Engineered Bamboo for Sustainable Construction: A Systematic Review of Characterization Methods

Engineered bamboo has been considered a viable replacement for traditional wood and steel for structural and architectural purposes due to its renewable nature, high strength, and compatibility with different processing techniques. This systematic review analyzed the literature on the mechanical properties and processing techniques of engineered bamboo products, which include bamboo scrimber and laminated bamboo. The literature included in this systematic review was extracted from the Engineering Village platform. The studies retrieved from this platform were filtered to only have been published in top journals (Q1/Q2) related to engineering materials, materials science, and the construction industry. Using this methodology, from the initial 191 identified records, 51 studies that were the most relevant were chosen. The review revealed that bamboo scrimber has better performance for specific mechanical properties, which include its compressive, tensile, and bending strength. Laminated products had higher variability, which was often caused by the type of adhesive, orientation, and quality of adhesion. This study also identified the details of manufacturing processes, such as the adhesive systems, pre-treatment methods, and pressing conditions used. Moreover, the literature exhibited considerable inconsistencies in testing standards, reporting practices, and long-term durability evaluations. This review highlights these challenges and provides recommendations for future research to resolve these issues.