strips and preparation of samples

The lamination technique investigated by Sulastiningsih and Nurwati (2009) and

Rittironk and Elnieiri (2007) was adapted for the lamination of bamboo. The bamboo
culms were split into slender strips and all the surfaces of the strips were scraped and
planed to remove wax and silica. The strips were finally planed to rectangular cross
sections. The strips were air-dried to moisture content of about 13%. The adhesive was
then applied to the strips and neatly placed on top of one another. Strips of 5 or 6 were
then clamped together to form bigger planks of 25 mm x 30 mm cross sections.
Lamination was done using three different types of adhesives: Polyvinyl acetate
emulsion white wood glue (PVA), Formaldehyde based adhesive resin, WoodChem
(FWC) and 5-minute curing Polyurethane wood adhesive (5PU). Samples for the
84 Journal of Bamboo and Rattan

mechanical tests were then prepared based on dimensions prescribed by the BS

373:1957. The tests were carried out using an 'Instron' Universal Testing Machine.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Tables 1 and 2 show the mean values of the machanical properties tested.
Dendrocalamus brandisii (DB) had the highest mean MOR of 99.73 N/mm2 with the
application of the polyurethane glue and Bambusa vulgaris (BV) had the least mean
MOR with the application of the same glue. Bambusa vulgaris recorded a good mean
MOR of 94.3 N/mm2 with the application of the polyvinyl acetate white glue and 91.54
N/mm2 with the use of the formaldehyde adhesive. Guadua chacoensis seemed to have
consistent results with all the 3 different adhesives. For PVA and FWC, which are
available and popular in the Ghanaian market, Bambusa vulgaris recorded the best
results in terms of the MOR (Figure 1).

Dendrocalamus brandisii had the highest mean MOE of 11797 N/mm2 with the
application of the formaldehyde adhesive whilst Guadua chacoensis had the least
MOE of 7861 N/mm with the application of the PVA (Figure 2). The mean MOE
2

results of Bambusa vulgaris were consistent for all the three different adhesives [9794
– 9923 N/mm2]. With the application of the PVA and FWC adhesives, which are
readily available in the Ghanaian market, Dendrocalamus brandisii recorded the best
mean MOE results.

Literature reveals that species features have effect on the properties of bamboo
(Liese,1998). Among the species sampled in this research, D. brandisii , a sympodial
bamboo and exotic to Ghana, is reported to produces one of the strongest and largest of
bamboo used for construction. The highest value of strength properties for D.brandisii

Table 1: Mean Modulus of rupture (MOR) and Modulus of elasticity (MOE) values for the species with 3
different glue types

Species PVA FWC 5PU

MOR MOE MOR MOE MOR MOE

N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2

Bambusa vulgaris 94,3 9794 91,54 9923 62,58 9915

(17,22) (2967) (20,08) (1098) (11,95) (1647)

Dendrocalamus brandisii 84,52 9778 90,19 11797 99,73 11594

(13,17) (1162) (13,04) (1669) (20,62) (1433)

Guadua chacoensis 78,2 6629 81,26 7787 80,25 7861

(17,09) (747) (12,93) (1137) (18,12) (872)

Note: figures in parenthesis are standard deviations from the sample mean
 Journal of Bamboo and Rattan 85

Table 2: Mean Compressive strength Results for the three species with 3 different glue types

Species PVA FWC 5PU

N/mm2 N/mm2 N/mm2

Bambusa vulgaris 50,71 52,41 47,71

(6,55) (6,57) (5,66)

Dendrocalamus 47,79 49,6 52,51

brandisii (4,07) (4,98) (5,24)

Guadua chacoensis 37,89 37,21 37,78

(3,82) (3,22) (4,84)
PVA = Polyvinyl acetate emulsion white wood glue, FWC = Formaldehyde based adhesive resin, WoodChem,
5PU = 5 minute curing Polyurethane wood adhesive

may be related to superior anatomical features of vascular bundle types and vessels
size which is related to vascular bundle sizes and thicker cell wall. It is also an edible
bamboo species from southwest China and south Asia (Wang et al., 2016). The
physical and mechanical properties of bamboo species are correlated to the anatomical
characteristics. Abd Latif et al. (1993) indicated that vascular bundles size is
proportional to modulus of elasticity (MOE) but negatively with modulus of rupture
(MOR). Earlier research on the anatomical properties of bamboo genera like
Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Gigantochloa are classified as having vascular bundle
types III and IV (Abd Latif et al., 1993). Formaldehydes based adhesives (FWC) are
more effective than water based adhesives like PVA. The results of the studies
indicated that the strength properties of the bamboo species were higher in most cases
with the FWC than the others.

Bambusa vulgaris had the highest compressive strength with the application of the
FWC (52.41 N/mm2) and PVA (50.71 N/mm2). However, Dendrocalamus brandisii
had the highest compressive strength with the application of the 5PU glue out of the
three species. The effect of the three different adhesives type on the MOE, MOR,
Compressive strength could not fully be ascertained but in terms of MOE and MOR,
FWC glue performed better for all the bamboo species then followed by 5PU. For
compressive strength , FWC gave better results for all the three bamboo species.

The results obtained compares favourably with most tropical hardwood species such
as Khaya ivorensis with an MOR of 73.9N/mm2 and MOE of 9113 N/mm2 (Addae-
Mensah, 1978; Appiah-Kubi, 2015), Sterculia rhinopetala with an MOR of 81.7
N/mm and an MOE of 13382 N/mm (Appiah-Kubi et al., 2012; Brunner et al., 2008),
2 2
86 Journal of Bamboo and Rattan

Combretodendron africanum with an MOR of 103.7 N/mm2 and an MOE of 9739

N/mm (Ofori et al., 2009). The above wood species are used for various forms of
2

construction. With similar properties, the bamboo species can be used for similar
construction works especially when laminated with the FWC adhesive.

Figure 1: Chart showing the Modulus of Rupture (MOR) of the species for each glue type

Figure 2: Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) of the species for each glue type
 Journal of Bamboo and Rattan 87

CONCLUSION

Bambusa vulgaris and Dendrocalamus brandisii recorded good strength properties

with the application of the PVA and FWC adhesives. Results were relatively lower for
Bambusa vulgaris with the application of the 5PU adhesive whilst Dendrocalamus
brandisii recorded the best results with the application of the 5PU for both MOR and
compressive strength. Dendrocalamus brandisii also had the highest MOE with the
application of the FWC adhesive. Guadua chacoensis consistently had the lowest
strength values out of the three species. Bambusa vulgaris laminates attains the highest
MOR when PVA adhesive is used in the lamination and attains the highest
compressive strength when FWC is used in the lamination. Dendrocalamus brandisii
attains both the highest MOR and compressive strength when the 5PU adhesive is
used in the lamination. It is evident from the results that both Bambusa vulgaris and
Dendrocalamus brandisii can be laminated into boards and beams using the readily
available adhesives, FWC and PVA, for constructional purposes. With the dwindling
wood resources, the use of laminated bamboo boards and beams should be promoted.

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