Saint Louis University
School of Engineering and Architecture
Department of Architecture
Bonifacio St., Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Bamboo-reinforced Tetra pak concrete: Compressive strength analysis
A Research Study Presented to the
School of Engineering and Architecture
Saint Louis University
Baguio City
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
Students:
Bunagan, Jessa Mae O.
De Vera, Remegio Jr. S.
Herrera, Carlos Levi R.
Isidro, Brixinne Arviann V.
Panlican, Hannah Mae R.
Quirimit, Abraham N.
Trinidad, Patrice Nicole L.
AR. SHEENA ASSAYCO
INSTRUCTOR
April 23, 2023
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ABSTRACT
Bamboo gained significant recognition in the construction industry owing to its
crucial function as a material that enhances the durability and pliability of structures.
Concrete has been a fundamental component in the construction, erection, and fortification of
diverse infrastructures for centuries. The objective of this research is to explore the feasibility
of utilizing bamboo (Bambusa Bambos) as an alternative to conventional reinforcement steel
bars in conjunction with tetra pak concrete. The research primarily aims to assess the
compressive strength of Bambusa Bambos, commonly known as bamboo, and investigate its
potential as a pliant, economical, ecologically sound, and durable substitute for traditional
building resources. The objective of this research is to introduce a substitute building
component that possesses characteristics of flexibility, affordability, eco-friendliness, and
durability.
Keywords: Bamboo, Bambusa Bambos, Tetra pak, Polymer Conrete,
INTRODUCTION
Bamboo exhibits diverse characteristics, making it a feasible alternative as an eco-
friendly building component due to its robust fiber. It shows a compressive strength that is
twice as high as concrete, and its tensile strength is comparable to steel's. The shear stress of
bamboo fiber surpasses that of wood. Bamboo, a lightweight native resource, reduces
acquisition and transportation costs. It could become carbon-negative by sequestering carbon
during growth and harvest. It outperforms timber in renewability. Unlike timber, it matured in
three to five years.
In construction, the reinforcement material must possess all the properties required for
an element to remain structurally sound while under load. Steel is produced to a
predetermined ratio and subjected to thorough testing to ensure fundamental quality standards
of its strength. Similarly, it is imperative to conduct adequate testing of bamboo prior to its
utilization as reinforcement, given its availability in various species. Each species exhibits
distinct characteristics such as thickness, texture, and strength. Hence, it is imperative to
identify the species that can serve as reinforcement.
According to Stéphane Schröder (2023) The bamboo species that are most appropriate
for utilization in the realm of building and construction are primarily situated in tropical
areas, particularly within the genera Guadua, Dendrocalamus, and Bambusa. The heightened
stature and increased dimensions of tropical bamboo can be attributed to its thicker walls,
which provide enhanced structural and mechanical properties compared to those of temperate
bamboo. The tensile strength of most construction-grade bamboo species have 160 N/mm2,
three times stronger than common construction timbers. On the contrary, most species of
construction-grade bamboo have compressive strengths of 40 to 80 N/mm2, which is twice as
strong as most timber species. Most construction-grade bamboo species have 50 to 150
N/mm2 bending strengths, double that of structural timbers. With a robust culm wall,
Bambusa bambos can grow to 30 meters and 18 millimeters. Construction uses this species.
In the case of steel reinforcement, the bar has ribs on it to achieve the high bonding
with the concrete. As a result, for bamboo to bond with concrete, it must possess some sort of
adhesion property. To achieve perfect bonding, the surface of the bamboo should be rough.
Untreated bamboo can weaken the bonding strength by creating cracks as a byproduct of void
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formation or by creating holes within the concrete. The bamboo's tendency to swell as it
pushes the concrete away can also have an impact on the bonding strength. A bamboo
treatment that is done correctly can effectively treat these issues.
Moreover, cement concrete is a highly prevalent structural material on a global scale,
primarily due to its straightforward preparation process and cost-effectiveness. Cement
concrete has gaps that allow water, gases, water vapor, and chemicals to harm it. Due to
heavy abrasion, rough concrete surfaces deteriorate quickly. Integrating natural or synthetic
polymeric components into concrete, which strongly adhere to mineral aggregates, is another
option. These materials enable polymer-based materials with improved physicochemical
properties. Composites have a matrix and reinforcement. Matrix materials are usually weaker
than reinforcing materials. Reinforcement boosts mechanical strength and rigidity.
Reinforcements improve high-temperature performance and abrasion resistance. Synthetic
polymers produce more flexible and cost-effective products.
The first study, Siddika et al. (2021) states that when plain cement concrete is
reinforced with four bamboo strips of 12 mm diameter with a tie of 2 mm steel wire, it can
withstand a large deflection and can carry 45% more compression. Furthermore, by
increasing bamboo reinforcements in columns, it can acquire more strength as per
requirements in construction. Moreover, the vulnerability of physical facilities to high winds
generally depends upon the strength of materials and design, the age of the facility, and its
exposure. Lopez et al. (2015) states that cement concrete is considered as the most
extensively utilized construction material globally, due to its easy preparation and low cost.
Some disadvantages of cement concrete are (a) pores, which can become entrance points for
water, gasses, water vapor, and chemical substances that might damage concrete; (b) the
roughness of concrete surface that deteriorates rapidly because of its high abrasion; (c) poor
resistance to aggressive substances and salty water; (d) low resistance to heat. Moreover, one
solution for these problems is by incorporating natural or synthetic materials into concrete.
According to Lopez et al. (2015), a concrete mixed with tetra pak shows that the compressive
strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity values decrease gradually when the
addition of waste particle (Tetra Pak) concentration increases. However, improvements of
14% were obtained for compressive and flexural strength when irradiating the concrete
specimens at 100 kGy.
1.1 Structure Design/Structural Theory
The structure design is the utilization of structural theory to ensure that buildings and
some other structures are built to sustain all loads and resist all stifling forces that may be
reasonably expected to be imposed upon them during their scheduled service life without
hazard to occupants or users and, preferably, not susceptible to breaking. Therefore, an
affordable achievement of this goal is a need for practical design. The research can ensure
residential building safety by determining the strength of tetra pak concrete reinforced with
bamboo frames, building characteristics, and structure theory.
1.2 Theory of Strength of Materials
Analysis of stresses and deflections in materials under load is the primary goal of the
strength of materials, also known as the mechanics of materials. Understanding stresses,
mainly the compressive forces of compression, enables a safe structural design supporting the
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required loads. Utilizing this ideology will help research the validity of tetra pak concrete
reinforced with bamboo frames susceptible to the compressive stress of residential buildings.
The primary study of this research pertains to the potential of bamboo (Bambusa
Bambos) as a substitute for traditional reinforcement steel bars when used in conjunction
with tetra pak concrete. The present inquiry concerns the formulation of a research question
and corresponding objectives. What is the method for determining the ultimate compressive
strength of Bambusa Bambos? Is there a discernible difference in compressive strength
between Tetra Pak concrete reinforced with Bambusa Bambos and polymer concrete?
The scope and delimitation of the present study involves conducting experimental and
laboratory analyses on bamboo reinforced with tetra pak concrete to evaluate its compressive
strength. Moreover, the study will be evaluated and executed at Saint Louis University in
Baguio City. This study is limited to examining two primary materials, bamboo (Bambusa
Bambos) and tetra pak concrete, which are utilized as framing components in building
construction. The study's scope is restricted to assessing the compressive strength of these
materials, which will be subjected to testing, validation, and modification by the researcher.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Bamboo-Framed Tetra Pak Concrete: A Compressive Strength Analysis
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
✓ Rising Cost of ✓ Experimental ✓ Ultimate compressive strength of Bamboo (Bambusa
materials ✓ Data Bambos) acting as an alternative reinforcement steel bar
✓ Uneconomic ✓ Laboratory combined with tetra pak concrete.
existing common testing ✓ Discernible difference in compressive strength between
construction Tetra Pak concrete reinforced with Bambusa Bambos
materials and polymer concrete
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
The study's conceptual framework is depicted in Figure 1, which follows the Input-
Process-Output model. The present study provides an overview of the background and
primary aim to assess the compressive strength of reinforced concrete Tetra Pak in
conjunction with Bamboo (Bambusa Bambos) as a substitute for conventional steel
reinforcement bars. The input data indicates that the variables that hindered the study were
the expensive materials and the inefficient common construction materials. The methodology
outlines the data collection and analysis procedures, including the implementation of
experimental research, the acquisition of data, and laboratory testing. The study output
presents the final product: the concrete tetra pak reinforced with Bambusa Bambos.
HYPOTHESIS:
Null Hypothesis (H0): No significant difference exists between the compressive
strength of regular concrete and Tetra pack concrete reinforced with bamboo frames.
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Alternative Hypothesis (HA): A significant difference exists between the compressive
strength of regular concrete and Tetra pack concrete reinforced with bamboo frames.
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study used an experimental research method to determine the compressive
strength of bamboo with tetra pak concrete. The researchers adopted a numerical analysis
method to identify the strength of materials employed. Nevertheless, improvements of 14%
on both compressive strength and flexural strength as well as 5% for modulus of elasticity
were obtained when polymer concrete is irradiated (Lopez et al., 2015).
Sampling Design
The sampling design for a laboratory analysis of the compressive strength of Tetra pak
concrete reinforced with bamboo frames would involve the following key steps:
1. Define the Population: The population would be the entire Tetra pak concrete
samples that interest the study. This could include samples with different Tetra pck waste
material proportions and bamboo as reinforcement.
2. Determine the Sample Size: The sample size would depend on the level of
precision desired for the study, the available resources, and the statistical power needed. A
larger sample size would provide greater statistical power, but it would also increase the cost
and time required for the study.
3. Random Sampling: The samples must be selected randomly from the population to
ensure that they represent the entire population. This would involve using a random number
generator to choose the samples.
4. Stratified Sampling: Stratified sampling could be used to confirm that the samples
are representative of the entire population. This would involve dividing the population into
subgroups based on different proportions of Tetra pak waste material and bamboo as
reinforcement and randomly selected samples from each subgroup.
5. Replication: Multiple samples would be prepared for each combination of Tetra
pak waste material and bamboo as reinforcement to ensure that the results are reliable and
repeatable. Replication also helps to account for any variability in the samples due to factors
such as differences in curing time and environmental conditions.
6. Control Samples: Control samples of regular concrete could be included in the study
to provide a benchmark for comparison with Tetra pak concrete reinforced with bamboo
frames.
In summary, the sampling design for a laboratory analysis of the compressive strength
of Tetra pak concrete reinforced with bamboo frames would involve randomly selecting
samples from the population, stratifying the samples based on different proportions of Tetra
pak waste material and bamboo frame reinforcement, replicating the samples to ensure
reliability, and including control samples for comparison. The sampling design would need to
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be carefully designed to ensure the results are reliable and representative of the entire
population of interest.
Materials
Several materials were needed to complete the tensile testing. First, Bamboo was
gathered from Green Thumbnenita Plants Trading in Plant Nursery Bataan. According to
Sandoval (2015), Bambusa Bambos is tall, erect Bamboo with a narrow crown, the lower half
of the dense culms held tightly together by interlacing branches. They are often entirely
leafless, the tertiary branchlets having much-shortened internodes, usually forming prolific,
formidable, sharp thorns of up to 2 cm.
Due to the anisotropic nature of the Bamboo, failures would be associated with an end or
pinching type failure instead of compressive failures if no precautions were taken when
compressing the bars. As a result, a flat steel plate was placed on the end of the strips to allow
load distribution from the UTM to the column. The concrete core was made according to
Fajardo (2001) “Class A Concrete Mixture” with a modification of adding a 0.5 cu. m. of
tetra pak. Then, the concrete was reinforced with four bamboo strips of 12 mm diameter with
a tie of 2 mm steel wire.
Procedures
The specimen used for testing was cast in a rectangular mold with a standard
dimension of 150mm diameter by 300mm height. We prepared three samples for more
accurate data. We placed them into a cast iron mold, but before placing the concrete mix, the
interior of the mold was greased by the staff to correctly facilitate easy removal of the
hardened specimen after 24 hours. After this period, the sample was taken and submerged in
water until the specimen reached the curing time. The specimen was removed from the curing
tank, and the excess water from the sample's surface was wiped out.
The specimen was placed vertically on the Universal Testing Machine (UTM) platform for
compression testing. The machine applied a uniform compressive load at the specimen at the
rate of 315 kN/min and continued until the specimen reached its breaking point. After it
reached failure, we recorded the maximum load of the specimen. The test is then repeated
two more times for the reliability of the data.
Data analysis
Data analysis of laboratory analysis on the compressive strength of Tetra pak concrete
reinforced with bamboo frames would involve examining the experimental data collected
while testing the concrete samples. Here are some steps that could be followed to analyze the
data:
Data Collection: Collect all the experimental data on the compressive strength of
Tetra pak concrete reinforced with bamboo frames recorded in the laboratory. This would
include data on the concrete mix design, the dimensions of the concrete specimens, the type
and amount of reinforcement used, the testing procedure, and results. Descriptive Statistics:
Calculate basic descriptive statistics such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and
range for the compressive strength data. These statistics give an idea about the data's central
tendency, variability, and distribution.
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Hypothesis Testing: Conduct hypothesis testing to determine if the compressive
strength of the Tetra pak concrete reinforced with bamboo frames significantly differs from
that of regular concrete or other types of reinforced concrete. This could involve comparing
the mean compressive strength of the Tetra pak concrete with that of other types of concrete
using a t-test or ANOVA.
Regression Analysis: Conduct regression analysis to determine the relationship
between the compressive strength and the independent variables, such as the type and amount
of reinforcement used, the curing time, and other factors that may affect the strength of the
concrete.
Data Visualization: Create graphical representations such as histograms, scatter plots,
and box plots to visualize the distribution and relationships in the data. Interpretation:
Interpret the results of the data analysis and draw conclusions based on the findings. The
conclusions could be used to recommend using Tetra pak concrete reinforced with bamboo
frames in construction. Overall, data analysis of laboratory analysis on the compressive
strength of Tetra pak concrete reinforced with bamboo frames would involve a thorough
analysis of the data collected during the experimental testing and the use of statistical tools to
determine the significance of the results.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
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