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. The pros and cons of straw bale wall construction in green building following are some pros and cons of building a straw bale house. Ease of construction building walls from straw is much less labor intensive than using other materials such as concrete blocks, brick, adobe, or stone, and requires considerably less skill. Straw bales could be a real contender for your selfbuild or extension project, says barbara jones, an expert on building with straw bale. When building a house using bales of straw,its important to remember that it is the wall building material which is different. Since the dvd and the book follow the construction of an actual straw bale house, you learn how to plan ahead so that the construction process goes smoothly. Straw bale construction is much cheaper though in terms of wood foundations. Straw bale home construction is a building method that uses bales of straw commonly. Possibly youve gone by one of my houses as its being constructed. 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. Top 8 advantages and challenges of straw bale construction.
Though straw bale construction has historically been used, to varying extents, the modern development of a wholly prefabricated loadbearing panelised housing system using straw bales is highly innovative. Pdf this study highlights the use of plastered straw bale as a load bearing element, its method of construction and specification required to obtain. Dec 11, 2018 straw bale construction designing buildings wiki share your construction industry knowledge. A pdf file for viewing on pcs and a mobi file for ereaders.
It is a practical book reflecting the authors personal experience, with tips and wisdom learned from his own pitfalls and mistakes. Though its original heyday was in the early 20th century, a vigorous revival began in the late 1980s. The use of straw bales is typically found in natural building projects, or earthen construction, and while. Bruce king, pe, et al is available in a kindle version or for download as a pdf. Development a 2m x 2m balehaus panel weighs 750kg, comprised of straw bales 280kg, crosslaminated timber frame. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Straw bale house construction why build a straw bale house. Width of bale trench figure 2 place and stake straw bales, two per stakes per bale. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale house, from council approval.
This booklet is a guide to growing a successful straw bale garden written by the pioneer of this method of gardening. 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. Straw bale construction is superbly energy efficient, environmentally safe, fun, simple to work with, and can be used to build structures that are durable, innovative, and beautiful. Straw bale construction metadata this file contains additional information such as exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or. She looks at construction methods, design and costs of working with straw bales. Straw bale building has seen a renaissance in recent years. Straw bale galleries favorites arkin tilt architects integrated structures elk park owner build steve padgitt residence our favorite straw bale images. Dwg files that will enable the person modifying your plans to do so using autocad software the standard for the entire construction and engineering communities. The history of straw bail construction has a strong foundation in the 1700s, but dates much further back in africa during the paleolithic era old stone age. Using an online wiki makes it possible for people connected to the internet to collaborate on writing.
Research has shown that strawbale construction is a sustainable method for building, from the standpoint of both. This means we now have a national straw bale building code. Wine creek residence chris keefe designs glen neff home modcell projects john david duffie architect designed by siegel. Information guide to straw bale building for selfbuilders and the construction industry amazon nails, hollinroyd farm, todmorden, ol14 8rj. Cadmon continues to work with new mexicos construction industries department to refine the straw bale building code. Building your straw bale home is a howto book for people interested in straw bale building.
Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an. Strawbale construction a wall system using baled straw. December29,20 onthe28thofapril2012thecontentsoftheenglishaswellasgermanwikibooksandwikipedia projectswerelicensedundercreativecommonsattributionsharealike3. The use of straw bales is typically found in natural building projects, or earthen construction, and while historically it has been a common. Welcome to my name is andrew morrison and welcome to my straw bale building site dedicated to anyone interested in building their own straw bale house. Photo galleryfavorite images straw bale house construction. Straw bales are a highly insulative, lowembodiedenergy, natural building material made from an agricultural waste product. Straw bale construction worcester polytechnic institute. Straw bale construction download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. A suitable moisture meter, designed for use with baled straw or hay, and equipped with a probe of sufficient length to reach the center of the bale, shall be used to determine the average moisture content of 5 bales randomly selected from the bales to be used. Standard for straw bale construction 9282012 page 2 of 6 1. Straw bale homes in san diego are not just for three.
The straw bale house simulated a dwelling for a small family, possibly one living in a rural area or. Technique and process are ideally experienced by watching the video. When you hear about a straw bale building, you might think of a big bad wolf huffing and puffing. Straw is easy to work with for people new to construction as they are flexible and can be very forgiving. Asthmatics too find a straw bale house a healthier environment to live in. Building with straw bales barbara jones presentation on. Plastered straw bale construction super energy efficient and economical the. Media in category straw bale construction the following 53 files are in this category, out of 53 total. 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. Straw is baled material from oats, barley, rice and others. 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.
My name is andrew morrison and welcome to my straw bale building site dedicated to anyone interested in building their own straw bale house. Straw has been used as a building material for centuries for thatch roofing and also mixed with earth in cob and wattle and daub walls. The files you receive will provide the drawings in at least two formats. It is spreading fast like a wildfire to every corner of the earth. February 2014 strawbale construction and its evolution in. He shares his expertise on the straw bale expert blog. Click download or read online button to get straw bale construction book now. Building with straw bales barbara jones presentation on ecobuild 2011 grzegorz gorski. Some builders construct frames around the bales and use the bales for insulation, while others eliminate the framing altogether. Mixing applying stucco on a straw bale alternative house duration.
Straw bale construction history the first straw bale buildings were constructed in the treeless sandhills of nebraska, nearly 100 years ago. 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 strawbale construction was pioneered in nebraska in the united states, in the late 19thearly 20th. Pdf approximately 4 million tons of rice straw an agricultural residue is produced in egypt annually. Straw bale construction designing buildings wiki share your construction industry knowledge. Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an open world.
Straw is a renewable material offering good thermal insulation properties and a much lower environmental impact than many current mainstream construction materials. After laying each row of straw, place a lath, which is a sheet of metal mesh, over the bales and attach it with dowels or landscape pins. Foundations the feature of the the construction that i like best is the foundations. Straw bale house plans very unusual with a great view. Maybe youve read about the secret of straw bale construction.
He has perfected the perfect way for anyone to have a garden without weeding, bending over, or using chemicals. Straw bale garden straw bales allow you to set up a garden anywhere, even on hardscapeadding valuable greenspace to your urban habitat. Straw bale homes cost almost exactly the same amount of money to build as traditional stickframe homes. Straw bale additions and retrofits straw bale additions.
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. Straw bale construction is a method of building that uses bales or bundles of straw. Types of straw bale construction there are two primary forms of straw bale construction, load bearing and nonload bearing. With a high level of owner, family, and friend involvement, common sense, and the incorporation of recycled, salvaged. Combined with a sensible choice of natural plasters and paints,it can positively enhance your quality of life. Home straw bale construction since 1991 paja construction. This is an easy load for straw bales each of which can withstand up to. Expert advice on straw bale construction read surprising answers to common questions about straw bale construction, an increasingly popular alternative building method. Straw bale additions are accomplished by tying the addition to the existing structure.
Investigation of environmental impacts, straw bale construction. Straw bales were first used for building over a century ago by settlers in nebraska, usa, shortly after the invention of baling machines. Straw bale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. The embodied energy for the conventional frame house was 509,000 kbtus. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale house, from council approval and insurance to.
Make straw bale walls, not using hay, but using straw. Strawbale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation. Straw bale construction is a green building method that uses whole or partial bales of straw as a major part of a homes walls. 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. The rectangular part of the house mirrors that of steve mcdonalds straw bale house, and the round part was added for fun and to mirror the round architecture favored by. Cadmon whitty, owner and operator of paja construction, was a founding member of the new mexico straw bale construction association. However, there are also pitfalls to using straw bales for construction. By contrast, the builder of a loadbearing structure must generally complete the foundation, erect the. Germany and france in the 1700s used straw as a means of constructing various buildings that can even still be visited today. Advantages of straw bale gardening climatefriendly gardening strategies straw bale gardens are much more pest resistant than traditional soil gardens. Loadbearing straw bale construction a summary of worldwide testing and experience june 30, 2003 bruce king, pe abstract one hundred years of experience with loadbearing plastered straw bale structures, along with a number of laboratory tests worldwide, show these wall systems to be capable of supporting substantial service loads. Standard for strawbale construction 9282012 page 1 of 6 approved standard for strawbale construction note that the straw bale construction standard in appendix s of the 2015 international residential code is a recognized alternative approved standard. After the edible part of grains have been harvested, their stalks are disposed of by farmers and in many areas, they are burned.
Structural testing of straw bales in axial compression. If youve been drooling over earthen house pictures for any length of time then youre probably torn. Bale building encourages individual creativity and leads to final structures that are climatically adapted and. If you are brand new to straw bale or are a straw bale construction specialist theres something for you at stra.
Straw bale house construction details we began by designing the floor plan and sectional elevation on a napkin during a mealtime brainstorming session in spring, 1994. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Media in category strawbale construction the following 53 files are in this category, out of 53 total. The disadvantages of straw bale construction hunker. Pdf files that will enable you to view the plans on your home or office computer. General information this guideline establishes minimum prescriptive standards of safety for the construction of structures. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. Many of the structures built back then are still standing and being used. Charlies home is designed from the natural resources available on the land using stone.
Straw bales can be used as structural elements, insulation or both. Can straw bale techniques really make a difference to the environment. Some examples of straw bale construction are homes, farm buildings, churches, community centers, etc. Or youve found a newspaper article about this way of building that is efficient and sustainable, beautiful and strong. Bohdan dorniak president of ausbale the australasian straw bale building association. Building a home using straw bale construction mother earth news. This information paper provides a broad view of the benefits and limitations of straw bale for those considering its use in construction projects. In load bearing structures, the weight of the roof and lateral shear pressures are actually carried by the bales and the plaster which encases them. Pdf straw bale construction as an economic environmental. For those who prefer using natural materials, building a straw bale house may seem like a great option. Straw bale construction metadata this file contains additional information such as exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Book showing the current understanding of all technical aspects of straw bale construction, including. For many, they are locally available and affordable.
Building your straw bale home this book is a good reference for anyone who has a desire to understand building construction or a desire to build a straw bale house to a high standard using wellresearched methods. Straw bale construction is a building method that commonly uses straw from wheat, rice, rye and oats, as building insulation. Building with awareness takes the mystery out of building a straw bale home, during both the design and construction process. In this five chapter guide youll learn exactly what straw bale gardening is all about. The first straw bale structures we know of were built about a hundred years ago by european settlers in the sand hills of nebraska. The embodied energy for the low impact straw bale house is 41,000 kbtus, or about one twelfth that of the frame house.
The smooth curvaceous walls just make you want to rub your hands all over them. Straw bale construction can be used in almost any climate to create a comfortable home. The cabin has electric light and power, but no water supply. Straw bale gardening is a gardening technique where the bales acts as natural containers for your plants. This makes it a great choice for anyone with hard soil or no soil at all, as all the magic takes place above the surface of the ground. Straw bale stake binding wire or twine figure 3 wedge loose. Earth, hands and houses straw bale workshop leader, paulina wojciechowska. Efficient building strategy june 20, 2008 sandy wiggins principal, consilience llc immediate past chair, u. This book is part of the online work of the wikimedia foundation. If the plans were originally drawn with a design software program other than autocad eg.
Structure, moisture, fire, insulation, and plasters, with frequent reference to test. Straw bale construction is affordable straw bale homes cost almost exactly the same amount of money to build as traditional stickframe homes. Straw bale construction has been around since the early 1900s. In forest glen, girl scout annie aguirre and other members of troop 20804 used straw bales to plant an organic vegetable garden in the back of a community church.
Like any building material, it is always best to evaluate your needs and your goals before committing to a particular material. Straw bale gardening the ultimate 5chapter beginners guide. Straw is from harvested grain stalks never use bales of grass. Straw bale house construction dancing rabbit ecovillage. These need to remain dry, less than 20% moisture content, and tightly bound to prevent moist air including fog getting in before plastering. The people who lived in the straw bale homes found them to be quiet, well insulated, and durable. Building a home using straw bale construction mother. Paulina and her passion people having fun at a clay. The low afternoon sun cast a warm, rich light on the straw.
If you are brand new to straw bale or are a straw bale construction specialist theres something for you at. Htiitpttil affdbldharvesting its potential as an affordable and energy efficient building strategy environmental and energy study institute briefing 485 russell senate office building june 20 2008june 20, 2008 laura bartels president, greenweaver inc. It took charlie a little over a year to build his home with a reciprocal roof and lime plastered straw bale walls. The low afternoon sun cast a warm, rich light on the straw bale walls of a newly completed structure. Straw bale construction is a relatively sustainable construction method, with straw being a renewable material that is readily available. The material is ecofriendly, fairly affordable, and reasonably easy to work with, making it an appealing approach to building a home. Paulina creating clay plaster at a natural building workshop services based on the experience of the founder paulina wojciechowska, a qualified architect who. 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 planting may be the perfect solution.
Questions that should be asked should be about regulations, building codes, structural sustainability, etc. The straw is the stalk of the grain without the grain head. Beginners guide to straw bale gardening gardening with straw bales is the answer to any organic gardeners prayers. Theyre like growbags at a fraction of the cost and without the plastic waste. The main purpose of the project was for the students in the environmental studies capstone seminar to learn about straw bale construction by actually building one, and more generally to investigate the tradeoffs between environmental benefits and practical considerations. Straw bale construction has many advantages, including the carbon sequestration of the material, low cost, availability, fireresistance, and insulation values. 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.