Demonstration of Strawbale Construction
In 2002, just after the new building for our local nature center was completed, we were honored to be the recipient of photos taken during construction of this state of the art straw bale building, for publication. In this time when there is so much interest in living off the grid, saving energy, and generally thinking and behaving in ways better for the earth, we've decided to put together this brief and incomplete collection of step by step photos. If you are considering a straw bale solution we suggest you contact them for references and their experience.
Enjoy.... JV - Webmaster
Flagstaff's Willow Bend Environmental Education Center
Begins to take shape...
Straw bale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both. This method is commonly used in "green" construction projects. Straw bale construction has some advantages over conventional building systems because of the renewable nature of straw, cost, availability, and its high insulation characteristic.
Straw bale building typically consists of stacking rows of bales (often in running-bond) on a raised footing or foundation, with a moisture barrier between the bales and their supporting platform. Bale walls are tied together with pins of rebar with surface wire mesh, and then stuccoed or plastered. The bales may actually provide the structural support for the building or can be installed between supporting studs as in these photos. Alternately, bale buildings can have a structural frame of other materials, usually lumber or timber-frame, with bales simply serving as insulation and plaster substrate, which is most often required in northern regions and/or in wet climates. In northern regions, the potential snow-loading can exceed the strength of the bale walls. In wet climates, the imperative for applying a vapor-permeable finish precludes the use of cement-based stuccos commonly used on load-bearing bale walls. Additionally, the inclusion of a skeletal framework of wood or metal allows the erection of a roof prior to raising the bales, which can protect the bale wall during construction, when it is the most vulnerable to water damage in all but the most dependably arid climates.
Either way, the straw bale is powerful in a "green" structure. Orienting the building toward the south with solar collecting windows and a concrete floor all add up to en efficient structure.
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