Effects of Grain Angle and Moisture Content on the Compressive Properties of Engineered Bamboo Scrimber

Bamboo scrimber is an eco-friendly material with anisotropic characteristics that differ from steel and concrete. The external humidity and varying loading directions significantly impact its mechanical properties. Thus, this study focuses on examining the compressive strength of bamboo scrimber under varying grain angles and moisture levels and then proposes a predictive model. The test results indicate that diagonal shear failure and crushing failure are possible failure modes based on the values of the grain angle and moisture content. Also, as the grain angle increases from 0 degrees to 90 degrees or the moisture content increases from 4% to 20%, the compressive elastic modulus and compressive strength decrease, with reductions slowing after 60 degrees and 8%, respectively. Based on the Hankinson formula, a prediction dual model for the compressive strength under different grain angles and moisture contents is proposed. The proposed model predicts the compressive strength at any angle within the moisture content of 4% to 20%, providing a valuable theoretical foundation for enhancing its application in civil engineering.