University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School July 2019 Bamboo as a Sustainable Engineering Material: Mechanical Properties, Safety Factors, and Experimental Testing Lorena Sánchez Vivas University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Civil Engineering Commons, and the Environmental Engineering Commons Scholar Commons Citation Sánchez Vivas, Lorena, "Bamboo as a Sustainable Engineering Material: Mechanical Properties, Safety Factors, and Experimental Testing" (2019). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7925 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Bamboo as a Sustainable Engineering Material: Mechanical Properties, Safety Factors, and Experimental Testing by Lorena Sánchez Vivas A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering University of South Florida Major Professor: James R. Mihelcic, Ph.D. Gray Mullins, Ph.D. Michael MacCarthy, Ph.D. Delcie Durham, Ph.D. Alan Franck, Ph.D. Date of Approval: June 27, 2019 Keywords: Strength Properties, Infrastructure, Wood, Sustainable Development Goals, WASH Copyright © 2019, Lorena Sánchez Vivas DEDICATION Dedico este trabalho a Deus, sem o qual não sou nada e com o qual posso tudo ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS From the University of South Florida, thanks to undergraduate research volunteers Ellyse Pillers, Andrea Szikszay, Patrick Felia, Mathew Cuffano, Hung Bui, Andrew Rainey, Simone Frauenfelder, Kaleigh Nelson, and Subhrajyoti Pradhan and to graduate research volunteers Adah Shair and Daniel Delgado. Thank you to Arian Farid, from the USF botany department, for the identification of the bamboo mold found in the bamboo wells. Regarding the rainwater project in Ethiopia: Special thanks to the local people in the village of Zaminenare who’s hard work and dedication made the Natural Rainwater Harvesting System (NRHS) possible. Thank you to Abba Wondimu of Wallacha, who led the local people and aided in translation and logistics. Thank you for the financial support provided by the Florida Education Fund’s McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program Dissertation Award, the University of South Florida Graduate School Academic Excellence award, and the USF Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Research Topics ......................................................................................................... 5 1.4 References ................................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 2: MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF HOW AGE, SPECIES, DENSITY, MOISTURE CONTENT, TREATMENT, AND TESTING STANDARD INFLUENCE STRENGTH VALUES ............................................ 8 2.1 Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Methods ................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Results ..................................................................................................................... 12 2.4.1 Mechanical Properties of Bamboo ............................................................. 13 2.4.2 Variables Affecting Properties ................................................................... 15 2.4.2.1 Age ............................................................................................. 16 2.4.2.2 Species........................................................................................ 18 2.4.2.3 Density ....................................................................................... 20 2.4.2.4 Moisture Content ........................................................................ 21 2.4.2.5 Height along Culm (Base, Middle, Top) ...................................... 24 2.4.2.6 Post-harvest Treatment/Testing Condition ................................... 25 2.4.2.7 Node vs. Internode ...................................................................... 28 2.4.3 Testing Standards ...................................................................................... 29 2.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 33 2.6 Recommendations for Research and Practice ........................................................... 34 2.7 References ............................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 3: DETERMINATION OF SAFETY FACTORS FOR STRUCTURAL BAMBOO APPLICATIONS............................................................................................... 45 3.1 Abstract ................................................................................................................... 45 3.2 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 45 3.3 Background ............................................................................................................. 47 i 3.4 Design Philosophies ................................................................................................. 49 3.5 Safety Factors (ASD) And Strength Reduction Factors (LRFD) ............................... 51 3.6 Research Methodologies .......................................................................................... 55 3.6.1 Bamboo Material Properties ...................................................................... 55 3.6.2 Design Parameters ..................................................................................... 56 3.7 Monte Carlo Simulations ......................................................................................... 58 3.8 Discussion ............................................................................................................... 61 3.9 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 62 3.10 References ............................................................................................................. 62 3.11 References: Data Included in Monte Carlo Analyses .............................................. 65 CHAPTER 4: EVALUATING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO GROUNDWATER WELLS USED IN A FIELD TRIAL .................................................... 68 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 68 4.2 Methods ................................................................................................................... 72 4.2.1 Selection and Preparation .......................................................................... 72 4.2.2 Treatment .................................................................................................. 72 4.2.3 Water Intake System (Well Screen) ........................................................... 74 4.2.4 Drilling Well Installation ........................................................................... 75 4.2.5 Monitoring ................................................................................................ 76 4.2.6 Well Removal: Mold Identification and Mechanical Property Testing ....... 77 4.3 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................ 78 4.3.1 Water Testing: Borax/Boric Acid Residue and pH ..................................... 79 4.3.2 Evaluation ................................................................................................. 81 4.3.4 Material Property Tests ............................................................................. 85 4.3.5 Other Observations .................................................................................... 88 4.3.6 Comparison to Other Well Materials ......................................................... 89 4.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 90 4.5 Future Work ...........................................................................................................