SELECTED PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF GIANT TIMBER BAMBOO GROWN IN SOUTH-CAROLINA

Physical and mechanical properties of giant timber bamboo (Phyllostach ys bambusoides) grown in South Carolina were investigated. The bamboo culms had an average specific gravity (SG) of 0.48 in the green condit ion and the bamboo splits had SG values of 0.40 and 0.52 in the green and air-dry conditions, respectively. The average green moisture conte nt was 171 percent for the splits and 138 percent for the culms. The a verage percent shrinkages of splits from green to air-dry were 0.02, 9 .25, and 18.21 percent in longitudinal, tangential, and radial directi ons, respectively. Effects of selected variables such as moisture cond ition (green or air-dry), height location on bamboo culm (top, middle, or bottom), and presence of node on compressive and tensile strengths were analyzed. An additional variable, orientation of outer perimeter (up or down) was included for the bending tests. The results of stati stical analyses indicated that 1) strength properties increased from t he bottom to the top of bamboo; 2) air-dry specimens had much higher c ompressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE), an d modulus of rupture (MOR) than green specimens; 3) the presence of a node greatly reduced the compressive and tensile strengths, and the MO R, but affected MOE only slightly; 4) testing with the outer perimeter placed up in the bending test yielded a considerably higher MOR, but did not significantly change the MOE; and 5) average compressive, tens ile, MOE, and MOR values of giant timber bamboo in the air-dry conditi on were about 6,100 psi; 17,400 psi; 1,550,000 psi: and 14,900 psi, re spectively.