To elucidate the material science principles underlying the empirical belief that aged bamboo yields superior acoustics, this study investigates aging-induced changes in the acoustic performance of Jinghu, a traditional Chinese bowed-string instrument, using bamboo soundboxes subjected to three natural aging durations: 86 years (XP-86), 46 years (XP-46), and 3 years (XP-3). A multi-scale approach that spans macro-to-micro dimensions and structural-to-compositional perspectives was employed to characterize vibrational efficiency and timber quality. Long-term natural aging effectively minimizes internal interfacial energy dissipation. XP-86 exhibited the optimal synergy between stiffness and damping, achieving superior vibration transmission and tonal depth. Compared with XP-3, XP-86 exhibited a higher natural frequency (2417.50 Hz) and dynamic modulus of elasticity (9.70 GPa), while maintaining lower damping, a smoother frequency response, and more uniform modal distribution. Therefore, XP-86 showed the best overall stiffness–damping balance rather than the maximum value for every individual parameter. These enhancements stem from structural-compositional co-evolution. Specifically, the microfibril angle (MFA) decreased from 6.51° to 6.18°, optimizing the conductive framework. Degradation of starch granules reduced non-elastic friction loss. At the chemical level, hemicellulose degradation and lignin condensation and densification, as indicated by decreases in β-O-4 linkages and the syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio (S/G ratio), enhanced cell-wall rigidity and structural stability. This study provides a rigorous theoretical foundation for the empirical ripening of bamboo, linking microscopic molecular reorganization to macroscopic acoustic excellence.

Bamboo is a renewable material widely used in traditional Chinese musical instruments, but its vibration behavior is sensitive to moisture. This study investigated how moisture content affects the vibration behavior of Jinghu bamboo soundboxes. Three Xipi and three Erhuang specimens were conditioned by soaking and drying to obtain 11 moisture states (M0–M10). Time domain responses, frequency response functions, natural frequencies, damping ratios, mode shapes, and a frequency-mass-based estimated structural stiffness index were evaluated using impact hammer testing and experimental modal analysis. Three individual Xipi soundboxes with nominal storage durations of 3, 46, and 86 years were examined before and after conditioning at 20 °C and 60% relative humidity as an exploratory case comparison. Both types showed stronger vibration responses at intermediate moisture levels, whereas nearly dry and nearly saturated conditions produced weaker responses. Increasing moisture generally lowered resonance frequencies and estimated structural stiffness index, while damping ratios were higher at the moisture extremes. Under the present test conditions, Xipi specimens exhibited a higher estimated structural stiffness index and stronger mid- to high-frequency responses than Erhuang specimens. Given the differences in specimen geometry and mass, these variations are interpreted as reflecting whole-structure dynamic responses rather than intrinsic differences in material properties. In the exploratory comparison, XP-86 showed the largest change, with a 61.17% decrease in fundamental frequency and the development of surface cracks. Given the limited number of independent specimens, the results are interpreted descriptively rather than as statistically generalizable effects. These results s demonstrate the importance of humidity control during the use and preservation of Jinghu soundboxes.

Bamboo, a natural biomass material with a unique gradient structure and excellent mechanical properties, has received increasing attention owing to its high strength, toughness, and efficient utilization potential. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the mechanisms and applications of the high strength and toughness of bamboo to elucidate the underlying principles in mechanics and materials science. First, the biological mechanisms responsible for the high strength and toughness of bamboo are examined from three aspects: multiphase composite structure, multilevel hierarchical organization, and multilevel structural optimization. Second, the environmental mechanisms are summarized from two perspectives: the effects of moisture on tissue structure and the influence of temperature on chemical composition. Finally, future research and development directions are outlined, particularly regarding the mechanisms underlying high strength and toughness, advanced material development, and practical applications. This systematic review provides detailed insights into the toughening and strengthening mechanisms of bamboo as a natural composite material. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the design of high-performance biomimetic materials and the high-value utilization of bamboo.

Addressing the issue that thick bamboo slices (≥ 1 mm) exhibit high bending stiffness and cause premature cutting-tip splitting, resulting in poor surface quality. This study investigated the effects of saturated steam treatment on the surface quality and mechanical properties of the bamboo during slicing process, and analyzed physicochemical mechanisms through XRD, FTIR, and SEM test. The results show that chemical functional groups, microstructure, and relative crystallinity of bamboo were changed, glass transition temperature and bending stiffness was reduced, and Mode I fracture toughness was enhanced, so that saturated steam treatment mitigates the degree of premature splitting during slicing and significantly improves surface quality. Under optimal softening conditions (160 °C/10 min), saturated steam treatment reduced sliced surface roughness by 37.98 G_IC increased by 179.08

The multi-layered and multi-scale refined structure of bamboo gives bamboo musical instruments a unique tonal quality. This study employed heat treatment to enhance the acoustic vibration stability of bamboo materials. The hammering method was subsequently employed for conducting multi-point impact excitation tests on instrument-grade bamboo, and the resulting vibration response was subjected to modal analysis. Next, we investigated the acoustic vibration characteristics of bamboo, including its sound vibration efficiency, timbre, and acoustic stability, in terms of its macroscopic gradient structure, ultra-microstructure, molecular scale, key components, and pore structure. Modal analysis revealed that the first three damping ratios of Xipi were 94.55%, 7.89%, and 26.60% higher than those of Erhuang, respectively. The relative stiffness of Xipi across the first three modes was 1.22, 1.22, and 1.18 times that of Erhuang, indicating a generally higher structural rigidity. The first three natural frequencies of Xipi were approximately 1.20, 1.20, and 1.19 times higher than those of Erhuang, and its fundamental transfer function value was 1.5 times greater, suggesting a lower susceptibility to low-frequency resonance. Modal shapes showed distinct vibration behaviors between the two types: Xipi exhibited a more effective energy transmission path in the second mode and less structural distortion in the third mode, potentially indicating higher structural integrity. This research provides support for developing new technologies to select and process bamboo materials for musical instruments.

After millions of years of natural evolution, bamboo stems have formed exquisite variable cross-section hollow multi-node structures that are lightweight, tough, and stable. Bamboo is difficult to break and damage from the roots under dynamic loads, providing an important reference for te biomimetic design of lightweight components. This paper investigates the structural characteristics and variation patterns of bamboo stems and subsequently proposes an imitation bamboo stem structure design strategy for engineering structural members, namely, imitation bamboo double-jointed columns (IDJC). We establish a macro scale finite element model to predict the mechanical properties and failure modes of the IDJC under cyclic bending loads, and validate the model using experimental and analytical methods. The simulation and experimental results show that compared with traditional double-jointed columns (DJC), the weight of the IDJC is reduced by 41.7 %. Under bending load, the compressive stress of each section is approximately equal, reducing stress concentration, and increasing bending resistance. The strength to weight ratio of IDJC is 1.96 times that of DJC, indicating lightweight and high-strength characteristics. The stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and damping and vibration reduction performance of the IDJC were also evaluated. The results showed that compared with the DJC, the stiffness degradation rate of the IDJC decreased by 6.87 times, the energy dissipation rate increased by 1.07 times, and the damping and vibration reduction performance improved by 48.40 %, reflecting a high stability and robust vibration reduction performance. The results demonstrate the potential application of biomimetic structures for the development and design of resource-rich, low-carbon, and sustainable bamboo for bamboo engineering members with excellent performance and functionality. Biomimetic structures have great potential in replacing nonrenewable structural materials in the fields of civil engineering and transportation.

The nodal feature in bamboo is a unique structural characteristic that allows it to withstand wind and snow loads. It utilizes its lightweight strength and toughness to maintain structural stability. The bamboo node’s special morphological coupling of coarse and fine vascular bundles, high-angle deviation of microfibers, and ingenious hierarchical three-dimensional structure have complex interactive effects on its fracture modes. In this study, we employed in-situ loading-electron microscopy linkage and pendulum impact-high-speed camera combination to observe the fracture process of bamboo materials under quasi-static and dynamic loads, as well as their asymmetric bending failure behavior. Additionally, micro-computerized tomography (micro-CT) reconstruction was employed to examine the high-resolution three-dimensional reticulated interweaving structure at the bamboo node, aiming to uncover the physical mechanisms underlying its robustness. Our findings revealed that bamboo utilizes a strategy of "retreating for advancement" at its node. This involves the synergistic interaction of transverse vascular bundles (TVBs) and bulky axial vascular bundles (AVBs), an increase in fiber volume fractions, enhanced lignin concentration, and adjustments in microfiber angles and degree of crystallinity. These measures effectively reduce tearing, slippage, and delamination of fibers from shear stress, increase crack propagation paths, and optimize crack deflection direction, thereby enhancing the overall strength and toughness at the bamboo nodes. When impact loads are applied from the side of the green bamboo, cracks show remarkable "jumping" evasion and deflect around the node, extending the path of crack propagation, and thereby improving the fracture toughness at the nodes. The three-point bending fracture characteristics at the bamboo node exhibit asymmetric mechanical behavior due to the functionally graded structure of the vascular bundle. Moreover, the presence of transverse vascular bundle obstacles and longitudinal fiber orientation leads to different crack propagation methods. When loading is applied from the side of the green bamboo, the impact bending strength, maximum impact force, fracture energy, and modules of rupture (MOR) are respectively 0.97 times, 1.08 times, 1.72 times, and 1.15 times compared to loading from the bamboo yellow side.

In the context of the "bamboo as a substitute for plastic" initiative and global restrictions on plastic, the substitution of plastic buttons with bamboo buttons offers significant advantages in terms of resource efficiency, environmental impact, and ecological benefits. This study demonstrated the preparation of bamboo buttons by the manufacturing method of plastic buttons. Then the bamboo buttons were heat-treated to improve their application properties as garment fasteners. It was to explore the application performance and the underlying influencing mechanism of bamboo buttons, encompassing the morphology, physical and chemical properties, color variation, versatility in different scenarios, and mechanical properties of bamboo buttons. The findings demonstrated that heat treatment process had the potential to enhance the surface color uniformity and richness of bamboo buttons. Moreover, a satisfactory linear relationship was observed between the major components of bamboo buttons and the color index. Lignin played a major role in color index, which was negatively correlated with brightness index (L*) and yellow-blue index (a*), and positively correlated with red-green index (b*) and total chromatic difference (Delta E-ab*). Color variations were observed in bamboo buttons by washing with seawater, chlorine water, and soap (40 degrees C, 50 degrees C, 60 degrees C, and 95 degrees C). The tensile strength of the bamboo buttonhole gradually decreased from 291.84 +/- 28.10 N to 136.69 +/- 25.19 N as the temperature increased. However, bamboo buttons met the requirements for light duty applications. The fracture morphology of bamboo buttons was categorized into four forms: linearity, stair pattern, parallel lines, and Y shape. All broken bamboo buttons exhibited fractures along the fiber direction and within the intercellular layer, mainly attributed to the differences in chemical composition between the cell wall and the intercellular layer. This research could provide a theoretical foundation for the promotion and application of bamboo buttons.

The development of modern construction and transportation industries demands increasingly high requirements for thin, lightweight, high-strength, and highly tough composite materials, such as metal carbides and concrete. Bamboo is a green, low-carbon, fast-growing, renewable, and biodegradable material with high strength and toughness. However, the density of its inner layer is low due to the functional gradient (the volume fraction of vascular bundles decreases from the outer layer to the inner layer), resulting in low performance, high compressibility, and significant amounts of bamboo waste. We utilized chemical and mechanical treatments of bamboo's low-density, low-strength inner layers to create lightweight, ultra-thin, high-strength, and high-toughness composites. The treatment included the partial removal of lignin and hemicellulose to alter the chemical components, followed by mechanical drying and hot pressing. The treated bamboo had 100.8 % higher tensile strength (150.35 MPa), 47.7 % higher flexural strength (97.67 MPa), and 132.0 % higher water resistance and was approximately 68.9 % thinner than the natural bamboo. The excellent physical and mechanical properties of the treated bamboo are attributed to the contraction of parenchyma cells during delignification, the interlocking due to the collapse of parenchyma cells during mechanical drying, and an increase in the density of hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecular chains during hot pressing. Our research provides a new strategy for obtaining sustainable, ultra-thin, lightweight, high-strength, and high-toughness composite materials from bamboo for construction and transportation applications.

An energy-efficient and environmentally conscious bamboo-constructed residential structure was created, comprising bamboo composite panels, steel framework, and mineral wool insulation. To ascertain the efficacy of this particular type of wall in enhancing thermal capabilities, the finite element method was employed to analyze the factors influencing the thermal performance of the exterior wall panels, insulation layer, framework, and interior wall panels. A more judicious design and implementation strategy, known as the 3# and 8# combination scheme, was evaluated in practical applications to assess the thermal efficiency of the wall system. The findings indicated that augmenting the thickness of the inner and outer wall panels and insulation layer, reducing the framework thickness, and incorporating wooden framework as a substitute for steel framework within a certain range enhanced the thermal capabilities of bamboo-constructed walls and mitigated the adverse effects of thermal bridges. The thermal performance of the residences employing the newly developed bamboo-constructed walls surpassed that of conventional iron container houses, thereby warranting broader adoption and application in practical projects. These outcomes offer valuable insights for the optimized design of thermal performance in bamboo-constructed walls.

Large-format bamboo panels prepared by bamboo flattening are adhesive-free and retain the natural structure of bamboo, making them ideal materials for interior architecture. However, due to poor dimensional stability and vibration-reducing properties, flattened bamboo easily deforms and vibrates when applied to building walls and floors due to ambient humidity changes or external excitation, impacting both comfort and structural safety. In this work, a clean, efficient, and simple densification process for flattened bamboo is developed to prepare lowcarbon bamboo building materials with enhanced vibration reduction. The results indicated that the densification process reduced the vibration intensity of the flattened bamboo under excitation, changed its vibrational modes, avoided low-frequency resonance, and improved its vibration reduction and suppression properties. The dynamic stiffness of the densified bamboo increased to 3.23-3.63 times, while the root mean square (RMS) and transfer function value decreased by 20.84 % and 62.5 %, respectively. The MOE (16.2 GPa) and MOR (276 MPa) increased to 2.73 times and 2.22 times, respectively. The densified bamboo met the dimensional stability requirements of the GB/T 18102-2020 building material standards. Compared with damping, the increased stiffness played the primary role in improving the vibration-reducing properties of densified bamboo. The hydrothermal mechanical treatment changed the structure and composition. From a macroscopic perspective, the gradient structure of the vascular bundles and parenchyma cells was gradually plasticized and homogenized, compacting large capillary pores and channels such as those in parenchyma cells, vessels, and sieve tubes. On a microscopic level, defects such as pits, intercellular spaces, and micropores were filled, and microfibrils between the middle lamellae were tightly stacked, forming a mechanically-interlocked structure. At the molecular scale, there was an increase in the crystallinity and orientation of cellulose molecular chains, accompanied by an increase in hydrogen bond density. The densified bamboo developed in this study shows good application potential for vibration-reduction structures such as buildings and rail transit.

Bamboo scrimber is a new type of biomass fiber-based composite material with broad application. In this study, self-developed bio-oil phenolic resin (BPF) was used to prepare bamboo scrimber. The effects of hot-pressing temperature, hot-pressing time, and BPF resin solid content on the modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were systematically investigated through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). According to the Box-Behnken design (BBD) experiment of the RSM, the effects of all three factors on MOR and MOE are significant. The effects of the main factors affecting the MOR and MOE decreased in the order of resin solid content, hot-pressing temperature, and hot-pressing time. Based on BBD, the optimal conditions for the preparation of bamboo scrimber were determined as follows: a hot-pressing temperature of 150 °C, a hot-pressing time of 27.5 min, and a resin solid content of 29%. Under these conditions, the MOR is 150.05 MPa and the MOE is 12,802 MPa, which are close to the theoretical values, indicating that the optimization results are credible. This study helps to promote the full utilization of bamboo components and provides a reference for the development of high-quality bamboo scrimber.

Disposable plastic meal boxes account for a significant proportion of global plastic pollution, which has caused an increasingly urgent need for substitution with biodegradable plant fiber-molded meal boxes. Compared to other chemical-mechanical pulp pre-treatment methods, steam explosion is a more efficient and clean approach for the preparation of molded meal boxes. In this study, disposable bamboo fiber meal boxes made from steam-exploded pulp (SEP) were prepared using steam explosion. The results showed that the meal boxes prepared using this method had a compact interweaving structure, good tensile performance (with a tensile modulus 1.9 times higher than that of meal boxes prepared using chemical-mechanical pulp (CMP)), excellent water resistance (with a permeability 0.58 times lower than that of CMP), high compression strength, and excellent toughness. After being discarded, SEP was found to have no adverse effects on the soil pH or electrical conductivity (EC) during the degradation process. Furthermore, it could increase the levels of major nutrients for plant growth, such as N and P, improve the C/N ratio, enhance microbial activity, and improve soil fertility. Moreover, the CO2 release rate during the entire degradation process was found to be low. Thus, the bamboo fiber meal boxes developed in this study can alleviate the environmental pressure caused by the greenhouse effect, thereby achieving a green life cycle of highly efficient preparation, stable use, and beneficial degradation.

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant with properties such as low cost, abundant resources, and good carbon sequestration effect. However, the swift growth of bamboo resources generates an immense quantity of processing waste, which is necessary to effectively utilize bamboo processing waste. The leftovers from bamboo processing can be reutilized by fast pyrolysis to prepare renewable bio-oil. In this study, bamboo bio-oil was partially substituted for phenol to synthesize phenolic resin with different substitution rates under the action of an alkaline catalyst, and then to serve as the adhesive to produce bamboo scrimber. Bamboo bundles were impregnated with synthetic bio-oil phenolic resin to create bamboo scrimber, which was subsequently hot-pressed. The research shows that modified phenolic resins with a bio-oil substitution rate of under 30% have good physical and chemical properties, while the free aldehyde content of phenolic resin with 40% bio-oil substitution exceeds the limit value (0.3%) specified in the Chinese National Standard. The thermal stability of phenolic resins was also increased after bio-oil modification, indicated by the movement of the TG curve to higher temperature ranges. It was found that the bamboo scrimber prepared with 20% BPF resin adhesive had the best comprehensive properties of a good mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, and mildew resistance, particularly with an elastic modulus of 9269 MPa and a static bending strength of 143 MPa. The microscopic morphology showed that the BPF resin was well impregnated into the interior of the bamboo bundle and had a compact bonding structure within the bamboo scrimber. The anti-mold performance experiment found that the bio-oil-modified resin increased the anti-mold level of the bamboo scrimber from slightly corrosion-resistant to strong corrosion-resistant. The conclusions obtained from this study have a good reference value for achieving the comprehensive utilization of bamboo, helping to promote the use of all components, reduce the production cost of bamboo scrimber, and improve its mildew resistance performance. This provides new ideas for the development of low-cost mildew resistant bamboo scrimber novel materials.

The industrial development of high -value bamboo fiber -based composites is a crucial direction for advancing the bamboo industry in Africa, and investigating the actual outdoor aging of materials could provide more accurate references for material design and applications. This study explored the adaptability of highland bamboo from Ethiopia in industrial moso bamboo bundle laminated veneer lumber (MBLVL) to develop unique the HBLVL products specific to Africa. The durability of samples was studied for one year in an outdoor environment. The results revealed that the vascular bundle volume fraction, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of highland bamboo (57.25 %, 193.89 MPa, and 18.47 GPa) were superior to those of moso bamboo (34.42 %, 140.81 MPa, and 10.25 GPa), and the HBLVL (168.98 MPa and 20.51 GPa) exhibited a higher flexural strength and flexural modulus than the MBLVL (117.60 MPa and 10.74 GPa). Although outdoor aging produced surface cracks, darker colors, and lignin degradation, the fundamental physical and mechanical properties of both the HBLVL and the MBLVL remained stable. This study 's findings provide a theoretical basis for the efficient utilization of African bamboo resources and for the industrial production of the HBLVL, as well as experimental data for future outdoor aging research.

The special melodious timbre of bamboo musical instruments is closely related to the multi-level, multi-scale, delicate structure of bamboo. In this study, the influence of different excitation surfaces, bamboo height, and bamboo age on acoustic vibration performance was investigated. The mechanism of the influence of the bamboo tissue structure on its acoustic properties was further investigated. The results show that the acoustic conversion efficiency (ACE) of the bamboo-green side is 1307.42 m(4)/kg center dot s, which is higher than that of the bamboo-yellow side (1218.60 m(4)/kg center dot s). The E'/G' ratio from the bamboo-green side is 8.21, lower than that of the bambooyellow side (8.45). The comprehensive acoustic performance near the root (0-1.6 m) of the plant is optimal and has the maximum ACE value; ACE value decreases gradually from root to tip. The comprehensive acoustic properties of 8-year-old bamboo are the best compared to other ages. The ACE values of 2-year-old, 5-year-old, and 8-year-old bamboo are 997.37 m(4)/kg center dot s, 1284.19 m(4)/kg center dot s, and 1355.82 m4/kg center dot s with E'/G' of 8.34, 8.64, and 9.49, respectively. A highly oriented vascular fiber is conductive to the vibrational efficiency of bamboo, while loose and porous parenchyma cells play a resonant and tonal role. Highly oriented microfibrils and a large number of pores with diameter > 50 nm create a sound transmission channel and resonance cavity, which is the structural basis of the clear timbre of bamboo. However, a damping dissipation effect is produced affecting the vibration capacity and vibration energy transfer of the cellulose microfibril when abundant pores < 50 nm in size are located in lignin and between hemicellulose and cellulose skeletons. The content of the matrix composed of hemicellulose and lignin in the cell wall creates a chemical material basis that affects the acoustic performance of bamboo. The structural characteristics of bamboo, including directional gradient structure, fiber-parenchyma two-phase composite structure, and muli-scale pore structure, as well as key chemical "rebar-cement-sand" components of the rigid cellulose macromolecular chain, viscoelastic hemicellulose, and lignin have synergistic effects on bamboo acoustic vibration performance.

Bamboo is a fast-growing biomaterial with excellent mechanical properties, which can be used for different applications, such as bridges and automobiles. This study employed the split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB) tests with the strain rate changed from 600 s-1 to 1200 s-1 and quasi-static tensile tests to investigate the dynamic tensile failure of Moso bamboo material systematically. Specimens' mechanical properties, stress-strain responses, and tensile failure mechanism were discussed. Results showed that the tensile performance of both internode and node specimens improved with increasing strain rate. The dynamic increase factor (DIF) of node specimens was more significant than that of internode specimens. The fibers pulling out, interlocking effect and slippage failure are important failure mechanisms of brittle-ductile transition. The crack deflection, fibers pulling out, interlocking effect, synergistic deformation and slippage can be considered critical toughening mechanisms. This study fills the knowledge gaps between strain rate and dynamic tensile fracture mechanisms of bamboo material and provides a reference for dynamic engineering applications of bamboo.

Bamboo engineering materials are made from abundant raw material sources and can be easily prepared with minimal processing and low pollution. However, when used as structural materials, they are limited by their weight, strength, and lack of stable designability. The use of laminated structure and a gluing interface are key factors affecting the performance of bamboo engineering materials. Bamboo exhibits excellent toughness and strength when resisting external forces, with a multi-level interlocking reinforced interface with bamboo’s intercellular layer that induces an increase in crack deflection paths (internal toughening) and cell wall energy consumption (external toughening) coupled to microfibril pulling out. Inspired by the functionally graded structure of the lightweight and high-strength bamboo wall layer and the interlocking reinforced interface between vascular bundles and parenchyma cells, we designed a high-performance bamboo engineering material designed to imitate bamboo, Imitation Bamboo Bundle Laminated Veneer Lumber (IBLVL), prepared by uniform lamination and gradient molding. The designed IBLVL is light in weight, with high strength and uniform density. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using resource-rich and sustainable bamboo to manufacture light-weight bamboo engineering materials with high strength and high toughness that can be substituted for non-renewable resources in the fields of construction and transportation.

The cyclic loading performance of bamboo double-jointed components of different column base connection types was investigated through reversed cyclic loading tests and finite element analysis. Test results indicated that the types of column base connections played an important role in the failure modes of the engineered bamboo double-jointed columns: for an encased steel plate column base connection, the main failure mode was tensile fracture failure of the bamboo scrimber section at the bottom of the cladding plate; for a slotted-in steel plate column base connection, the main failure mode was splitting failure of the bamboo scrimber cross-grain at the bolt connection line at the bottom of the sheathing plate. The initial stiffness of the encased steel plate column base connection specimen was 41.8% higher than that of the slotted-in steel plate column base connection specimen, with the two specimens having similar average bearing capacities. The ductility ratio of the two specimens was below 3.0 due to the brittle failure nature of the engineered bamboo connections. The finite element model accurately predicted the ultimate bearing capacity of the double-jointed bamboo column members. The modeling error was within 12%, which was sufficient to satisfy the accuracy requirements for engineering purposes.

Bamboo is a typical biological material widely growing in nature with excellent physical and mechanical properties. It is lightweight with high strength and toughness. The naturally optimized bamboo structure, which has inspired global material scientists and engineers for decades, is significantly important for the bionic design of novel structural materials with ultra-light, ultra-strong, or ultra-tough and comprehensive properties. Typical literature on innovative composite materials and structural members inspired by bamboo are reviewed in this paper, and the research progress and prospects in this field are expounded in three parts. First, the structural characteristics of the bamboo wall layer along the thickness and height directions are described in terms of chemical composition, gradient structure, pore structure, and hollow structure with variable cross-section. Second, this paper summarizes the research progress on new composite materials and structural components by applying bamboo’s structural features from the perspective of sustainability, designability, and customization. Finally, given the limitations of current research, the biomimetic scientific research on bamboo’s structural characteristics is prospected from the interpretation of bamboo structure, new bamboo-like materials, and structural design optimization perspectives, providing a reference for future research on biomimetic aspects of biomass.