RT Journal Article T1 Mechanical Properties of Three Bamboo Species: Effect of External Climatic Conditions and Fungal Infestation in Laboratory Conditions A1 Elejoste, Asier A1 Osa, Juan Luis A1 Arevalillo-Roman, Alfonso A1 Eceiza, Arantxa A1 Abascal, Jose Miguel A1 Rico-Martinez, Jose Miguel A1 Butron, Amaia A1 Peña-Rodriguez, Cristina AB Bamboo is a material with good tensile and flexural resistance. As a construction material with structural capacity, using bamboo implies considerable environmental advantages in relation to other typical materials such as steel or concrete. For its correct implementation, it is necessary to define its mechanical properties and durability. Bamboo is susceptible to degradation due to the lack of natural toxins and thin walls, which means that shallow decomposition processes can imply appreciable reductions in its mechanical capacity. The main degrading agents considered in this study were beetles, termites, and xylophagous fungi. The aim of this study was to analyze the durability of three different species: DS, PA, and AA. Durability and mechanical tests results after 6 months of exposure to biotic and abiotic agents were compared with their original properties and chemical composition. In this study, durability was analyzed in two ways. Firstly, the loss of mass due to fungal infection was investigated. The results obtained were based on the standard EN 113 using the fungus CP. Secondly, bending and compressive strength was evaluated after a durability test according to the standard EN 335:2013 for the CU3.1 use class after a 6 month period in the city of Donostia/San Sebastian, Spain. The DS and AA varieties were rated as very durable CD1, while the PA variety is durable CD2, thus proving to be an attractive material for construction. SN 1999-4907 YR 2022 FD 2022-12 LK https://hdl.handle.net/11556/5096 UL https://hdl.handle.net/11556/5096 LA eng NO Elejoste , A , Osa , J L , Arevalillo-Roman , A , Eceiza , A , Abascal , J M , Rico-Martinez , J M , Butron , A & Peña-Rodriguez , C 2022 , ' Mechanical Properties of Three Bamboo Species : Effect of External Climatic Conditions and Fungal Infestation in Laboratory Conditions ' , Forests , vol. 13 , no. 12 , 2084 . https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122084 NO Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. NO Financial support from the Basque Country Government in the frame of Grupos Consolidados (IT-1690-22). DS TECNALIA Publications RD 28 sept 2024