**7. Stability checks for bamboo retaining structures**

The analysed structures can be classified as soft engineering structures [24] with a certain durability and change in stress transfer mechanism over the lifetime of the structure. The durability of the structure will depend on the used bamboo species and the biological activity of local degrading mechanisms but also on air temperature, humidity and soil moisture variability. In the bioengineering design approach, the load transfer between the initial structural elements and the developing structural vegetation elements can be calculated using a bioengineering design scheme for durability [26]:

