Recent progress in engineered bamboo development

This paper provides a state of the art summary on the innovations and development in engineered bamboo materials and manufacture, mostly in recent ten years. The definition of engineered bamboo structures is given first as all the structures with components using bamboo as the main materials. However, the main topics discussed in this paper is on engineered bamboo structures with modifying the original round bamboo culm and mainly in the form of bamboo fiber/bundle or strips reinforced composites. Three types of engineered bamboo, plybamboo, laminated bamboo and bamboo scrimbers can be categorized and discussed in the paper. The most recent development on cross laminated bamboo and timber or CLBT is also introduced. A brief review shows that the scientific publications are increasing dramatically since the first conference on modern bamboo in 2007.