Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Slenderness Ratio on a Hollow Glued Bamboo Scrimber Column Under...

Hollow glued bamboo scrimber (HGBS), as a novel sustainable engineered bamboo material, exhibits considerable potential for structural engineering applications. To clarify the influence of slenderness ratio on the eccentric compression behavior of HGBS columns, an experimental and numerical investigation was conducted. A total of six HGBS specimens were tested under axial and eccentric compression to obtain their failure modes, load-displacement responses, and strain distribution characteristics. A detailed finite element model was developed in ABAQUS, in which bamboo scrimber was modeled as an orthotropic elasto-plastic material, while cohesive elements were employed to simulate the adhesive interfaces. The results indicate that HGBS columns subjected to eccentric compression exhibit pronounced axial force-bending moment interaction behavior. The average ultimate load under eccentric compression was only 17% of that under axial compression, demonstrating that the eccentric bending moment and second-order effects play a dominant role in reducing the load-carrying capacity. The finite element predictions agreed well with the experimental results, with deviations within 10%, confirming the reliability of the numerical model. Parametric analyses revealed that, as the slenderness ratio increased (corresponding to an increase in column height from 300 mm to 3000 mm), the ultimate load decreased from 104.17 kN to 28.20 kN, while lateral deformation and global instability became increasingly significant. The study elucidates the key influence of slenderness ratio on the eccentric compression performance of HGBS columns and provides a useful analytical basis for the design and application of engineered bamboo columns.