Mechanical Properties Evaluation of Laminated Composites of Petung Bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) and Coconut Coir Fiber as Ship Construction Components

Abstract

The high demand for steel and wood as the primary shipbuilding materials will increase market prices due to decreasing supplies each year. To address this issue, new alternative materials that are more environmentally friendly and inexpensive, such as natural fibers like bamboo and coconut fiber, must be explored. This study aimed to investigate how the directional arrangement (0° unidirectional and 90° unidirectional) of laminated Petung bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) affects the compressive and flexural strength of ship construction. The compressive strength on the X, Y, and Z-axis was measured to determine the laminated beam’s strength ratio on each side. In contrast, the flexural strength was only observed on the Y and Z-axis due to testing equipment limitations. The results showed that the directional arrangement of laminated Petung bamboo with different test axes significantly impacted the compressive and flexural strength of laminated beams made of Petung bamboo and coconut coir fiber. Laminated Petung bamboo and coconut coir fiber with 0° unidirectional fiber had better compressive and flexural strength values than those with 90° unidirectional fiber. Based on the data testing, the combination of Petung bamboo and coconut coir fiber materials can be categorized into different strength classes. These findings have important implications for using laminated bamboo in shipbuilding applications. The use of laminated bamboo with a 0° lamina direction could be recommended for ship components that require high levels of strength than laminated bamboo with a 90° lamina direction.