Green reinforcement: exploring bamboo's potential in sustainable concrete construction

Steel and cement production emits CO₂, spurring research for alternatives. Concrete materials are studied for shortages and enhancement. Construction, especially steel structures, will grow, but costs and shortages loom. Developing countries face steel scarcity and higher costs. Researchers explore natural or synthetic fiber replacements for steel, with bamboo showing promise. This study examines bamboo, with and without epoxy coating, as a steel substitute. Bamboo can replace steel in small or non-critical structures. The article explores bamboo's properties and behavior in reinforced concrete. Treating bamboo is vital for bond strength and flexural behavior under static loads. Three coatings are tested: natural, epoxy-coated, and epoxy with sand-coated bamboo. Twelve slab specimens are tested per Indian standards against steel-reinforced concrete slabs. The study evaluates bond strength, flexural behavior, and crack resistance using ultrasonic pulse velocity tests. Epoxy and sand-coated bamboo show significant improvement in bond strength, flexural performance, and concrete quality.

Keywords:
Natural bamboo; treated bamboo; bond strength; flexural performance; ultra-sonic test