Glued laminated bamboo (glubam) is a type of engineered bamboo that resembles timber-based glued laminated lumber (glulam). The glubam components are made by laminating 20- to $40\text{-}\mathrm{mm}\text{-}\mathrm{thick}$ engineered bamboo boards; thus, the performance is determined by the quality and properties of the laminated boards. A comprehensive testing program was conducted on typical engineered bamboo boards. The experiments were performed according to the general requirements given by international standards; however, the size of specimens and loading jigs were redesigned according to the modular thickness of typical bamboo boards. Mechanical behaviors and failure modes of the specimens under 15 stress conditions are reported, along with the surface strain distribution recorded through digital image correlation (DIC). A simple design-oriented axial stress–strain model is proposed, and strength values, including the corresponding coefficient of variance (COV), are calculated and provided. A comparison of characteristic strength values between engineered bamboo and typical wood products is also given in this research.

This article presents a comprehensive and critical review of the structural performances of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams and columns based on experimental results reported in the literature. Extensive data sets collected from the literature are categorized to investigate the effects on the local and global structural behavior. First, the flexural and shear response of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams is discussed. The structural performances are reviewed focusing on the main geometric and material variables such as the recycled concrete aggregate replacement ratio, the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, the transverse reinforcement ratio, and the shear span-to-depth ratio. Then, the behavior of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete columns under concentric and eccentric compressive loads and the seismic performance under low cyclic loading are discussed. The similarities and the differences between reinforced recycled aggregate concrete and reinforced natural aggregate concrete beams and columns are highlighted. The need for further research is pointed out at the end of the article. The results reported in this review clearly indicate that reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams and columns with various recycled concrete aggregate replacement ratios have comparable or slightly lower structural performances to the reinforced natural aggregate concrete ones indicating the feasibility of recycled concrete aggregate for structural applications.

The embedment behavior of plybamboo panels under dowel-type connections used for glued, laminated bamboo (GluBam) structures, was experimentally studied, following the half-hole loading method suggested by ASTM standards, further improved to deal with small-diameter connections. Embedment stress curves were obtained under six different loading directions, with three types of metal connectors, from 2-mm-diameter nails to 14-mm-diameter bolts. The corresponding compression tests in the same six directions were also performed as reference. Based on the original test data, embedment strength values were calculated as defined by ASTM standards. The maximum embedment strength observed from the tests was about 80 MPa when the nail was placed orthogonal to layers and orthogonal to fibers, and the minimum embedment strength was about 20 MPa when the nail was placed parallel to layers and parallel to fibers. Moreover, the compression curves were always below the corresponding embedment stress curves. Semiempirical regression-based capacity equations for the embedment strengths under different loading directions were given as a function of the plybamboo density and the connectors’ diameters. The 5% characteristic values and the design values of the embedment strength were estimated from test data, based on the design-by-testing method suggested in European standards. Results from this research can be used to predict the ultimate strength of GluBam connections, as well as to obtain reliable design values for engineering applications.