Building with Bales

by Joyce Coppinger

This is original content provided by the Editor of The Last Straw

Strawbale is about energy efficiency – an insulation value averaging R-30. And it likes to have its face to the sun and its back to the wind for warmth and protection like all buildings do.

Strawbale is about structure – bales used to bear the load of the roof (and the snow), or simply used as infill for insulation within another type of structural system: timberframe, post-and-beam and modified post-and-beam including box columns.

Strawbale is about form – it can be shaped in many ways – square, rectangle, circle, domed vault, conical, hexagonal, octagonal, polygon. It can be one-story or more (a five-story straw-bale wall panel system has been used in The Netherlands).

Strawbale is about flexibility, accessibility and adaptability of interiors designed to meet the needs of all occupants over time; interiors with good air flow, natural ventilation and proper venting of air and moisture.

Strawbale isn’t just about its structure and form – it’s about how it feels. Cozy, comfortable, natural, encapsulating you within its thick walls – 14- to 16- to 18-inches thick – giving you a sense of security. No big bad wolf is going to blow this structure down – strawbale has been tested to endure 100 mph winds – and has a burn rate of one to two hours (dense bales have little oxygen to feed fire).

Strawbale isn’t just about building – it’s a value-added market for the grower. Straw bales for building can be made from wheat, oats, rye, rice, hemp, prairie grasses (without forbs) – but not woody, brittle stemmed plants such as alfalfa and other feedstock. Buildable bales should be free of weeds and seed heads; dry with no sign of moisture, dirt, mud, or any contaminants. Bales should be bright and clean, dense and well compacted, trimmed on all sides before stacking to avoid filling voids and holes, and should be handled so that they remain in good condition

Strawbale is about healthy interior environments free of toxins - and placing the structure on a piece of site with little harm done to the land and vegetation.

Strawbale buildings are long-lasting when they have good hats and boots – a sturdy hip roof with wide eaves to protect the walls and take the water away from the sides and surroundings, and a solid foundation wide enough and deep enough to support the loads.

Strawbale can be easy to build depending on the design and other factors by people of any age. It can be economical or custom designed. It can be creative and artistic, innovative and expandable.

Straw-bale buildings can be insured, funded the same as any other building, pass codes, have resale value.

Straw-bale building has been done for centuries and its durability has stood the test of time.

Joyce is a consultant on design and construction, teaches classroom seminars and at hands-on workshops, and is managing editor of The Last Straw, the international journal of strawbale and natural building. For more information, contact Joyce Coppinger, ReBuild Associates, Lincoln, Nebraska, 402.483.5135, and visit www.thelaststraw.org and the TLS blog at http://thelaststrawblog.org.

Popularity: 26% [?]