A Literature Review On the Use of Bamboo as A Truss Member and Fiber-Reinforced Polymer as A Truss Jointing Material

Abstract

A truss is a structure that has a rigid configuration formed by an assembly of straight members connected by pins. Many roofing systems use trusses, but the wide variety of truss configurations in architecture is an advantage to creating vast arrays of aesthetics in buildings. Steel, mainly plain carbon steel designated A36, is the most used material for truss members and joint connectors. However, these members are both heavy and non-sustainable, so several kinds of literature recommend studying the potential of using lightweight and sustainable alternatives. This review focuses on using bamboo in truss and the potential of fiber-reinforced composite as a truss joint connector. Bamboo culms and glued-laminated bamboo (glubam) are the two types of bamboo commonly used in truss fabrication based on the review. Bamboo culms from Dendrocalamus asper exhibit a tensile strength of 340 MPa, while the glubam made of Yushania alpina has 364 MPa. Other mechanical properties of bamboo necessary for the truss analysis are not yet clearly defined, although studies used ASTM D143-09 to determine several mechanical properties of bamboo or glubam. Fiber-reinforced composite can exhibit an enormous array of varieties and still demonstrate a strength close to or even higher than steel. It is lightweight and can reach a tensile strength of 700 MPa. The researcher recommends synthesizing bamboo or glubam as truss members and fiber-reinforced composite as truss joint connectors.