Bhavna Sharma

Characterization of Splitting Behavior of Bamboo Culms

Bamboo is viewed as a sustainable and highly renewable material that may be grown in any temperate climate zone. Interest in the engineering properties of bamboo and the use of bamboo in engineered construction is growing. Although often having superior mechanical properties than readily available sawn timber, bamboo, being largely an unidirectional fibrous material, is very susceptible to longitudinal splitting. Despite being the dominant limit state in many applications, very little previous work has addressed the characterization of bamboo splitting failure. The present research focuses on the development of a split pin test method for characterizing the splitting strength of bamboo culms. The proposed split pin test uses a full culm section test, thereby eliminating some of the complexities of partial culm tests. Results of a pilot study of the split pin test having similar specimens with different split pin diameters yielded consistent results and variations less than that of the previously standardi...

Chemical composition of processed bamboo for structural applications

Natural materials are a focus for development of low carbon products for a variety of applications. To utilise these materials, processing is required to meet acceptable industry standards. Laminated bamboo is a commercial product that is currently being explored for structural applications, however there is a gap in knowledge about the effects of commercial processing on the chemical composition. The present study utilised interdisciplinary methods of analysis to investigate the effects of processing on the composition of bamboo. Two common commercial processing methods were investigated: bleaching (chemical treatment) and caramelisation (hygrothermal treatment). The study indicated that the bleaching process results in a more pronounced degradation of the lignin in comparison to the caramelised bamboo. This augments previous research, which has shown that the processing method (strip size) and treatment may affect the mechanical properties of the material in the form of overall strength, failure modes and crack propagation. The study provides additional understanding of the effects of processing on the properties of bamboo.

Work in progress: Student-directed learning: An approach to sustainability and engineering education

An increasing focus in K-12 educational outreach is on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). A challenge in educating students about STEM topics is the ability to communicate the key concepts on a level that engages the students. The student-directed learning approach allows the students to create educational content and the teacher to oversee the development. The students peers serve as the audience, shifting the interface of students and teachers, as well as increasing student to student interaction. The proposed approach is based on the outcomes of a preliminary internship, which challenged students to develop a week-long module to communicate one of four sustainability concepts: green building, energy, water and green materials. The proposed study will focus on a larger sample of middle school students developing educational modules focused on sustainability and engineering. In-depth assessment of the student developers will provide information on audience awareness, self-efficacy, as well the effectiveness of the approach.

Pushover behaviour of bamboo portal frame structure

Abstract An experimental study of the pushover behaviour of a bamboo portal frame structure is reported. The objective of the study is to begin to establish an engineering basis for non- or marginally engineered bamboo construction appropriate for vernacular construction. The prototype frame used grouted bar column base connections and multiple single bolt culm to culm connections to affect the lateral resistance of the portal frame. The results of the pushover test revealed unanticipated column base behaviour. Therefore, a tangent study of the behaviour of single- and four-culm grouted bar column bases was performed. Through these experimental studies, the physical behaviour of the prototype structure was established. Finally, an analytical model, suitable for simple engineering environments is demonstrated and validated using the experimental results.

Research data supporting 'Penellum, et al. Relationship of structure and stiffness in laminated bamboo composites, Construction and Building Materials, 2018'

Raw data in excel sheets presenting bending siffness and fibre volume fraction of processed engineered bamboo beams.

Research data supporting 'Shah et al., Processing bamboo for structural composites: Influence of preservative treatments on surface and interface properties. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 2018'

Dynamic contact angle measurements of bamboo (raw, bleached and caramelised) with water and diiodomethane. Lap shear adhesion bond testing data for bamboo (raw, bleached and caramelised) with polymer adhesives (polyurethane, PU; polyvinyl acetate, PVA; soy-flour based adhesive, Soy; resorcinol phenol formaldehyde, RPF; and, urea phenol formaldehyde, UPF. )

Erratum for "Characterization of Splitting Behavior of Bamboo Culms" by Derek Mitch, Kent A. Harries, and Bhavna Sharma

Derek Mitch; Kent A. Harries; and Bhavna Sharma Undergraduate Researcher, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261. Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261. E-mail: kharries@pitt.edu Doctoral Candidate, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.