You might be familiar with the saying, “When a storm comes, bamboo bends but doesn’t break.” So, you might have thought bamboo must be pretty tough if it doesn’t break even when buffeted by violent and howling winds. You might also say that bamboo is even stronger than wood. But is bamboo really stronger than wood? The answer, of course, to that question is a big “Yes.” Bamboo is indeed harder than many hardwoods like oak.
The hardness of wood gets measured according to the Janka Hardness Rating System, which uses a standardized and patented test for categorizing wood according to hardness. The classic or solid bamboo, for example, is in the Janka Scale’s middle range, with a rating of 1,600 to 2,000. But the strand-woven bamboo has a rating of 3,500 to 5,500. Compared to red oak’s Janka rating of 1,260 and mahogany’s 1,400, you will notice that bamboo is even harder.
How Strong is Bamboo?
Bamboo has been the subject of many tests to measure its compressive strength against different woods. Bamboo, of course, held its ground against other hardwood. These tests showed that bamboo is 38% stronger in compressive strength compared to Douglas Fir and around 109% stronger than white pine.
Bamboo’s bendability is also remarkable compared to other woods. Besides, its stiffness is far better than white pine and spruce but slightly lesser than Red Oak or Douglas Fir. Likewise, some tests claim that bamboo is stronger than steel, with 28,000-pound tensile strength, while steel has a 23,000-pound tensile strength. It is stronger than steel because it has a higher resistance to splitting and cracking than steel.
Bamboo Versus Wood
To further understand the strength of bamboo, it will be best to make a comparative analysis of the tensile strength of bamboo and wood. Below is a short explanation of the tensile strength of bamboo relative to the tensile strength of wood:
Bamboo’s Tensile Strength
The classic bamboo or solid bamboo comes with a .04g per cubic centimeter density. This density comes with a 142-Mpa yield strength, with 265-Mpa ultimate strength. Of course, this is only for the average bamboo, but the strongest bamboo carries a 500-Mpa maximum strength. Some bamboo species come with far greater tensile strength than steel.
This tensile quality and strength of bamboo make it an ideal material for home building in windy areas and areas frequently experiencing earthquakes. Besides, the bamboo’s tensile strength further increases by 20% when it gets wet. Moreover, bamboo doesn’t have knots or rays, which means it can withstand greater stress levels along its stalk’s length.
Bamboo can handle a maximum of 52,000 pounds of pressure/square inch, which is quite remarkable for grass. Besides, it exhibits a better strength-to-weight ratio compared to graphite. You might ask if the abovementioned facts about the bamboo matter. Well, the answer is “Yes,” because when you choose structural support material, you should never pass on bamboo, considering its sterling characteristics.
Wood’s Tensile Strength
Wood is often compared to bamboo, even if bamboo is grass. However, as an anisotropic and orthotropic material, wood has tensile strengths that vary by direction. You will find the minimum tensile strength of wood at the point where the tensile strength is perpendicular to the grain, where it will often split. Hardwoods usually have a maximum tensile strength of 2,800 psi, while softwoods have an ultimate tensile strength of 300 psi.
It will be good to note that the tensile strength usually depends on the wood or bamboo manufacturing process, the purity, and the composition of the material. Besides, some elements can affect the tensile strength of wood and bamboo. These elements may include fungus, insect damage, and rot.
Bamboo reeds are usually hollow. So, you might find it hard to make strong joints with bamboo. Moreover, bamboo might be more susceptible to fire damage.
Another thing is that both wood and bamboo are vulnerable to moisture and standing water, though bamboo might be considered more moisture-resistant than wood and more mold-resistant. Yet, you still need to take care of bamboo and wood to ensure they can better withstand moisture and mold. Hence, if you don’t provide them with the proper finish, soon they will be affected by moisture and UV light and be susceptible to staining.
Likewise, wood and bamboo are susceptible to mold growth if you don’t provide them with the right finish. Hence, if you can’t finish them well, don’t use them in areas that get exposed to moisture and standing water.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bamboo
Having known the different qualities of bamboo that make it a perfect choice for some of your projects, it will also help if you are cognizant of the following FAQs about bamboo, for they might also be the questions you have in mind:
Is Oak Weaker than Bamboo?
If you compare the Janka hardness rating of both bamboo and oak, you will discover that bamboo has a higher Janka rating than oak. As such, it is pretty logical to conclude that bamboo is stronger than oak. As mentioned above, bamboo has a Janka hardness rating of 1,200 to 1,400, while oak has a Janka rating of 1,290.
Which is Stronger: Maple or Bamboo?
Maple might be considered one of the hardest and densest hardwoods used in furniture and other applications. Yet, its Janka hardness rating is only 1,450, compared to bamboo, whose Janka hardness rating is anywhere between 1,200 to 2,000. Besides, the strand-woven bamboo might have a rating of 3,500 to 5,500, meaning bamboo might be far more robust than maple.
Which Is Stronger: Bamboo or Concrete?
If you distinguish between tensile and compressive strength, you will see that bamboo has better compressive strength than many concrete mixtures. You can use bamboo, therefore, as reinforcement for your concrete. Nevertheless, bamboo might shrink through the years due to other factors like insect attacks and fungus. So, it will be best if you treat it well to ensure it will not be susceptible to these attacks. This shrinkage over time can prove problematic if you use bamboo as reinforcement for concrete.
Can You Use Bamboo for Furniture?
Yes, you can use bamboo for furniture, which will prove strong enough for your furniture. As mentioned above, bamboo exhibits high compressive strength, density, bending strength, and stiffness. These characteristics are necessary for furniture materials to last for decades. You can also use bamboo for outdoor and indoor furniture for its high dimensional stability.
You can buy bamboo in planks or panels. Besides, the fibers of bamboo are so dense that they can provide excellent flexibility to your furniture. Similarly, some species of bamboo are even harder than concrete and metal. So, it is not superfluous to recommend bamboo for many woodworking projects.
You can use bamboo for making furniture like a coffee table, storage cabinet, shoe rack, folding chairs, nightstand, sofa table, benches, outdoor patio, bed frames, and bases.
You can also use bamboo when building a house. It can provide sturdy vertical frames. Moreover, bamboos that are usually used for construction are the Phyllostachys, Bambusa, and Dendrocalamus. As housing material, it could last up to 12 years sans repair, though it could last a lifetime with regular maintenance.
Is it Good to Use Bamboo for Flooring?
Bamboo is a strong material. So, it is reasonable to use it for flooring. Its excellent structural integrity can last for several years as flooring. It is also highly resistant to scratches and dents. Besides, it can withstand heavy foot traffic.
The cell structure of bamboo is dense and offers greater resistance to water. However, bamboo is not waterproof. So, if you spill water or liquid onto it, you better wipe it off quickly. Furthermore, you can also apply a sealer to improve the durability of the bamboo flooring. You can use a urethane sealer to protect the bamboo floor from discoloration, water, and warping. With a urethane coating, you can easily clean bamboo floors.
Bamboo, of course, is not the strongest material for flooring, but it is stronger than many popular options. Besides, it is even stronger than timber. So, bamboo is indeed a good option for flooring. Additionally, being water-resistant, easy on legs, scratch and dent resistant, strong, dense, hard, easy to clean, and lightweight makes it ideal for flooring.
Conclusion
Bamboo has many species, and not all bamboo species can survive in windy areas. You can also use bamboo as windbreaks, provided you choose the suitable types of bamboo, like the Stone Bamboo, Chinese Timber Bamboo, and Chusquea Gigantea. The most important thing when using bamboo is to get the correct type of bamboo. You can expect a house or furniture to last for years with the right bamboo type.
The bamboo preservation method you can employ usually hinges on several factors like whether the bamboo is dry or green, the form of bamboo (split or round), the application of the bamboo, the bamboo quantity, and the potential deterioration and decay within the area.