Bamboo plants can be found in both tropical and non-tropical locations of the world, it is thought of as a naturally occurring, quick-growing, and renewable resource. Bamboo is seen as a good alternative for construction due to the high energy requirements of current building materials and the limited availability of other naturally occurring materials like wood., bamboo is considered a good alternative for construction. To minimize carbon footprints in the environment, the research illustrates the flexural properties of Bamboo reinforced concrete to be able to use it as a successful replacement for steel bars. To study the flexural behavior, the total reinforcement constant and partially replaced steel with bamboo at 0%, 25%, 50%, 60%, 75% & 100%. Bamboo is a versatile material that can be used in a variety of construction applications, and it can also be employed in a variety of housing applications, notably roofing, and flooring. Moreover, bamboo culms are often used directly as structural members such as beams, slabs, and columns without any alteration. Bamboo can also be used as reinforcement in concrete as a replacement for steel. The shear and flexural behavior of bamboo-reinforced concrete beams is significantly better than that of plain concrete beams. Furthermore, bamboo fiber-reinforced concrete is a good alternative to existing fiber-reinforced concrete, such as glass and steel fibers.
The cement industry, a major contributor to global CO2 emissions, urgently requires sustainable solutions that maintain or enhance material performance. This study investigates the efficacy of Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) as a partial cement replacement strategy by incorporating two distinct microorganisms, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (B1) and the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (B2), into cement mortar. The experimental design involved a significant 30% reduction in total cement content compared to the control mix, with each microorganism added at a dosage of 5% by cement weight. Flexural performance was assessed via three-point bending tests at 7, 28, and 56 days. Microstructural and chemical analyses were conducted using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of both microorganisms effectively compensated for the reduced cement content, with the A. fumigatus mix (B2) showing a marked enhancement in flexural behavior, achieving a 4.3% increase over the full-cement control mix at 56 days. This superior flexural performance is attributed to its hyphal scaffolding and crack-bridging effect, which contributes to improved toughness. XRD and XRF analyses confirmed the formation of additional biogenic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and provided qualitative insights into matrix densification. This study validates the use of A. fumigatus via the MICP technique as a structurally efficient and eco-friendly pathway to produce high-performance mortars with enhanced flexural properties and a substantially reduced carbon footprint, offering a critical alternative for sustainable cementitious materials.