Experimental evaluation of bamboo reinforced concrete slab panels

Reinforced concrete structural members are primarily subjected to static gravity loads. The conventional steel reinforcement is used to provide additional tensile strength and energy absorption capacity to concrete members. But conventional M.S. (Mild steel) or HYSD (High Yielding Strength Deformed) bars are heavy in weight, costly, nonrenewable and un-ecofriendly material. Aiming to mitigate this concern a sustainable, renewable, ecofriendly material like bamboo has been used as substitute to steel in the present work. Bamboo-concrete Bond behaviour was first studied through a series of pull-out tests. Bond strength investigation has resulted in a unique bamboo strip profile along with a surface treatment the combination of which exhibited maximum bond strength under uniaxial loading. This new bamboo strip is further used as main reinforcement in concrete slab panels. Feasibility and effectiveness of this unique bamboo profile used as reinforcement was investigated through experimental testing of concrete slab panels. A total 15 concrete slab panels were fabricated and tested as per Eurocode EN-1448-5 (2006). The effect of total replacement of main steel reinforcement by bamboo on the flexural behaviour of slabs in terms of load-deformation characteristics, energy absorption capacity, crack patterns and failure modes have been studied. Test results show that there is improvement in the load carrying and deformation capacity when proposed bamboo strip is used as reinforcement in concrete slab panels as compared to that of PCC (Plain Cement Concrete) and RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) slabs. Interestingly the structural behaviour of slabs using newly developed bamboo reinforcement has shown significant improvement in flexural performance and it was marginally better than the RC slabs having M.S. bars as main reinforcement.