ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The Institute of Modern Bamboo, Timber and Composite Structures (IBTCS) is conducting a comprehensive research program, with the goal to develop modern bamboo structures for buildings and bridges. This paper reports the design, construction, testing of the world’s first truck-safe modern bamboo road bridge. The authors developed laminated bamboo girders and verified their satisfactory mechanical performance through full-scale testing. It was demonstrated that the laminated bamboo girders have satisfactory stiffness and load carrying capacity. The use of FRP can further enhance the stiffness and capacity of the bamboo girders. Based on the test results and analysis, a 10 m long single lane roadway bridge was designed and constructed. The field tests were carried out using an over loaded two-axel truck with a total weight of 8.6 ton which exceeded the given design truckload of 8.0 ton. The bridge performed satisfactorily with the mid-span deflection corresponding to the critical service loading condition much smaller than the code required limit.
