Bamboo Cane as an Alternative Reinforcement in Reinforced Concrete Beam

Concrete is one of the most energy consumed materials in construction, which has higher compressive strength but poor in tensile strength. Steel is used to compromise the tensile strength of the concrete. Bamboo is a versatile and fast-growing natural material that has high compressive and tensile strength. The use of bamboo as an alternative to steel reinforcement will reduce the energy consumption in construction and reduce the cost. To investigate the feasibility of using bamboo as an alternative reinforcement, the bamboo fiber mix concrete, and bamboo reinforcement in a structural element such as beam were tested under compressive and flexural tests. The experimental study consisted of 12 cubes and 6 beams specimens. Results show that the load-carrying capacity of concrete beams reduced because of the usage of bamboo fiber in concrete. However, the ultimate load-carrying capacity in a hybrid beam was observed to almost equal to the steel-reinforced beam and showed a similar deflection. Based on this study results, it was concluded that the bamboo can be used as an alternative reinforcement in reinforced concrete beams, and it can reduce the cost of beams in the construction.