Mechanical characterization of Italian bamboo

The use of bamboo as a structural material is growing rapidly [1]. There are nations in which the material already represents an acquired structural reality [2,3], there are nations like Italy where the material is not considered among possible structural materials yet. In these latter nations there is still not enough knowledge of the material in terms of structural response, for example there is no comparison of the mechanical properties of the various species to define which is the best solution for the different purposes the material is called to respond. The knowledge gained in other parts of the world can not be fully exploited because the material changes according to the species and the place where it is cultivated. To facilitate the diffusion of this material in these countries, a basic knowledge in terms of mechanical response of the material is needed. To answer this need an experimental campaign for the mechanical characterization of Italian bamboo has been carried on in accordance with the International standard for structural bamboo [4,5]. Here the preliminary results are reported.