The bamboo bending capabilities as landscape structures for sustainable construction: case study of Dendrocalamus asper / Meor Abdullah Zaidi Meor Razali

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing natural construction materials and is locally available in the most developing world, including South America, Africa, and Asia. It is a fast-growing monocotyledon species belonging to the Gramineae (family Bambusoideae) and requires a short time for re-production, estimated to expand a meter a day (Mustafa et. al, 2019). The mechanical qualities of bamboo, strong fibre, compressive strength higher than concrete, and tensile strength close to steel have attracted designers and construction professionals to explore it for experimental and ground-breaking construction themes. Due to its capability to bend, one of the best mechanical properties of bamboo has made it the most preferred material in vernacular construction and lately sustainable development. However, the professionals in Malaysia, namely landscape architects, architects, and engineers, are not well equipped in bamboo bending capacities, resulting in restricted use in construction work. This study will focus on the bending capability of Malaysian bamboo species; Dendrocalamus asper or Buluh Betung known for its suitability in the construction method.