Mechanical Characterization of Dendrocalamus Asper Bamboo Laminates from the Andean Region

The main objective of this research is to carry out the mechanical characterization of bamboo laminates manufactured with the dendrocalamus asper (LBDA) species, which are being produced in the Northwest of the Province of Pichincha in the Andean region of Ecuador. The results of this research identify the structural behavior of this material against compression forces, resistance to shear (shear), and bending, thus determining the possibility of its use in architectural projects that apply sustainable construction criteria. LBDA resistance is influenced by factors such as types of load, direction, and duration of load, temperature, and humidity. The tests are performed under the ASTM D143 standard to determine the mechanical properties. The average value of the compressive strength parallel to the fibers of LBDA is 53.17 MPa compared to the perpendicular to the fibers, which indicates a higher resistance compared to woods such as oak. The maximum shear stresses are present in the specimens whose stresses are parallel to the direction at the fiber with an average value of 8.71 MPa. For the bending test, the Fc11a series is obtained that is more resistant to breakage, resistance to bending, and greater ductility with a maximum value of 109.52 Mpa. These properties are very interesting to consider LBDA as a structural material and provide an alternative to wood as a sustainable construction material due to its reduced production time, mechanical properties, adaptability, natural beauty.