The effects of anatomy and physical properties on the strength of cultivated four-year-old Bambusa vulgaris

The anatomy and physical properties of cultivated four (4) years-old bamboo Bambusa vulgaris were studied in order to determine their strength. The matured 4 year-old culms of the bamboo were randomly selected and harvested from the Bambusetum Plot located in the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong. The anatomy study focussed on the vascular bundles and fibres found at the internodes and nodes eight at the outer, middle and inner cross-section of the bamboo. The sizes of the vascular bundle's length, width, fiber length, diameter, fiber lumens diameter, fiber walls thickness and fiber Runkle’s ratio were measured for internodes, nodes, located in the cross-section of the bamboo culms. The physical study focussed on the moisture content, basic density and dimension stability. The strength study focused on the tensile parallel to the grain and shear tests. All studies on the anatomical, physical and strength were conducted on internodes and nodes eight of the B. vulgaris.