Prof. Thomas Böhlke
Lukas Speichinger
Cooperation Partner:
Prof. Ralf Förster, Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT)

Methodological focus: theory and numerics
Specialisation in mechanics desired
FEM knowledge required

Lukas Speichinger

Topic Description:

Bamboo has a high growth rate and mechanical properties comparable to those of wood. Bamboo is therefore of great interest as a sustainable building material and an efficient CO2 absorber. The material has a hierarchical structure and exhibits inhomogeneous and anisotropic behaviour. At the macroscopic structural level, the bamboo stem is considered, which is divided into several tubular internodes. At the intersections of the internodes, called nodes, the cavities of the internodes (lacunae) are separated by partitions (septa). The culm wall can be described as a fibre composite at the mesoscopic structural level. The bamboo fibres, called vascular bundles, run unidirectionally in the internodes and branch out in the nodes. In addition, the proportion of fibres in the culm wall increases from the inside to the outside, so that the macroscopic stiffness of the culm wall is distributed inhomogeneously. The matrix and fibre material of the culm wall have a cell structure typical of plants, which is present at the micro level. The nanostructure of bamboo is determined by the structure of the cell wall. Each level can be assigned material and structural properties that can be transferred using micromechanical methods.

The aim of this work is to explore, either individually or in a team, a sub-area of the whole structure and material complex of bamboo. The following topics are listed as examples and can be adapted according to interest:
- Macromodelling of a bamboo cane
- Characterisation of the fibre structure in knots
- Exp. Characterisation of thermo-visco
- elastic material properties
- Characterisation and reconstruction of the
- structure including cell wall
- Implementation of anisotropic mosaics