Abstract: In order to make full use of fast renewable lignio-cellulosic resources to replace wood and the excellent mechanical properties of bamboo, Southwest Forestry College of China has successfully developed a new structural bamboo-based panel composite, i.e. bamboo-based waferboard, with its technology and special equipment. Results from the R & D activities showed that bamboo-based waferboard owns the advantages of high coverage from raw bamboo up to 95%, wide adaptation of almost all the structural species and all the part of the culm and lower cost than the other bamboo-based panel composites such as bamboo-based plywood. Its physical and mechanical properties are better than almost all the wood-based structural panel composites, such as plywood, oriented strand board or waferboard, esp. its stronger strength and high elasticity. Its technology and equipment at industrial level is suitable for either simple or fully modernized production, as could be accepted in either developing area, e.g. mountainous area full of bamboo-resources, or developed area for either small or large scale.

Keywords: bamboo, waferboard, structural panel, technology, equipment