Load-carrying capacity of intermediately slender parallel strand bamboo columns with a rectangular cross section under biaxial eccentric compression

Abstract

Parallel strand bamboo (PSB), a processed bamboo composite, has been used as an alternative to wood products in building and engineering applications. Inelastic analysis of PSB members is important because of the evident nonlinearity of the material. The present work conducted experimental investigations on intermediately slender PSB columns subjected to biaxial eccentric loads. The bending failure, which underwent a pronounced nonlinear process, was the major characteristic of the intermediately slender PSB column that had a biaxial compressive load. The mid-height cross section of the columns can be divided into three parts over its depth: the plastic compressive zone, the elastic compressive zone, and the tensile zone. Both the secondary bending and material nonlinearity were important factors that impacted the nonlinear response of the columns. An analytical method was presented for evaluating the load-carrying capacity of intermediately slender PSB columns with rectangular cross sections under biaxial eccentric compression loads. There was good agreement between the results of the experiments and calculations.