Bamboo is well known around the world for being one of the strongest, hardest, and most durable types of wood. There is a reason that it is used for many different purposes, ranging from building furniture to framing entire houses and making scaffolding in construction.
Yes, bamboo is used more in developing countries or the global South than in North America, although people in North America should really start considering using it more.
Bamboo is a fairly affordable type of wood and compared to how expensive it is, it is extremely strong. Let’s take a closer look at this material to figure out just how strong it really is.
Is Bamboo a Hardwood or a Softwood?
Bamboo is an angiosperm. This means that it has a flowering plant that produces seeds which can then die. What is really interesting to note is that most types of bamboo are evergreen in nature, whereas a select few are deciduous. This is one of the only families out there with both deciduous and evergreen varieties.
What is interesting, though, is that technically bamboo is not wood but woody grass. As such, it is neither a hardwood nor a softwood.
Bamboo Wood Strength: All You Need to Know
As mentioned above, there are several hundred different species of bamboo, so we can’t cover them all. Therefore, what we are going to do is provide you with ranges that cover most varieties.
The figures we have listed below include all types of bamboo. We would usually like to be more specific, but there is just far too much material to cover.
To determine exactly how strong bamboo is as a type of wood, there are five main factors that we need to examine, and these include the compressive strength, bending strength, stiffness, hardness, and density of the wood.
Compressive Strength
Across the various species of bamboo, the compressive strength ranges from 8,990 lbf/in2 to 13,490 lbf/in2. This is indeed very high. This compressive strength is much higher than all types of softwood that can be found in the world, as well as a vast majority of hardwoods. In this category, bamboo ranks very highly.
The compressive strength of wood may also be known as the crushing strength. This is in reference to how much weight a piece of wood can take parallel to its grain. For example, imagine a table leg standing up vertically by itself. How much weight could you pile on top of that table leg before it buckles and snaps?
Bending Strength
Bamboo features a bending strength ranging from 11,020 lbf/in2 to 24,450 lbf/in2. Even on the lower end of the spectrum, bamboo has a high bending strength. The very strongest types of bamboo have an extremely high bending strength, which puts it within the top 10% of all types of wood in the world.
The bending strength of wood may also be referred to as the modulus of rupture. This measures how much weight a piece of wood can take perpendicular to its grain. Imagine that same table we talked about above, but turned sideways so that the legs are sticking out horizontally. How much weight could you hang on those table legs before they snap?
Stiffness
Bamboo features a modulus of elasticity ranging from 2,610,000 to 2,900,000 lbf/in2. Even the lower figure there is extremely high when compared to other types of wood. This is significantly higher than all types of softwood, and also much higher than about 90% of hardwoods. It is by far one of the stiffest types of wood in the world, which is why it can be used for such a wide number of applications.
The stiffness of wood is also known as the modulus of elasticity. This refers to how much weight a piece of wood can take in its center before it begins to sag or bend. Imagine that same table we talked about above and picture yourself standing on top of it. How much weight would you have to be holding in your hands to cause that table to sag and bend?
Hardness
Bamboo ranges in hardness from 1,410 lbf to 1,610 lbf. Now, in terms of overall hardness, bamboo is fairly moderate to moderately hard. It is much harder than all types of softwood and is on par with some really good types of hardwood as well.
With that being said, there are still many other types of hardwood that are much harder than bamboo. This is one of the only categories where bamboo ranks comparatively low.
The hardness of wood refers to how hard that outer surface is, or simply put, how resistant it is to denting and scratching. This is typically measured on the Janka hardness scale.
Density
Bamboo features a density ranging from 31 lbs/ft3 to 53 lbs/ft3. Even on the lower end of the spectrum, bamboo tends to be heavier than virtually all types of softwood.
If we are talking about the higher end of the spectrum, bamboo is about on par or slightly heavier than most types of hardwood. Even though some types of bamboo do have some weight to them, it’s definitely not the heaviest type of wood around.
The density of wood refers to how heavy it is based on a specific size. This is usually measured in pounds per cubic foot or kilograms per cubic meter.
Is Bamboo Strong?
If we are talking about compressive strength, the modulus of rupture, and the modulus of elasticity, then yes, bamboo is strong, and in fact, is extremely strong.
This is one of the strongest types of “wood” in the world, which is why it is often used for making furniture, construction, and scaffolding that construction workers climb up. Although it is not the number one heaviest or hardest wood in the world, it still ranks fairly high in those categories as well.
Summary
There is a reason bamboo is such a popular wood, and that’s because it’s strong. It takes a lot to make it bend, it doesn’t compress easily, and it can bear a whole lot of weight.