Academic literature on the topic 'Straw bale construction'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the lists of relevant articles, books, theses, conference reports, and other scholarly sources on the topic 'Straw bale construction.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Journal articles on the topic "Straw bale construction"
1
Brojan, Larisa, Ben Weil, and Peggi L. Clouston. "AIR TIGHTNESS OF STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION." Journal of Green Building 10, no. 1 (April 2015): 99–113. http://dx.doi.org/10.3992/jgb.10.1.99.
Full textAbstract:
Straw bale construction offers a renewable, sustainable and proven alternative to mainstream building methods; still, little is known about its airflow characteristics. To this end, the intent of this paper is to evaluate airtightness of fully constructed and plastered straw bale walls as well as individual plain straw bales. The first experiment entailed measuring the influence of straw bale orientation on airflow characteristics with the finding that straw bale considered alone has poor air flow-retarding characteristics and that plaster is the primary air barrier. A second experiment involved thirty plastered straw bale specimens using three different plaster types. From this experiment, a crack grading system was developed and is herein proposed as a tool to evaluate plaster performance as an air barrier. A third experiment validated the crack grade system through application on four fully constructed straw bale walls. Practical use of the crack grading system was demonstrated on a case study straw bale house in Radomlje, Slovenia, where the predicted air tightness results were validated through comparison to results of blower door tests.
2
Bernard, Tomasz, and Azra Korjenic. "Hygro-Thermal Behaviour of Timber Frame Straw Bale Construction as an Energy Efficient Building Technology." Advanced Materials Research 1041 (October 2014): 92–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1041.92.
Full textAbstract:
Due to an increasing request for ecological building constructions, in particular straw bale buildings, a research in this regard has been performed at the Vienna University of Technology. Straw bale construction is a new rediscovered building technology, which is an alternative to conventional construction technologies. The aim of this study is caring out of hygro-thermal simulation of a straw bale wall construction to design as efficiently as possible straw bale house. The choose of other construction elements for a thermal analysis (appropriate wall, roof and a base plate construction), was based on an extensive literature researche. For the examination of the building a timber frame construction has been selected. The straw bales in this construction were plastered inside with clay plaster and externally with a combination of lime and clay plaster. The roof structure was designed as a green roof and insulated with straw bales. The base plate was also insulated with straw bales. To check the thermal behavior of the structures described above were thermal bridges calculated using a FEM program. The hygrothermal behavior was calculated with HAM4D building physic software, developed on the department for Buildings Physics and Sound Protection on Vienna University of Technology. Ecological and economic evaluation of straw bale construction was carried out with reference to the data from the literature. The performed thermal (with COMSOL) and the first hygrothermal calculations (with HAM4D Software) have demonstrated a very favorable performance of the proposed building components. The achieved low U-values of the components allow the construction of passive houses. The use of self-build-service in the construction process can reduce construction costs significantly. The use of ecological materials such as: straw, clay and wood allows a low cost recycling of building materials.
3
Li, Xue Ping. "Applied Research on Straw Bale in Northwest Rural Residential Building." Applied Mechanics and Materials 204-208 (October 2012): 3815–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.204-208.3815.
Full textAbstract:
The straw bale is a kind of eco-energy saving building material. Straw bale construction is a building which it use straw bales as the wall materials. Based on the investigation of rural residential buildings status, climatic characteristics and energy consumption status in northwest rural areas, raw material supply, construction cost and construction technology of straw bale building, thermal insulation and fire resistance properties of straw bale, environmental protection characteristic and so on were analyzed, it could make people aware of the straw bale can be used as an ideal material instead of solid clay brick in northwest rural residential building, and it could be extensive used and popularized in rural residential building.
4
Cascone, Stefano, Renata Rapisarda, and Dario Cascone. "Physical Properties of Straw Bales as a Construction Material: A Review." Sustainability 11, no. 12 (June 19, 2019): 3388. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11123388.
Full textAbstract:
Straw bale buildings provide significant benefits in terms of costs, human health, and environmental sustainability. Several studies in different regions have underlined the remarkable properties of straw bales as insulating and construction material; however, to the authors’ knowledge, there are no reviews published on this topic. The main objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of straw bale systems, focusing on durability and thermal and acoustic insulation properties. To this end, previous tests and studies on straw bale buildings around the world were reviewed, comparing their results, assessing where research currently stands, and identifying the aspects that need to be further investigated. Results from previous tests have highlighted their ability to achieve excellent living comfort and encouraged their use. Guidelines for the characteristics to be achieved during the baling process are now required. Combining straw bale walls with a render or any type of high-density layer can improve both the thermal and acoustic properties of straw bale constructions. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the most significant properties, such as thermal resistance and acoustic insulation, is necessary to reduce the gap between straw bales and traditional building materials.
5
MacDougall, Colin, and Stephen Vardy. "MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF LIME-CEMENT MORTAR FOR STRAW-BALE CONSTRUCTION." Journal of Green Building 9, no. 3 (October 2014): 100–115. http://dx.doi.org/10.3992/1943-4618-9.3.100.
Full textAbstract:
Experimental data describing the mechanical performance of Portland cement- hydrated lime mortars used for straw bale construction is presented. Straw bale construction uses stacked straw bales plastered on each side to form load-bearing elements. Mortars used have slumps of approximately 50 mm, compared to slumps up to 279 mm for conventional masonry mortars. Cylinder and cube tests of a range of typical straw bale mortar mixes were carried out. The mortars had compressive strengths ranging between 0.3 MPa and 13 MPa. Empirical equations describing the relationships between compressive strength and curing time, w/cm ratio, proportions of lime, cement and sand, and modulus of elasticity are presented. The data show that cement-lime mortars for straw bale construction will have a higher modulus of elasticity and lower failure strain than a conventional mortar of equivalent compressive strength. The Modulus of Elasticity is on average 818 times the compressive strength of a straw bale mortar, compared to 100 to 200 times as reported in the literature for conventional mortar. The average failure strain for straw bale mortar is 0.00253 compared to 0.0087 to 0.0270 reported in the literature for conventional mortar.
6
Bocco Guarneri, Andrea. "Architect Werner Schmidt's Straw-Bale Construction." Key Engineering Materials 600 (March 2014): 727–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.600.727.
Full textAbstract:
Werner Schmidt (Trübbach, Switzerland, 1953) is one of the most interesting contemporary 'green' architects, particularly experienced in straw-bale building. His accomplishments include now 20 straw-bale buildings of which 14 at least partially load-bearing. This paper extracts some essential principles from his work and explains in detail his technological solutions. This is the result of a thorough analysis, carried on during the preparation of a monograph. The success of his approach derives from many factors, among which: - Schmidt's training as a mason. In contrast with many fellow architects, his designs are rooted in practicality and feasibility. Moreover, he actively participates to the construction work. - His holistic vision of ecological building: straw bales are chosen because of the overall advantages they offer. Preferably, he adopts a modified 'Nebraska' technique, using high-density 'jumbo bales' forming more than 120 cm thick walls. This rather unique method assures rapidity of construction, and allows to solve a number of criticalities associated with 'small bale' building. - Not seeking the highest possible performances lets to focus economic and technical efforts on few elements that really need to be state-of-the-art. The envelope can be built with simple techniques, while parts that need be built precisely (stairs, cooking implements, baths, etc.) can be prefabricated. Schmidt's work shows that high ecological consideration can be coupled with convincing architectural results. The quality of his buildings in terms of energy performance, living value, and beautiful form constitutes a good practice promoting new ways to 'green' architecture.
7
Vardy, Stephen, and Colin MacDougall. "Compressive Testing and Analysis of Plastered Straw Bales." Journal of Green Building 1, no. 1 (February 1, 2006): 63–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.3992/jgb.1.1.63.
Full textAbstract:
The structural performance of plastered straw bales under compressive loading is extremely important when considering the suitability of plastered straw bales as a construction material. Most currently available results do not investigate how different construction methods and practices can affect the strength of a plastered bale. The experiments discussed in this paper illustrate how the strength of the plaster, the thickness of the plaster and the orientation of the bale itself can affect the strength of the plastered bale. It was found that the bales plastered flat were 36% stronger than those plastered on edge. In addition it was found that although the plaster strength does affect the strength of the plastered bale, it does not have as significant an impact as the plaster thickness. It was also found that nearly all plastered bales tested had higher strengths than would be required in typical residential construction. The strengths were found to be in the same range as the values reported in the existing literature. The plastered bale modulus was found to be highly variable and un-predictable.
8
Njike, Manette, Walter O. Oyawa, and Silvester O. Abuodha. "Structural Performance of Straw Block Assemblies under Compression Load." Open Construction & Building Technology Journal 14, no. 1 (November 27, 2020): 350–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874836802014010350.
Full textAbstract:
Background: In recent decades, the enduring interest and continued development of straw bale as a walling material are based on its beneficial properties. Straw bale is a biomaterial that contributes greatly to carbon footprint reduction and offers excellent thermal insulation. It is proved that plastered straw bale assemblies have good mechanical properties and can be used for the construction of a single storey building. It is known that straw bale presents high displacement in the assemblies; thus, pre-compression is a major step that helps to push down straw bale so as to avoid future structural failure in the wall. There is no clue yet if this method is structurally beneficial than to stabilized single straw bales before assembling them into a structural panel. Objective: This paper presents the structural performance of straw block assemblies under compression loads. Method: Straw blocks and mortar were used to construct plastered and un-plastered wall panels, which were tested under uniformly distributed compression load till failure. Results: The results obtained show that plastered straw block assemblies can support at least 286 KN/m2, which is higher than the minimum slab load 18.25KN/m2, including imposed load for a residential house. In addition, the strength of plastered straw block assemblies plastered with cement-gum mortar, 0.3 N/ mm2 is greater than the strength of a single storey building (0.19N/mm2). Furthermore, results indicate that un-plastered and plastered straw block assemblies perform better than un-plastered and plastered straw bale assemblies. Plastered straw block assemblies support up to 52KN while plastered straw bale assemblies support only 41.1KN. Conclusion: Under compression load, straw block assemblies have a load carrying capacity greater than the minimum slab load. Therefore, Straw block can be used for the construction of a single storey building.
9
Chaussinand, Adrien. "Straw Bale: An Innovative Sustainable Material in Construction." Key Engineering Materials 632 (November 2014): 69–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.632.69.
Full textAbstract:
It is around 10 years that the straw buildings have reappeared on the Europe construction market. Often self-built, these buildings sometimes made only with straw bales and soil aroused interest for their energy and sustainability performance. As there is no feedback existing on this kind of “alternative” construction, it is necessary to verify if straw bale buildings performances can meet today's energy requirements. The purpose of this study is to analyze different aspects of the thermal and energy performance of these buildings using the example of ECO46, an administrative load bearing straw bale building in Lausanne (Switzerland). The conductivity and heat capacity of the straw material were investigated through literature review to find a range of possibilities. Subsequently a dynamic thermal model was created, using the extracted thermal properties, by means of Pleiades+Comfie software. The model was calibrated against two sets of measurements in summer and winter. The results permit to compare the consumption of this building with some standard administrative Swiss buildings. Finally, life cycle assessment (LCA) of ECO46 using SimaPro software was carried out to show the evolution of energy consumption from a building constructed in 1975 to the current construction and to evaluate the main environmental impacts of straw bale building. The result shows that straw bale buildings could be a sustainable solution in the future of construction for its low embodied energy level and its excellent thermal performance if it is well built.
10
Vanova, Rozalia, Michal Vlcko, and Jozef Stefko. "Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Load-Bearing Straw Bale Residential Building." Materials 14, no. 11 (June 4, 2021): 3064. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma14113064.
Full textAbstract:
As a renewable raw material, straw bale represents a sustainable way of construction with minimal environmental impact. This paper focused on life cycle impact assessment of load-bearing straw bale residential building. Product stage from raw materials extraction to manufacture of construction materials was considered in the assessment including seven variations of straw bale. Construction materials were evaluated due to IMPACT 2002+ method. Both midpoint and endpoint impact categories were included. The results showed the importance of straw bale origin. Ecosystem quality impact of straw from extensively cultivated pastures was twenty times higher than that of intensive crop production, thus making a significant difference to an overall score of the construction. Results showed advantage of straw as a construction material particularly when used locally. In addition, significant contributions of other construction materials were identified.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Straw bale construction"
1
Bou-Ali, Ghailene 1968. "Straw bales and straw bale wall systems." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276292.
Full textAbstract:
Hay and straw bales can be stacked up like giant insulating bricks to form load-bearing walls for a wide variety of structures. The technique could provide home builders with inexpensive, energy efficient, long-lasting, fire-resistant, easily built, comfortable houses from a natural resource yearly renewable and locally available. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge regarding the structural properties of the bales and the wall systems incorporating them presents a major barrier to straw-bale construction. Without the quantitative information that standard engineering testing would provide, the wider use of bale construction will continue to be severely inhibited. This thesis examines the basic mechanical properties of individual straw bales (stress-strain behavior, ultimate strength, Poisson's ratio, etc ...), and prototype wall systems (vertical strength, in-plane lateral strength, out-of-plane lateral strength, deflection, creep, etc ...). The results of the tests on the individual bales as well as the wall systems are used to develop guidelines and equations for the design of straw-bale structures.
2
Carfrae, Jim. "The moisture performance of straw bale construction in a temperate maritime climate." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/548.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is an investigation into the moisture performance of straw bales used in the construction of buildings. The principle of taking bales of straw off the field and stacking them up on themselves to form the walls of a simple building is a practise that started over a hundred years ago. The modern form of this building method is more sophisticated, and is spreading world wide from its origins in the arid regions of America. Despite advances in modern methods of construction there has been concern and doubt over the suitability of straw bale for use as a building material in a temperate maritime climate. The main concern being that the higher levels of environmental moisture will have the potential to damage the straw over time. In order to assess the moisture performance of the straw bales in the walls of a building in this damp climate, a simple and effective means of measuring the moisture in-situ has been developed as part of this research. The overarching methodology for this research is to develop a more accurate version of a probe that uses a block of wood to measure moisture. An environmental chamber in the laboratory has been used to establish the hygrothermal relationship between the timber to be used in the probe, and samples of the straw used in construction. This is the first time that a continuous set of sorption and desorption isotherms have been created for samples of straw and timber simultaneously, a process that took six months to complete. This data was used in the design of a new wood block probe, and examples of the new probes were installed in the walls of a straw bale house with a known moisture history. The resulting readings from the new probe were compared to those from a professional agricultural straw moisture probe. These results could be checked against the readings of the relative humidity and temperature in the wall. Forty-eight pairs of the new wood block probe were calibrated in the laboratory. Fourteen diverse examples of straw bale construction were selected as case study buildings. Having been surveyed for this research, a number were then selected to have the new probes installed, and evidence of their moisture performance was recorded. Sufficient data was acquired through this process to confirm the suitability of straw bales for use in the construction of buildings, in a temperate maritime climate.
3
McIntosh, Sean P. "Factors Impeding the Advancement of Straw Bale As a Feasible and Sustainable Construction Building Material in North America." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1305896657.
Full text
4
Marks, Leanne R. "Straw-Bale as a Viable, Cost Effective, and Sustainable Building Material for Use in Southeast Ohio." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1125775864.
Full text
5
Camann, Kevin Robert. "Design and Performance of Load Bearing Shear Walls Made from Composite Rice Straw Blocks." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2009. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/218.
Full textAbstract:
Although rice straw and other grains have been used in building since pre-history, in the past two decades, there has been a move to utilize this rapidly renewable, locally available, agricultural byproduct as part of the sustainable construction movement. Up to this point, this has been done by simply stacking up the full straw bales. Stak Block, invented by Oryzatech, Inc., is a modular, interlocking block made of a composite of rice straw and binding agent that serves as an evolution in straw construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using these Stak Blocks as a structural system. The report was divided into four main parts: material testing, development of effective construction detailing, full-scale physical shear wall testing, and a comparison with wood framed shear walls.
The first section investigated the feasibility of using the Stak Blocks in a load-bearing wall application. Constitutive properties of the composite straw material such as yield strength and elastic stiffness were determined and then compared to conventional straw bale. Next, the decision was made to prestress the walls to create a more effective structural system. Various construction detailing iterations were evaluated upon the full-scale shear wall testing using a pseudo-static cyclic loading protocol. Finally, the available ductility of the prestressed Stak Block walls in a lateral force resisting application is quantified along with an approximation of potential design shear forces.
It was determined that the Stak Block material performed satisfactorily in gravity and lateral force resisting applications, in some respects better than conventional wood-framed construction, and has great potential as a seismically-resistant building material.
6
Bohadana, Ingrid Pontes Barata. "Avaliação de habitação de interesse social rural, construída com fardos de palha, terra e cobertura verde, segundo critérios de sustentabilidade." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/12576.
Full textAbstract:
Proposta: o setor da construção civil é responsável por grande parte do consumo de energia e recursos e da geração de resíduos, provocando impactos significativos sobre o meio ambiente. Algumas alternativas para se construir, reduzindo os impactos, envolvem o uso de materiais renováveis, como a palha, e de materiais minimamente processados, como a terra. Contudo, estes materiais pouco são referidos nos sistemas de classificação de edifícios ambientalmente amigáveis. Muitos edifícios, rotulados como sustentáveis, apenas refletem esforços para reduzir a energia incorporada e são, em muitos outros aspectos, convencionais. Objetivo: considerando a lacuna identificada, o objetivo deste trabalho é realizar uma avaliação de sustentabilidade de uma habitação de interesse social, construída no meio rural, com fardos de palha, terra e cobertura verde. Metodologia de pesquisa: a estratégia geral de pesquisa utilizada foi o levantamento de um caso. A definição dos critérios de avaliação foi embasada naqueles tradicionalmente incluídos em métodos existentes, porém as formas de caracterização foram adaptadas a dados e procedimentos acessíveis ao contexto nacional. Além de critérios ambientais, foram incluídos outros, econômicos e sociais, devido à importância de uma abordagem pluridimensional. A apresentação dos resultados dos critérios ambientais em três escalas (da edificação, dos subsistemas e dos materiais) permite identificar os subsistemas e materiais com maior potencial de impactos, explicitando os pontos fracos da habitação, além de facilitar a comparação, total ou parcial, com os resultados obtidos em pesquisas semelhantes. Resultados: verificou-se a incorporação de grande quantidade de materiais que produzem emissões tóxicas, além de apresentarem um alto consumo energético para transporte. Em contrapartida, devido à utilização, predominante, de recursos pouco processados, identificou-se um baixo dispêndio de energia para manufatura de materiais e um potencial de reaproveitamento satisfatório. Os custos iniciais da edificação são baixos, em relação a habitações de interesse social construídas com materiais convencionais, e medianos, em relação àquelas que empregam materiais não convencionais. Em termos sociais, verificou-se que as soluções adotadas são adequadas para a autoconstrução e para o resgate da capacidade de trabalho em mutirão, e que o projeto não atende requisitos mínimos de acessibilidade.Proposal: the construction industry is responsible for a large consumption of energy and resources, and produces a large amount of wastes, determining considerable environmental impacts. Some alternatives to build in a way to reduce environmental impacts include the use of renewable materials and the use of materials which require minimum amount of processing, such as straw and earth. Nevertheless, these materials are hardly ever referred to in green building classification systems. Many buildings classified as environmentally friendly or green may simply reflect efforts to reduce the embodied energy and are, in most other aspects, conventional. Objective: considering the identified gap, this work’s aim is to evaluate a low-income rural house, built with straw bales, earth and a green roof. Methods: the assessment criteria definition was based on those traditionally included in existent methods, but adapted in accordance to national acessible data and proceedings. Besides environmental criteria, others like social and economics, were included. The results presentation in three analysis scales (of the construction, as a whole, of the subsystems and of the materials) allows the identification of the potencially most impacting materials and subsystems, expliciting the dwelling weak points, and facilitates total or partial comparision with other similar researchs results. Findings: a large number of materials that emit toxic gases, besides having a high energy consumption for materials transport, was identified. However, due to the predominant use of materials with a minimum processing, a low energy consumption for materials production and a sactisfatory reuse potential was identified. The dwelling’s initial costs are low, if compared to low-income houses built with conventional materials, becoming average, in regard to those built with non-convetional materials. In social terms, it was verified that the construction solutions are suitable to self-building and to rescue the ability of working cooperatively, and that the dwelling’s design does not supply the minimum requirement for spatial acessibility.
7
de, las Heras Reverte Víctor. "Evaluation of natural materials in Sustainable Buildings : A potential solution to the European 2050 long-term strategy." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för industriell teknik och management (ITM), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-300115.
Full textAbstract:
Today, buildings consume 40% of total energy demand in the EU and are responsible for 36% of GHG emissions. For this reason, and due to the delicate situation of climate change that planet Earth is experiencing, solutions are being sought to make the building sector more sustainable. In the current project, the use of natural materials has been chosen as a solution in line with the EU 2050 long-term strategy. This research broadens the knowledge on sustainable building with natural materials as an alternative to conventional construction. To this end, first, an extensive state of the art has been carried out to gather information and identify research gaps on natural building materials and energy efficiency, proving the suitability of natural construction materials. Special emphasis has been put on straw bale construction and rammed earth construction, which have been studied individually. In addition, geometrically identical building models of both building techniques have been developed and simulated in Stockholm and Valencia in order to see how they would perform in different climates. Total energy demand for the straw-bale building of 140.22 kWh/(m2·year) in the case of Stockholm and 37.05 kWh/(m2·year) in the case of Valencia has been obtained. For the rammed earth building, a total demand of 301.82 kWh/(m2·year) has been obtained in Stockholm and 78.66 kWh/(m2·year) in Valencia. Once passive measures are applied in the different models, a reduction in demand for the straw bale building of 77.8% and 36.3% has been achieved for Stockholm and Valencia, respectively. In the rammed earth building, in contrast, the demand has been reduced by 86.3% in Stockholm and 73.9% in Valencia. Heat recovery ventilation and high insulation level have been identified as imperative needs in Stockholm, in contrast to Valencia. Other improvement strategies such as windows substitution, air permeability improvement, or natural ventilation for cooling have been implemented. Apart from that, better performance of the straw-bale buildings has been identified for both climates. Additionally, focusing on thermal inertia, its influence has been identified as not completely significant in terms of annual demand in the simulated climates.
8
Robinson, Julian A. "Quantifying and evaluating the risk posed to straw bale constructions from moisture." Thesis, Nottingham Trent University, 2014. http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/188/.
Full textAbstract:
The level of moisture a construction is exposed to may have an adverse effect on health and structure. Using straw, an organic material, as the construction medium, introduces concerns about biodegradability and spore germination, highlighting the uncertainties surround the level at which straw is susceptible to decay. A physical model is presented in this thesis offering a method by which to quantify and evaluate the risk posed to straw bale constructions from moisture. The model, utilising the development of an innovative Risk Assessment System based on fuzzy logic, is supported by empirical research conducted in static and dynamic environments. The model relies upon the interpretation of data provided by monitoring devices, and an understanding as to the complexities of vapour transition through a straw bale and the interaction of moisture within. Using commonly descriptive terminology to describe the risk posed to the straw, the model, is capable of providing a greater understanding of straw bale construction and advising interested parties on potential weaknesses, taking into account: moisture, temperature, historic and predicted environmental conditions, limitations of analytical techniques, and the effect of direct sunlight. The concept of the model is to provide an early response mechanism to warn of the potential of adverse effects and thereby averting the need for destructive investigation and remedial action. The interpretation of monitoring device data underpins the research conducted in this thesis, prior to which, there existed a gap in knowledge concerning the understanding of how moisture interacts with straw. The development of a novel compressed straw probe, as a monitoring device, offers the ability to establish an immediate moisture content measurement using a resistance meter, or of recent moisture levels using gravimetric analysis, supported by olfactory and visual verifications, enhancing the accuracy. Monitoring device results, compensated for temperature and density by equations developed from empirical data, are applied to a contour plot, via the Risk Assessment System, to provide an diagrammatic interpretation of the risk posed. Any potential problem is then flagged and a report generated providing advice. Other contributions to knowledge made within the thesis consist of: monitoring device evaluations, determining the rate at which moisture is transferred through a bale, defining the interaction of moisture with straw, the capacity for moisture storage of renders and the subsequent implications, identification of transient moisture and the effect of solar gain, resistance meter calibration, and the hygroscopic, hydrophobic and hydrophilic tendencies of straw.
9
Offin, MARIA. "Straw Bale Construction: Assessing and Minimizing Embodied Energy." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1974/5409.
Full textAbstract:
As the effects of global warming and the exhaustion of natural resources become more and more evident, the importance of low-impact construction alternatives is becoming increasingly apparent. Conventional construction not only irreversibly drains natural resources; it is also responsible for the great amount of energy consumed in the production of building materials. Natural renewable materials that offer low-impact, low-embodied energy construction alternatives have promising potential for the construction industry.
This thesis provides an insight into construction with natural materials, with particular emphasis on straw bale construction, by undertaking an embodied energy analysis. Firstly, the existing published sources were studied to obtain the embodied energy values of various construction materials relevant to conventional residential and straw bale construction. The embodied energy values for straw bales were found to have great variation from source to source. To obtain the value appropriate for the Canadian situation, the analysis completed in this thesis utilizes published material on straw and biomass. Secondly, a comparative analysis of embodied energy for various wall systems was completed. This analysis proves that straw bale construction is an effective low impact alternative to conventional residential construction styles. In particular, the embodied energy of the straw bale wall section is six times smaller than that of the most common conventional construction style - wood-frame with brick siding. Finally, the component of the straw bale wall that has the highest embodied energy – plaster – was examined to investigate further reduction of the embodied energy of the straw bale wall. As a result of this investigation it was found that the plaster mix containing increased amounts of cementitious materials (for example, equal parts of cement and lime) has smaller embodied energy value.
The findings of this work can be utilized both in the conventional construction industry as a guide to making environmentally mindful decisions, as well as for natural building construction to further improve the performance of straw bale structures.Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-28 16:18:47.585
Books on the topic "Straw bale construction"
1
Bill, Steen, ed. The beauty of straw bale homes. White River Junction, Vt: Chelsea Green Pub., 2000.
Find full text
2
Bainbridge, David A. Plastered straw bale construction: Super energy efficient and economical. Canelo, AZ: Canelo Project, 1992.
Find full text
3
Myhrman, Matts A. Build it with bales: A step-by-step guide to straw-bale construction, version two. 2nd ed. Tucson, AZ: Out on Bale, 1997.
Find full text
4
Hodge, Brian G. Building your straw bale home: From foundations to the roof. Collingwood, VIC: CSIRO Pub., 2006.
Find full text
5
Building a straw bale house: The Red Feather construction handbook. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.
Find full text
6
King, Bruce. Buildings of earth and straw: Structural design for rammed earth and straw-bale architecture. Sausalito, Calif: Ecological Design Press, 1996.
Find full text
7
Farrant, Tim. How to build straw bale landscape & privacy walls: A working paper. [Tucson, Ariz.?: s.n., 1995.
Find full text
8
Mark, Aschheim, ed. Design of straw bale buildings: The state of the art. San Rafael, CA: Green Building Press, 2006.
Find full text
9
Platts, Bob. Pilot study of moisture control in stuccoed straw bale walls: Report. Ottawa: The Corp., 1997.
Find full text
10
Jan, Zimmerman, ed. Mainstreaming sustainable architecture: Casa de Paja : a demonstration. Corrales, N.M: High Desert Press, 2001.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Straw bale construction"
1
Franco, Walter, Giuseppe Quaglia, and Carlo Ferraresi. "Experimentally Based Design of a Manually Operated Baler for Straw Bale Construction." In Mechanisms and Machine Science, 307–14. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48375-7_33.
Full text
2
Ferraresi, Carlo, Walter Franco, and Giuseppe Quaglia. "Designing Human Powered Balers for Straw Bale Construction in Developing Countries: The Case of Haiti." In Mechanisms, Transmissions and Applications, 11–20. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60702-3_2.
Full text
3
Walker, Pete, A. Thomson, and D. Maskell. "Straw bale construction." In Nonconventional and Vernacular Construction Materials, 189–216. Elsevier, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-102704-2.00009-3.
Full text
4
Walker, P., A. Thomson, and D. Maskell. "Straw bale construction." In Nonconventional and Vernacular Construction Materials, 127–55. Elsevier, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-100038-0.00006-8.
Full text
5
"Preface." In Straw Bale Construction Manual, 6. Birkhäuser, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783035618754-001.
Full text
6
"I. The technology of straw bale building." In Straw Bale Construction Manual, 7–82. Birkhäuser, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783035618754-002.
Full text
7
"II. Built examples in detail." In Straw Bale Construction Manual, 83–155. Birkhäuser, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783035618754-003.
Full text
8
"Bibliography." In Straw Bale Construction Manual, 156–57. Birkhäuser, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783035618754-004.
Full text
9
"Illustration." In Straw Bale Construction Manual, 157. Birkhäuser, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783035618754-005.
Full text
10
"About the authors." In Straw Bale Construction Manual, 158. Birkhäuser, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783035618754-006.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Straw bale construction"
1
Milacek, McKenna S., Joshua Schultz, and Mark Muszynski. "Revisiting Low Income Residential Construction Options in Spokane." In IABSE Congress, New York, New York 2019: The Evolving Metropolis. Zurich, Switzerland: International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.2749/newyork.2019.0241.
Full textAbstract:
<p>Affordable housing plays an important role in providing equal opportunity for individuals within most communities in the United States. In the area of eastern Washington State, in particular, there is currently a dearth of affordable housing options; especially for larger families. This lack of three- and four- bedroom residences presents a challenge for the City of Spokane, and the low-income residents seeking housing. This paper provides a preliminary look at certain alternate construction approaches for stand-alone houses with the end goal of optimizing taxpayer funding available, and to reduce living expenses for occupants. Two possible alternative approaches [structural insulated panels (SIPs) and straw bale wall construction] are compared to traditional wood frame construction; all in terms of cost and structural performance. Alternate foundation options are also currently under consideration. It appears that certain alternate construction techniques are worthy of a fresh look; particularly straw bale construction.</p>