FLEXURAL STRENGTH ANALYSIS OF LAMINATED BAMBOO SLATS (BAMBUSA ARUNDINACEA) FOR CONSTRUCTING A SMALL FISHING BOAT SHELLS

Abstract

Because of the advantages of bamboo and the decreasing supply of teak, as a material for the construction of small Indonesian fishing boats, bamboo becomes an alternative substitute for teak as a common material to construct this type of boat. There are many bamboo species and populations in Indonesia which form the basis for selecting an advanced alternative material to construct fishing boats. This study discusses the mechanical properties of laminated bamboo slats, with a polyamide epoxy adhesive made by employing a manual cold press method. The type of bamboo used was the Bambusa Arundinacea variety that was greater than 3 years old. The bamboo laminate flexural strength was tested using the ASTM D 3043 Standard. The results of these tests revealed that the flexural strength of the laminated bamboo slats provided bending strengths of MOR and MOE values of 84.12 MPa and 18.04 GPa respectively. By using MOR and MOE values, and based on Bureau Classification of Indonesia (BKI), the shell thickness of 30 GT a fishing boat was calculated to be 25 -28 mm (bottom shell) and 19 -21 mm (side shell). These dimensions showed that the shell thickness can be reduced up to 33.3% when compared with teak (Tectona Grandis ) and the total volume of shell material to build a 30 GT of fishing boat, can be reduced by approximately 30%. The flexural strength of the bamboo slat laminate was shown to be 20% higher than 2nd class solid teak.