Characterization of local compressive behavior for bamboo scrimber loaded perpendicular to the grain

In modern bamboo structures, bamboo scrimber is used for beam or column members, which usually need to bear localized loads perpendicular to the grain. This study investigates the local compressive behavior perpendicular to the grain of bamboo scrimber with spruce-pine-fir lumber used as a control. The stress–strain curves and failure modes perpendicular to the grain were affected by the type of material used, the specific location of load application, whether the load was applied on one or both sides, and the direction of the applied load. The compressive strength perpendicular to the grain of bamboo scrimber was found to be approximately ten times that of spruce-pine-fir. The variation in the stress dispersion zone, which was caused by different loading configurations, influenced the local compressive strength perpendicular to the grain. The Van der Put stress dispersion model, originally developed for timber, was found to reliably capture the measured results for bamboo scrimber. The effects of varying the load-bearing area on the stress diffusion coefficient, under bidirectional stress dispersion, were also analyzed using a modified stress dispersion model. This study provides reference data and an improved understanding of the behavior of bamboo scrimber members under local compressive conditions perpendicular to the grain.