Parallel Compression to Grain and Stiffness of Cross Laminated Timber Panels with Bamboo Reinforcement

Abstract

Four cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels with and without bamboo reinforcement were prepared and evaluated. The goal was to obtain better possibilities of using this lignocellulosic panel, based on their mechanical properties. Stiffness and strength of compression parallel to grain tests were conducted to simulate the utilization of this material as freestanding walls. Panels were produced based on Pinus elliottii wood species and glued with castor oil-based polyurethane resin. Half of these structural panels were also reinforced with strips of Dendrocalamus asper bamboo species, which were added on the outer layers. There was a significant increase in the parallel compression-to-grain in the configuration of the cross-laminated timber reinforced with bamboo in the longitudinal direction, which concentrates superior resistance.