In thinking of plastered straw bale walls, it is essential to. Straw is easy to work with for people new to construction as they are flexible and can be very forgiving. Inexpensive, durable, and more resistant to heat and cold than any other building material or manmade insulation, its really a crime that most community building codes have resisted allowing these types of structures to be built. Sometimes words are not enoughyou need to see it being done to really get the hang of it. Straw bale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. Beginners guide to straw bale gardening gardening with straw bales is the answer to any organic gardeners prayers. Many previous research studies on straw bale building have been focused on structural stability, fire resistance and assessing moisture content in straw bales. For many, they are locally available and affordable. Strawbale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw commonly wheat, rice, rye and oats straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both.
If youre interested in calculating and comparing the specific costs of building a straw bale home vs a stick frame home, feel free to contact me. Insects and other pests pose no more of a risk to straw straw bales should be protected on all side by plaster. Many handson workshops and volunteer opportunities exist to help owners and builders learn the basics, and a bale raising is a fun and satisfying event. Today there are a modest amount of architects that specialize in straw bale construction homes, pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished with the material. Straw bale gardening is a great alternative for building raised garden beds, and the modular nature of straw bales allows for gardening at any scale, from a balcony to a community garden lot. Bergeron and lacinskis new book serious straw bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climateswhere seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that builders must understand and address. Building your straw bale home is a howto book for people interested in straw bale building. A complete guide to designing and building with straw mother earth news wiser living series book 7. You can use straw to make any kind of buildings from a fourstorey office block to a house i know, which is a spiral. February 2014 strawbale construction and its evolution in. Strawbale constructiona wall system using baled straw. Straw bale building concepts are simple to understand and put into practice. Straw bale house construction dancing rabbit ecovillage.
In this five chapter guide youll learn exactly what straw bale gardening is all about. Tina therrien straw bale building is no longer a fringe idea but has blossomed into a mature and highly developed construction technique that is widely practiced in north america and elsewhere. Oct 29, 20 a proposed appendix on straw bale construction was approved at the international code councils icc final action hearings in atlantic city on october 4, 20. Chris magwood has been editor of the last straw journal, an international quarterly devoted to straw bale building, since 2001. More straw bale building contains a wealth of the latest information on planning and building with straw, and is an excellent guide to sustainable construction in general. I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some. The low afternoon sun cast a warm, rich light on the straw bale walls of a newly completed structure. Straw bale is very suitable as infill insulation for timber frame buildings with. The information, format and ability to chatask those questions was much appreciated. Structural testing of straw bales in axial compression.
Straw bale building courses australian rural education centre. Straw bales construction also has some favorable aesthetic qualities, creating thick walls which allow for window seats and shelves, as well as lending itself to numerous architectural styles. If you do not want to live in a straw bale house with a living roof and solar panels to power your satellite internet connectivity, do not. Straw bale construction is a building method that commonly uses straw from wheat, rice, rye and oats, as building insulation. I attended the recent 3 day course and found it a terrific experience to help begin the process of, hopefully, building our straw bale home. A straw bale garden bed starts with a bale of straw. Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an open world. Straw bale house construction why build a straw bale house.
Asthmatics too find a straw bale house a healthier environment to live in. Any problems i have had are not due to my vegetables dying, but rather volunteers, as we like to call them, sprouting from viable seeds left in the bales and trying to take over the space. The result shows that straw bale buildings could be a sustainable solution in the. Loadbearing straw bale structuresa summary of testing and experience to date 3 bruce king ecological building network ebnet june 30, 2003 result of the construction processand thus helps ensure a durable building. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. Our aim to promote straw bale building and best practice within the sector sbuk is an association of. Twostring bale walls average an ultimate strength of 6156 pounds per lineal foot, exceeding astm e72 requirements. Once a straw bale has been prepared for planting, it can be transformed into a beautiful threedimensional annual garden, or host a fresh vegetable garden. Straw bale homes will rot or grow mold as long as the house is designed and the materials drained correctly, there is no need to worry about mold or rot in the walls of a straw bale home. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale house, from council approval. It also has high thermal and sound insulation properties. Pdf straw bale in construction of building and its.
Straw bale homes cost almost exactly the same amount of money to build as traditional stickframe homes. Top 8 advantages and challenges of straw bale construction. There are straw bale houses that have been standing for hundreds of years and are doing very well. Decades of straw bale building in the uk and beyond. The straw bales provide a less hazardous and more earthfriendly material that creates a beautiful, strong, and healthy space to live. Moreover, since many developments in this field are recent, few books are completely up to date with the latest techniques. For those who prefer using natural materials, building a straw bale house may seem like a great option. Physical properties of straw bales as a construction material mdpi.
Straw bale planters are an easy solution for people lacking clean soil or extra space for gardening. Bill and athena steens lovely site devoted to their work with strawbale building and the use of natural plasters. How to plan, design and build with straw ebook written by chris magwood, peter mack. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow. Chris magwood is a professional straw bale builder and consultant who has constructed over 40 straw bale buildings, and consulted on many more. David arkin visited the walls on december 2, 2017, just prior to demolition, and observed that. Straw bale constructionprint version introduction to building with straw bales history while use of grassfamily plant fibers has long been a part of building methods worldwide, dating far back into prehistory, actual straw bale construction was pioneered in nebraska in the united states, in the late 19thearly 20th. Straw bale houses have become increasingly popular once people started to appreciate the advantages they offer. A straw or hay bale bed is a type of bed that can be used for raising vegetables pepper, tomatoes, onion, grain amaranth, etc. This study will hopefully enable building professionals to better understand and assess the risks associated with straw bale.
Straw bale gardening is a great alternative for building raised garden beds, and the. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale. Though its original heyday was in the early 20th century, a vigorous revival began in the late 1980s. The most distinct advantage is the high thermal resistivity of straw bales that make buildings thermally efficient. The program aims at developing energyefficient and ecofriendly designs and building techniques for the community. Straw bale fire safety ontario natural building coalition. Building with straw bales barbara jones presentation on ecobuild 2011 grzegorz gorski. As straw bale buildings weigh less than masonry, their foundations can be shallower. Strawbale construction and us building codes california straw. Like all innovative ideas,it has been pioneered by the passionate,and used experimentally by those with the vision to see its potential. Ecological building network ebnet a project of the tides center. To information paper ip 1511 andy sutton and daniel black, bre pete walker, university of bath straw bale an introduction to lowimpact building materials figure 1. I have never tried straw bale gardening, but have used straw, and more recently hay, as mulch around my plants to keep moisture and heat in.
However, there are also pitfalls to using straw bales for construction. It is a practical book reflecting the authors personal experience, with tips and wisdom learned from his own pitfalls and mistakes. How to build a house from straw bale and mud warning. Straw bale construction has many advantages, including the carbon sequestration of the material, low cost, availability, fireresistance, and insulation values. The material is ecofriendly, fairly affordable, and reasonably easy to work with, making it an appealing approach to building a home. The methods of building a straw house is very different to that of our own.
Building with straw bales has taught me a lot about the technical aspects of straw bale construction, and inspired me with its beautiful results. The use of straw bales is typically found in natural building projects, or earthen construction, and while historically it has been a common. Straw bale house in greece become part of the team. Straw bales have been used to build the most difficult thing about plastered houses, apartments, farm buildings, straw bale buildings may be overcoming. 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. Its more than just a wall building technique that has yet to come into its own. A proposed appendix on straw bale construction was approved at the international code councils icc final action hearings in atlantic city on october 4, 20. Pdf more straw bale building download full pdf book. Second german straw bale construction meeting held in the ecovillage sieben linden download pdf 393kb second house made from straw bales by the. More importantly, straw bale beds offer the opportunity to grow quality produce that is relatively dirt and insect free figure 2. Dec 11, 2018 straw bale construction designing buildings wiki share your construction industry knowledge. I find the information contained in the straw bale videos to be invaluable. How to build a house from straw bale and mud treehugger. Its easy to work with and you can make your house any shape you want.
Durability characteristics of straw bales in building. Astm e72 compression test of plastered straw bale walls, university of colorado at boulder, 1999 testing of an earthplastered, loadbearing straw bale wall at queens university, 2005. It is a natural,breathable material that has no harmful effects. Straw bale in construction of building and its future in india. Magwood and mack are two of the most knowledgeable and experienced bale builders in north america, and it shows. Building a straw bale house when there is no straw in your area. By contrast, the builder of a loadbearing structure must generally complete the foundation, erect the. Straw bale gardening the ultimate 5chapter beginners guide. Straw bale constructionprint version introduction to building with straw bales history while use of grassfamily plant fibers has long been a part of building methods worldwide, dating far back into prehistory, actual straw bale construction was pioneered in. California straw building association faqs and technical information. Practitioners designers academics enthusiasts trainers who have banded together to provide a resource hub to aid you on your strawbale building journey. Advantages of straw bale gardening climatefriendly gardening strategies straw bale gardens are much more pest resistant than traditional soil gardens. Like all innovative ideas,it has been pioneered by the passionate,and used experimentally by.
This means we now have a national straw bale building code. It has also convinced me that building with natural materials creates a healthy conscience and a healthy building, essential factors towards a healthy occupant. The primary benefit of straw bale as a building material is its low embodied energy. Straw bale construction proved to be incredibly resilient in recent fires in the western united states, sometimes being the only home left standing in an entire neighborhood. By planning and preparing in advance, conditioning the bales, and choosing the right plants, you can build a solid basis to start growing and harvesting your own fruits and vegetables from straw bales this season. A variety of crops can be grown in bales, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, and herbs.
Your climate, the topography of your land, and which materials you have to hand are crucial in choosing which technique to use. Straw bales can be used as a loadbearing or a nonload bearing component in a building. There are now around 1,000 straw bale buildings in the country with. Free and real is where you can learn about eco building, sustainability and simple living. More straw bale building by chris magwood overdrive. The paper presents results from the longterm condition monitoring of a straw bale exposure test facility combined with a novel laboratory study into wheat straw degradation. Straw bales can be designed as a loadbearing structure to withstand lateral and shear resistance imposed by wind and. If your soil is so poor that amending, or enhancing, it with compost, fertilizers, or leaf mold makes you exhausted just thinking about it, then using straw bales for.
The smartest decision youll ever make, no matter what climate you reside in, is to build a straw bale home. A practical manual for selfbuilders and architects sustainable building jones, barbara on. A century ago in nebraska, the rapid evolution of farming equipment pushed the use of straw construction for building houses, churches and even museums. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read more straw bale building. Strawbale buildings have been constructed up to 20,000 square feet in size.
Straw as a building material the lack of understanding on how straw bales behave in a built environment when exposed to various natural effects deters its wider application. Despite mushrooming interest in the technique, however, most straw bale books focus on selling the dream of straw bale building, but dont adequately address the most critical issues faced by bale house builders. Building with straw bales barbara jones presentation on. Straw bale buildings have been primarily used for housing and for community centers in rural areas. The straw is the stalk of the grain without the grain head. Their practical treatise is a recommended mustread for. Research has shown that strawbale construction is a sustainable method for building, from the standpoint of both materials and energy. Bergeron and lacinskis new book serious straw bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climateswhere seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that. Will happily recommend it to anyone looking at straw bale building.
Its a radically different approach to the process of building itself. Straw bales are a highly insulative, lowembodiedenergy, natural building material made from an agricultural waste product. In many respects, the requirements of strawbale buildings are essentially the same as traditional cob. Chris magwood and peter mack are professional straw bale builders and consultants who have constructed over 40 straw bale buildings, consulting on many more. Building a home using straw bale construction mother earth news. Straw bale construction worcester polytechnic institute. He has taught workshops and seminars across the continent and overseas, coauthored one of the first straw bale howto books, straw bale building new society, publishers, 2000 and edited the last straw journal, an international quarterly devoted to. To me the straw bale encapsulated in the plasterconcrete stood up well until the top was gone. They have taught workshops and seminars across the continent and overseas, and are authors of one of the first straw bale howto books, straw bale building new society, publishers, 2000 which has sold 20,000 copies. Between 1896 and 1945, an estimated 70 strawbale buildings, including houses, farm buildings, churches, schools, offices, and grocery stores had been built in.
Hay fever sufferers are not affected by straw,as it does not contain pollens. The bale is first conditioned and then vegetable plants are planted and grown inside the bale. Living in a straw house protects you from all that. Make sure its level water carefully so it doesnt wash away or cut the bottom out of a plastic flat, pin it down onto top of bale, fill with soil and plant. Build ing styles range from modern and hightech to rustic, with most finished with. December29,20 onthe28thofapril2012thecontentsoftheenglishaswellasgermanwikibooksandwikipedia projectswerelicensedundercreativecommonsattributionsharealike3. The appendix will be included in the 2015 international residential code irc for one and twofamily dwellings. The program focuses on building straw bale house which have turned out to be the best solution. Straw bale construction is a sustainable construction technique that uses bales or bundles of straw as the main construction element.
In addition, as straw is high in silica content and low in organic matter it has no nutritional value and therefore bibliography magwood, chris. Straw bales can be used as structural elements, insulation or both. Quality produce cucumberleft and cantalouperight grown on straw bales in stillwater, ok without use of any pesticide. Remove a chunk of straw and fill the hole with potting soil small seeds or to plant in rows put a couple inches of potting soil on top of the bales. The authoritys concerns appear to be compliance of the straw bale wall system with clause b2 durability refer paragraph 3. Overview about dirk scharmers straw bale architecture in germany.
Straw bale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw commonly wheat, rice, rye and oats straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both. In 1996 the first straw bale house was built in the uk building with full planning permission. Sworders auction rooms, stansted mountfitchet, essex a singlestorey 1100 m2 building, constructed in 2008. Now, with over 18 years experience working with straw, both in her role as head trainer of the internationally recognised straw bale building enterprise amazonails and as part of her own social enterprise, strawbuild, bee is still working enthusiastically and tirelessly to spread knowledge of straw bale construction methods as far as possible. They should be porous, for example of compacted stone or gabions, to allow any moisture from the building above to drain away, but with a capillary break to prevent moisture wicking up into the walls.
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