Production, environmental impact and mechanical properties of glubam

• Introduction of a new laminated bamboo material, glubam.
• First hand data on the energy consumption and CO2 emission in laminated bamboo production.
• Extensive mechanical property tests.
• Data can be used in design of laminated bamboo buildings.

Bamboo is well-known because of its characteristics of being fast-growing, eco-friendly and of high strength/weight ratio. In today’s trend of sustainable development, there is a renewed interest to use bamboo for modern building and bridge structures. However, traditional use of raw bamboo culms is not the only and the most effective application in construction. Studies on glue laminated forms of bamboo have emerged around the world. The authors developed a laminated bamboo or glubam for general structural applications. This paper introduces the manufacturing process of glubam, investigates and analyzes its energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission, and provides main mechanical properties through material testing. Analysis results and comparison with other comparable construction materials show the eco-friendly performance of glubam. The mechanical properties of glubam are found using methods developed for timber material. The results show that glue laminated bamboo or glubam is promising for general use in construction.