Experimental Research on the Seismic Performance of Bamboo Scrimber Beam-Column Joints

In order to investigate the seismic performance of two typical types of bamboo scrimber beam-column joints, namely the mortise-tenon joint and the bolted bamboo scrimber (BS)-steel-bamboo scrimber (BS) joint, two joint specimens were designed, fabricated and conducted on the quasi-static loading. The failure mode, moment-rotation curves, bearing capacity, strength and stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity of the two types of joints were compared and analyzed. The results indicated that the failure of the mortise-tenon joint was mainly caused by the extraction of tenon, while the failure of the bolted BS-steel-BS joint was mainly caused by the extraction of beam end, the formation of through transverse cracks in the panel zone on the column, and the formation of bending plastic hinge by bolts. The hysteretic curves of both types of joints showed an inverse "Z" shape, but the slip of the mortise-tenon joint was shorter and the "pinching" effect was milder. The bolted BS-steel-BS joint had superior bearing capacity and less strength degradation. At the beginning of loading, the mortise-tenon joint showed higher stiffness but lower energy dissipation capacity. However, in the middle later stages of loading, the bolted BS-steel-BS joint had higher stiffness but lower energy dissipation capacity. The two types of joints have their own advantages, and a new type of bamboo scrimber beam-column joint with better overall performance can be proposed by comprehensively considering the advantages of both types of joints.