BAMBOO GRIDSHELL: FROM THE MATERIAL TO THE STRUCTURE

Abstract

The majority of gridshell structures are built using timber lath and steel. only feware made from bamboo. Constructing a gridshell structure using bamboo is challenging because the anatomy, physical and mechanical properties affect the ability of bamboo culm to be bent. This paper aims to investigate the utilisation of bamboo for gridshell structures by examining bamboo as the material, the elements, and the whole gridshell structure. The experiments were conducted in three stages: testing material properties, examining bending capacity, and constructing a full-scale model of gridshell structure. The bamboo species used in the experiments was Gigantochloa apus, a species that is commonly found in Indonesia. The experiments showed that full-culm bamboo had a limitation on the depth of curvature, which then affected the height of gridshell, the form, and the structure.