Bambusa balcooa bamboo-reinforced concrete beams: experimental and FEM investigation for energy-efficient pavement construction.

This study explores the viability of using Bambusa bambos, sourced from Madhya Pradesh, India, as a reinforcement material in continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) construction, aiming to assess its potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional steel reinforcement. The research encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of physical and mechanical properties, including tensile, compressive, and bending strengths, and a detailed microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of Bambusa bambos. The study involved finite element analyses that modeled bamboo-reinforced concrete (BRC) beams, exploring the impact of horizontal and vertical placements of bamboo strips on flexural behavior under bending loads. The analysis aided in observing compressive and tensile stresses generated in concrete and bamboo, with specific FEA results indicating that beams with vertically aligned bamboo strips in both the compression (compressive stress of 16.90 MPa for beam B1) and tension zones (tensile stress of 7.22 MPa for beam B1) withstand flexural stresses effectively. Additionally, the multi-criteria decision-making approach using the TOPSIS method to rank different beam designs. Key findings obtained from FEA indicate that the vertical alignment of bamboo strips in both the compression and tension zones of the beams is optimally effective in handling flexural stresses.