The use of bamboo in civil construction requires a thorough analysis of its physical, mechanical and mesostructural properties. For this purpose several investigations have been carried out in the Civil Engineering Department at PUCRio since 1979. Other vegetal fibers have been studied as well for their feasibility to be used as low cost building materials in order to substitute asbestos cement products in addition to non-renewable and polluting materials such as steel and aluminum. This present study is the continuation of the investigation to establish the engineering properties of the bamboo's appropriate for civil construction. This work concentrates on the bamboo species Phyllostachys aurea which is utilized frequently in the interior design and architectural project, and in general in civil construction about which there is very little scientific information in the available national and international literature. The principal objectives of this study were to establish the physical, mechanical and mesostructural characteristics of the whole culms of the bamboo species Phyllostachys aurea and to analyze how its specific geometric imperfections influence the buckling behavior of the culm. The experimental analysis of the bamboo culm, concerning the static tensile, shear and compressive properties is presented as well as the influence of preservative treatments on their performance.