Physical Properties of Straw Bales as a Construction Material: A Review

Cascone, Stefano; Rapisarda, Renata; Cascone, Dario

doi:10.3390/su11123388

Cited by 46 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…Numerous publications on straw bale construction have appeared in the literature [16]. Wei et al [17] developed a new thermal insulation material from rice straws with low density (200-350 kg/m 3 ), a thickness of 40 mm, and thermal conductivity around 0.051-0.053 W/(m•K) using high-frequency hot-pressing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales

et al. 2019

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This paper investigates the performance of timber-framed walls insulated with straw bales, and compares them with similar walls containing expanded polystyrene (EPS) instead of straw bales. First, thermal conductivity, initial water content, and density of the straw bales were experimentally measured in a laboratory set-up, and the dependence of the thermal conductivity of the dry material on temperature was described. Then, the two insulation solutions were compared by looking at their steady and periodic thermal transmittance, decrement factor, phase shift, internal areal heat capacity and surface mass. Finally, the acoustic performance of both wall typologies was analyzed by means of in situ measurements in two-story buildings built in Southern Italy. The weighted apparent sound reduction index for the partition wall between two houses and the weighted standardized level difference for the façades were assessed based on ISO Standard 16283. The results indicate that the dry straw bales have an average thermal conductivity of k = 0.0573 W/(m·K), and their density is around 80 kg/m3. In addition, straw bale walls have good steady thermal performance, but they still lack sufficient thermal inertia, as witnessed by the low phase shift and the high periodic thermal transmittance. Finally, according to the on-site measurements, the results underline that the acoustic performance of the straw bale walls is far better than the walls adopting traditional EPS insulation. Overall, the straw bales investigated are a promising natural and sustainable solution for thermal and sound insulation of buildings.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales

et al. 2019

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“…Due to the lack of the data of straw bales in the software, the data are from existing researches. Considering the property differences of straw bales in different researches [40,50,51], the thermal conductivity of straw bale is designated as 0.700 W/mK. Existing researches confirmed the high thermal mass of straw bale walls [29,52] with specific thermal heat capacity ranging from 1388-2000 J/(kgK) [53,54].…”

Section: Iesve Simulation Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy-Saving Potential of Applying Prefabricated Straw Bale Construction (PSBC) in Domestic Buildings in Northern China

et al. 2020

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The Prefabricated Straw Bale Construction (PSBC) has been proven as one of the most efficient construction methods to achieve low-energy buildings with low environmental impacts. This research presents analysis of the rationale for using straw bale constructions in northern China and a discussion of feasible constructions of PSBC to meet the local building codes following evaluations of potential energy performance of domestic buildings with PSBC in severe cold regions and cold regions in China. The results show that the buildings with PSBC reduce both heating and cooling energy uses, as well as heating intensities across the severe cold and cold regions, compared to the domestic buildings with conventional constructions. The findings of this research will contribute to reducing energy consumption in building industries in China.

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“…Thirdly, straw-bale wall construction has excellent thermal insulation properties. Studies showed that the thermal insulation properties of straw bales and CLT walls are better than conventional wall constructions [46,47], including those of the masonry bricks that are widely used in rural residential buildings in China. Therefore, there is considerable potential to develop a bio-based building fabric with in-fill straw bales and structural timber frames for rural residential buildings in northeast China.…”

Section: Bio-based Building Fabricmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Sustainability of Rural Residential Buildings with Bio-Based Building Fabric in Northeast China

Yin

Dong

et al. 2020

Energies

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Due to the cold winters in northeast China, the energy consumption of the rural residential buildings is much higher in this region than in other regions. In this study, the energy sustainability of bio-based wall construction is examined through applications in rural residential buildings. Comparisons of the energy sustainability of the bio-based wall constructions and the conventional wall constructions are evaluated using IESVE-2019 computational simulation. The results show notable reductions in heating energy requirements and coal use, which is the major heating source for rural residential buildings in China. The results show that reductions of 45.82–204.07 kWh/m2/year in heating energy requirements and more than 40% in coal use are possible through application of bio-based wall constructions. The application of bio-based wall construction will result in lower seasonal air pollution and coal use through straw burning in northeast China.

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Physical Properties of Straw Bales as a Construction Material: A Review

Cited by 46 publications

References 43 publications

Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales

Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales

Energy-Saving Potential of Applying Prefabricated Straw Bale Construction (PSBC) in Domestic Buildings in Northern China

Energy Sustainability of Rural Residential Buildings with Bio-Based Building Fabric in Northeast China

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