Heavy Duty Bamboo Fencing Manufacturers

How to design the internal support structure (such as reinforcement ribs and grid layout) of heavy bamboo fence panels to improve the overall rigidity?

Material properties and design basis of heavy bamboo fence panels

1. Natural properties and processing advantages of bamboo
As a natural polymer material, bamboo has unique physical and mechanical properties. Taking the outdoor heavy bamboo fence panels produced by Ningguo Kuntai Bamboo and Wood Co., Ltd. as an example, it uses high-quality bamboo with a tree age of more than six years, which is split and decomposed into a continuous cross-linked network fiber bundle, retaining the original arrangement of bamboo fibers. This processing technology allows bamboo to maintain its natural structure while significantly improving its hardness and durability through high temperature and high pressure treatment. Its density uniformity is better than that of traditional wood, and it has good insect and mildew resistance. The moisture content is controlled at an appropriate level to avoid deformation and cracking caused by humidity changes. In addition, by precisely controlling the dosage to ensure that the bamboo fibers are firmly bonded, the pressurized heating and curing process completes the blank molding under thousands of tons of pressure, further enhancing the overall stability of the material. These characteristics provide a solid material foundation for the structural design of heavy duty bamboo fence panels.

2. Functional requirements of heavy bamboo fence panels
Heavy duty bamboo fencing  are mainly used in high-load outdoor scenes and need to have the following core performances: First, they can withstand large external impacts, such as collisions between people and vehicles or natural wind loads; second, they can adapt to humid environments to avoid structural failure due to changes in moisture content; third, they have long-term durability and reduce maintenance costs; fourth, they are in line with environmental protection concepts and reflect the value of sustainable development. From the characteristics of bamboo and wood products, the surface of heavy bamboo materials is suitable for humid environments after special treatment, and there is no need for frequent painting for anti-corrosion. Daily cleaning can maintain performance, which provides a guarantee for the stable operation of fence panels in complex environments. The natural texture and color of bamboo can enhance the beauty of outdoor spaces, and the balance between function and aesthetics must be taken into account in structural design.

Core theories of internal support structure design

1. Application of mechanical principles in support structures
Strength is the ability of a material to resist damage, and stiffness is the ability to resist deformation. For heavy duty bamboo fencing, insufficient stiffness will cause the structure to deform too much under load, affecting safety and appearance. According to the theory of material mechanics, structural stiffness is closely related to the elastic modulus of the material, the moment of inertia of the section and the layout of the supporting structure. The elastic modulus of the bamboo heavy bamboo material is improved by high temperature and high pressure treatment, and the reasonable design of the internal support structure can further increase the moment of inertia of the section, thereby improving the overall stiffness.
The loads that heavy bamboo fence panels may bear include: vertical loads (such as their own weight), horizontal loads (such as wind force, impact force) and dynamic loads (such as vibrations generated by vehicle passing). The design of the supporting structure needs to clarify the load transfer path to ensure that the load can be effectively transferred to the foundation through components such as reinforcement ribs and grids. For example, setting reinforcement ribs in the horizontal direction can transfer wind force to the columns, and the vertical grid layout can disperse the self-weight and upper load to avoid local stress concentration.

2. Bionics and structural optimization design
Bamboo itself is an efficient mechanical structure, and its bamboo nodes are equivalent to natural reinforcement rings. The hollow structure of the bamboo wall reduces its own weight while maintaining a high bending stiffness. In the design of heavy bamboo fence panels, the reinforcing effect of bamboo nodes can be simulated, and circular or transverse reinforcing ribs can be set in the support structure to simulate the stiffness enhancement effect of bamboo nodes on bamboo stalks. At the same time, drawing on the characteristics of the longitudinal arrangement of bamboo fibers, longitudinal reinforcing ribs are set inside the fence panels to enhance the tensile stiffness along the fiber direction.
Using topological optimization technology, finite element software is used to simulate the stress distribution under different support structure layouts, remove inefficient materials, and retain key load-bearing paths. For example, the mechanical parameters of bamboo and heavy bamboo materials (such as elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio) are used as input to establish a three-dimensional finite element model of the fence panel, analyze the deformation and stress under typical loads, optimize the position, number and cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing ribs, make the material distribution more in line with mechanical requirements, and improve the stiffness without significantly increasing the weight.

Specific design plan for internal support structure

1. Reinforcement rib design
Type and layout of reinforcing ribs
Longitudinal reinforcing ribs: set along the length of the fence panel, the number is determined according to the width of the panel, and usually one is set every 200-300mm. It adopts a rectangular cross-section with a cross-sectional size of 20mm×30mm. The material is the same heavy bamboo as the fence board, and it is connected to the panel by mortise and tenon or glue. The longitudinal reinforcement ribs can enhance the bending stiffness of the fence board along the length direction and resist the sagging deformation caused by the large span.
Transverse reinforcement ribs: arranged perpendicular to the length direction, with a spacing of 300-500mm, and the cross-sectional size can be slightly smaller than the longitudinal reinforcement ribs (such as 15mm×25mm). The function of the transverse reinforcement ribs is to connect the longitudinal reinforcement ribs to form a grid skeleton and transmit horizontal loads at the same time. At both ends and the middle support position of the fence board, the transverse reinforcement ribs can be encrypted to increase local stiffness.
Oblique reinforcement ribs: set in the diagonal direction of the fence board to form a triangular support structure. The triangle has stability and can effectively resist shear deformation and torsion loads. The cross-sectional size of the oblique reinforcement ribs is similar to that of the transverse reinforcement ribs, and they are connected to the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement ribs through corner nodes. Metal connectors or bamboo tenons can be used at the nodes to enhance the connection strength.

Connection method between reinforcement and panel
Glue connection: Use the environmentally friendly glue independently developed by Ningguo Kuntai Bamboo and Wood Co., Ltd. to apply glue on the contact surface between reinforcement and panel, and form an integral connection by pressurizing and curing. The glue bonding process needs to control the amount of glue to ensure that the bonding is firm and does not overflow, so as to avoid affecting the appearance and environmental performance.
Mortise and tenon connection: Process tenons and mortise eyes on the panel and reinforcement, and connect them through mortise and tenon. The mortise and tenon structure can provide a certain degree of pull-out and shear resistance, while retaining the natural texture of bamboo, which is in line with the concept of environmental protection. For heavy load parts, glue and mortise and tenon connection can be combined to improve the reliability of connection.

2. Grid layout design
Selection of grid form
Rectangular grid: It is formed by the vertical intersection of longitudinal and transverse reinforcements, which is the most common grid layout form. Rectangular grid is easy to construct and convenient for standardized production, and is suitable for scenes with relatively uniform load distribution. The mesh size can be adjusted according to the specifications of the fence board and the load size, usually 200mm×200mm to 300mm×300mm.
Diamond mesh: The diagonal reinforcement ribs are combined with the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement ribs to form a diamond mesh. The diagonal direction of the diamond mesh is strong, which can better resist the diagonal load and torque. It is suitable for fence panels that may be subjected to complex loads, such as areas close to roads or areas that are frequently hit.
Honeycomb mesh: The hexagonal structure that imitates the honeycomb is composed of multiple hexagonal units. The honeycomb mesh has excellent compression and bending resistance, and the material is evenly distributed, which can provide higher stiffness at the same weight. However, the processing of the honeycomb mesh is more difficult, and special equipment is required for cutting and assembly. It is suitable for high-end heavy bamboo fence panels with extremely high stiffness requirements.
Optimization of mesh density
The mesh density directly affects the stiffness and weight of the fence board. In the design, the optimal mesh density needs to be determined through mechanical calculations and experiments. For heavy bamboo materials, due to its uniform density and high strength, the grid spacing can be appropriately increased to reduce weight, while maintaining stiffness through cross-sectional optimization of the reinforcement. For example, in areas with small loads, the grid spacing can be set to 300mm×300mm, while in areas with concentrated loads (such as the middle of the fence board or near the column), the grid spacing is reduced to 200mm×200mm, and the cross-sectional size of the reinforcement is increased.

3. Node design and reinforcement
Node type and force analysis
The nodes of the internal support structure of the fence board include the intersection of longitudinal and transverse reinforcements, the intersection of oblique reinforcements and longitudinal and transverse reinforcements, etc. Nodes are key parts for load transfer and must have sufficient strength and stiffness. Common node failure forms include shear failure and tearing failure, so the node design needs to focus on shear and tensile resistance.
Node reinforcement measures
Metal connectors: Use stainless steel angles, bolts and other metal parts to connect reinforcements at the nodes. Metal connectors can provide reliable mechanical connections, especially for heavy load scenarios. For example, at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse reinforcements, stainless steel angle codes are used to fix the joints with bolts. The thickness of the angle codes is not less than 3mm, and the diameter of the bolts is not less than 6mm.
Bamboo reinforcements: natural materials such as bamboo tenons and bamboo nails are used to strengthen the nodes. On the basis of the mortise and tenon connection, bamboo nails are inserted for further fixation. The diameter of the bamboo nails is 5-8mm, and the length is determined according to the thickness of the reinforcement to ensure that the two layers of reinforcement are penetrated. Bamboo reinforcements are compatible with heavy bamboo materials and meet environmental protection requirements.
Glue reinforcement: Increase the amount of glue at the node to form a thickened glue layer to improve the bonding strength of the node. The thickness of the glue layer is controlled at 1-2mm to avoid incomplete curing or stress concentration due to excessive thickness of the glue layer.

Structural design adaptation based on the process of Ningguo Kuntai Bamboo and Wood Co., Ltd.

1. The influence of material properties on structural design
The following characteristics of heavy bamboo materials need to be considered in the design of supporting structures:
Fiber arrangement direction: bamboo fibers are arranged along the length direction, and the longitudinal tensile strength is significantly higher than the transverse direction. Therefore, the longitudinal reinforcement should be arranged along the fiber direction as much as possible to make full use of the high strength characteristics of the material, while the transverse reinforcement needs to make up for the problem of insufficient transverse strength through reasonable cross-section design.
Density uniformity: The pressurized heating and curing process makes the density of the heavy bamboo material uniform, and it is not easy to have defects such as collapsed edges and skipped wires, which provides a guarantee for the stable connection of the supporting structure. In the design, the redundant design of reinforcement caused by material defects can be appropriately reduced to optimize the structural layout.
Environmentally friendly glue performance: The self-developed glue has high bonding strength and controllable dosage, which can ensure the reliability of the connection between the reinforcement and the panel. In the design of the glued node, the required bonding area can be calculated according to the shear and tensile strength parameters of the glue to avoid excessive use of glue to affect the environmental performance.

2. Process synergy and production optimization
Combined with the pressurized heating and curing process, the reinforcement and the panel can be pressed at one time in the blank forming stage to form an integral structure. This integrated process can reduce the subsequent assembly process and avoid material damage caused by secondary processing. At the same time, it ensures the close connection between the reinforcement and the panel and improves the overall stiffness. For example, when pressing fence panel blanks, criss-crossing reinforcing ribs are placed in advance, and thousands of tons of pressure are used to interweave the reinforcing ribs with the panel fibers to form a seamless overall structure.