Research on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bambusa emeiensis Bamboo Scrimber

To enrich the fundamental data on the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo scrimber and to promote its application in building structures, five densities (0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 g/cm³) and two kinds of assembly methods (longitudinal, vertical and horizontal) of Bambusa emeiensis bamboo scrimber were prepared.According to the standards Structural Bamboo Scrimber (LY/T 3194—2020) and Bamboo Scrimber (GB/T 40247—2021), the study evaluated 13 properties, including density, water resistance, bending resistance, compressive strength, tensile strength, and shear resistance. The results revealed that the measured density varied from the set density in different areas of the bamboo scrimber board. The density deviation of the longitudinal plates was from -3.95% to 5.89%, and the density deviation of the vertical and horizontal plates was from -5.80% to 6.22%. As the density increased, the overall physical and mechanical properties of longitudinal plates improved, although the strength of vertical and horizontal plates did not vary significantly with density. For the longitudinal plates, the water absorption width expansion rate ranged from 0.69% to 2.73%, and the water absorption thickness expansion ratio ranged from 3.27% to 6.56%. The bending strength was between 194.5 MPa and 228.2 MPa, the bending modulus of elasticity ranged from 19.03 GPa to 28.90 GPa, and the horizontal shear strength ranged from 10.8 MPa to 18.5 MPa. The mechanical strength of the vertical and horizontal plates was generally lower than that of the longitudinal plates, while transverse compressive strength, shearing strength parallel to grain and widths welling were higher than those of the longitudinal plates. Based on the measured physical and mechanical strength data, it was recommended to use bamboo scrimber with a density greater than 0.95 g/cm³ to achieve better strength stability in practical applications.