Abstract
•Eight full-scale cemented bahareque walls were tested under cyclic loading.•Threaded-rod reinforcement increased lateral strength by up to 40%.•Window openings reduced wall capacity by up to 50%.•Walls exhibited high ductility and stable seismic energy dissipation.•Results support resilient and sustainable bamboo housing in seismic regions.
This paper evaluates the experimental seismic response of cemented bahareque composite wall systems made of natural bamboo Guadua angustifolia Kunth frames and cement‑mortar overlays. Eight full‑scale specimens of 2.5 m × 2.5 m were tested under a constant vertical load of 1.5 tonf following the ASTM E2126 protocol. The experimental program was designed to assess the influence of three key parameters: the presence or absence of a window opening, the sheathing‑to‑framing criterion, and the loading regime. Three sheathing‑to‑framing configurations were investigated, namely a bare guadua frame, a composite mortar overlay, and a reinforced system combining threaded rods with mortar‑filled guadua culms. Both monotonic and reversed cyclic loading regimes were applied. Reinforced walls exceeded the lateral peak load capacity of their unreinforced counterparts by 30 to 40%, while solid walls outperformed those with openings by up to 50% in capacity. Reinforcement also increased energy dissipation by 28% and enhanced ductility, with ductility factors ranging from 3.5 to >20 depending on the configuration. Equivalent viscous damping ratios ranged from 0.15 to 0.49, indicating stable energy absorption up to large drifts. A prefabricated in‑situ methodology was additionally tested and demonstrated ease of assembly, rapid erection, and simplified post‑seismic repair through rod realignment and localized mortar patching. These findings confirm that cemented bahareque can provide affordable and resilient social housing in seismic regions, offering adequate ductility, energy dissipation, and feasible rehabilitation strategies.