In this study, Dendrocalamus giganteus bamboo splints (split culm) embedded in soil-cement specimens were submitted to pull-out and push-in tests in order to determine its bonding strength. For this purpose a sandy soil was utilized. The 15.0 cm diameter and 30.0 cm high soil-cement specimens were moulded with 14% cement at 10.7% optimum moisture. Bamboo splints were manually prepared to have precisely 2 cm width and 40.0, 50.0, and 60.0 cm lengths and embedment depths of 10.0, 20.0, and 30.0 cm, respectively. The bamboo splints were divided in two groups: the first group comprising of splints with no waterproofing treatment, and the second group consisted of seasoned (dry) splints with asphalt emulsion sprinkled with coarse clean sand to produce a rough surface and to insure positive bond with soil-cement. The bond strength was determined by dividing the ultimate pull-out load by the embedded bamboo splint's lateral area. The experimental data were statistically analyzed and the treatments were applied in three replications. The best results were obtained for control condition (bamboo splint without asphalt emulsion coat and coarse sand sprinkling) in the pull-out test. No statistical difference was found between the treatments in the push-in test.
soil-cement; bamboo; bonding; pull-out; push-in
