Xiaomeng Yang

Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) have received growing attention due to their good water resistance, environmental friendliness, and recyclability. For the application of WPCs in interior decoration and other high–value fields, it is necessary to preserve these characteristics whilst enhancing their mechanical properties and surface aesthetics. In this study, we used a sandwich structure and four interface modifiers to prepare wood veneer/wood flour–polyvinyl chloride composites (WWPVCs). The results revealed that the WWPVCs treated with a silane coupling agent exhibited superior interfacial bonding and mechanical properties compared to those obtained using other interface modifiers. The interfacial bonding strength of the treated sample reached 1.22 MPa, which was 122% higher than that of the untreated sample. In addition, the wood failure ratio of the optimal sample reached 80%. Furthermore, the dipping–peeling length was found to be shorter than those achieved using other interface modifiers after tests at 63 and 100 °C, indicating that the material treated using the silane coupling agent exhibits an excellent resistance to moisture and heat. Notably, silane coupling agents are easily prepared as solvent–based modifiers, and they do not release harmful gases (e.g., formaldehyde), thereby rendering them highly effective in the preparation of environmentally friendly WPC products.

Bamboo oriented strand boards (BOSB) are very suitable for application in construction structures because of their excellent mechanical properties. This research investigated the shear performance of bamboo I-beams composed of BOSB to verify the structural performance of I-beams. Short beam shear tests and uniform vertical load capacity tests were performed to investigate the effects of various factors on the properties of bamboo I-beams. The results showed that shear bearing capacity and uniform vertical load capacity of bamboo I-beams exceeded the requirements for performance-rated I-Joists in APA PRI-400-2021. The shear bearing capacity, stiffness, and failure types of bamboo I-beams were determined by the web materials, flange–web joint type, and beam depth. Increasing the bamboo I-beam depth without changing the flange dimensions had no significant effect on the shear bearing capacity and stiffness of bamboo I-beams. The shear bearing capacity and stiffness of wooden orientated strand board webbed I-beams were almost half of those of bamboo I-beams with the same depth. The shear bearing capacities of specimens calculated based on the shear bearing capacity calculation formula of I-beams recommended in the Canadian standard were reasonably close to the experimental results. The uniform vertical load capacity of bamboo I-beams gradually decreased as the depth of the bamboo I-beam increased from 300 mm to 500 mm.