Economic Comparison: Bamboocrete Multi-Purpose Panel and Typical Reinforced Concrete Panel

This study investigated the economic comparison between bamboo reinforced concrete called Bamboocrete with the conventional reinforced concrete panel. Materials contribute significantly to the construction cost. Bamboo can be an alternative to replace steel bars in typical reinforced concrete as it is low in cost and a sustainable material. To optimize the benefit, this study used whole solid bamboo as the reinforcement as well as to reduce the amount of concrete in the panel, thus reducing the panel weight. Furthermore, the concrete used is lightweight concrete by partially replacing coarse aggregate with Palm Kernel Shell (PKS). The Bamboocrete panel at 1 500 mm height, 300 mm width, and 125 mm thick can sustain the axial load of more than 100 KN (10 ton), and flexural bending load between 32.51 to 35.20 kN. Bamboocrete panels contribute towards economical building structures when it is 14% cheaper than steel reinforced concrete. Furthermore, bamboo panels are 23% lighter.