Abstract

Bamboo has remarkable properties as a construction material, being both light weight and extremely strength and durable. Moreover it grows all over the Bangladesh; a South Asian lower-middle income country where rural people is the majority of the total population. Bamboo having considerable tensile and compressive strength as a construction material is used widely in Bangladesh. But the main problem that it has is less sustainability. But if it is mixed with some durable material like mortar and concrete than its durability as well as the strength taking ability will be much higher. This study concentrates on the strength test of composite members made accompanied by bamboo.  It determines the compressive strength of bamboo, the strength of composite column made of bamboo and mortar in its hollow area, and the strength of composite column of bamboo and concrete. Different mixing ratios and cross-sectional areas are used for conducting the study. This study is performed mainly for the rural areas, where bamboo is of ample amount, steel is rare, expensive or transportation cost is high. In coastal area the economic condition of people is very poor. In such type of backward area, such study may be essential for their development as well as an assurance for low cost housing. After the study it is seen that samples constructed as aid of bamboo can offer respectable amount of strength that can be safely used for low-cost housing.

Key words: Compressive strength, column, cement, sand, sample, stone, stone chips.