International Straw Building Conference 2027 – now open for pre-registration
We are delighted to announce that the International Straw Building Conference 2027 is now open for pre-registration. Taking place in …
English Language
Scaling Straw: Technical Requirements, Certificates and Workarounds for Straw Bale Buildings in Building Class 1-4
ESBA and ASBN invited to this European-wide Zoom-Meeting (2h), where we Links mentioned in the presentation: Remark: Britta mentioned in …
EPD – Environmental product declaration for Straw as insulation material in UK
The purpose of this LCA is to compile environmental data of materials and products used in the built environment. So …
Building with straw? Why? The five most common misconceptions about straw bale construction
“Straw-insulated houses are not stable.” Straw has been a building material recognised by the building authorities since 2006 (DE, around …
Fraunhofer WKI: Insulating materials made from renewable raw materials are to improve the environmental balance sheet of Chile’s construction industry
Together with partners in Chile, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed insulating materials from plant residues. Largely unused plant …
UP STRAW Reference Buildings
VIDEOS from the straw insulated public buildings that have been constructed with the support of the Interreg project UP STRAW. …
Map of European Straw Bale Houses
Based on a collection from all UP STRAW partners in Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, UK, Antony Templier, Hugues Delcourt, …
Map of Straw Bale Producers and Quality Procedure for Straw Bales
Link to full-screen-map The UP STRAW partners initiated and forwarded a survey to farmers in order to identified the potential …
BIM Models for Straw Bale Building
Load bearing small straw bale wall Width (mm): 5000 Height (mm): 2500 Depth (mm): 538 Composition (from outside to inside): …
New on ESBA website: UP STRAW Research database
A lot of research results to Straw Bale Building were collected and categorized by members of the Interreg UP STRAW …
UP STRAW Report on Marketing and Stategic Development Plan
During the past decades, the building sector has been growing again 1 pushing the rise of the conventional and unconventional …
UP STRAW Report on the quality practices in the straw building sector in NWE
The comparison of practices between the different countries will help to determine the kind of quality system that can help …
UP STRAW Report on Procurement Procedures for Public Buildings in Straw
Public procurement makes up about one-third of government expenditures and thus represents an important direct source of income for all …
UP STRAW Straw Bale Supply Specification Report
To increase the market in straw for construction and insulation requires a large number of actions, including the development of …
UP STRAW Report: Selection of Straw Quality Experts
Straw quality experts are, according to the UP STRAW work plan, to be nominated, at least 10 experts, 2 per …
Applying CO2 computation methods and LCA to straw building
In the next few years carbon emissions will become one of the most important criteria for choosing building materials. Therefore, …
UP STRAW Report on testing a new straw bale production machine in Germany
The aim of the baling event was the production of construction grade straw bales with the straw of the abbey’s …
UP STRAW Social Media Platform: Galleries from UP STRAW demonstration projects
Some of the impressions from UP STRAW Facebook Groups: LINK to UP STRAW Facebook (English): www.facebook.com/UPSTRAW/LINK to UP STRAW Facebook …
Living Building Challenge | Living-Future.org
What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? Author: International living future institute …
Straw Bale Construction – Load Bearing vs. Post and Beam
I’ve been asked a lot about the best method of straw bale construction: load-bearing or post and beam. Author: Cadmon …
US: Load Bearing Construction
The “Essentials of Load Bearing Building” Report Author: Morrison, Andrew LINK to PDF
In-Plane Cyclic Tests of Plastered Straw Bale Wall Assemblies
The construction and testing of six full-scale plastered straw bale wall assemblies are described in this report. The specimens consisted …
Mechanical Characterization of Straw Bales for Use in Construction
From the point of view of environmental awareness, construction sustainability is a theme that is gaining considerable attention. This has …
STEP U3 – Load Bearing Straw Bale Construction, Learning Outcome
Trainees know … about loadbearing systems and its specific demands on planning [Level 4] advantages and disadvantages of loadbearing technique …
Displacement in Load Bearing Straw Bale Walls Due to Concentric Compressive Loading
The objective of this research was to provide structural performance data and information for straw bale home builders, building inspectors …
Structural Behaviour of Plastered Straw Bale Assemblies under Concentric and Eccentric Loading
Author: Vardy, Stephen Peter
AU-A Pilot Study examining the Strength, Compressibility and Serviceability of Rendered Straw Bale Walls for Two Storey Load Bearing
A pilot study of a wall constructed from straw bales was carried out. The objective was to examine the suitability …
Long term evaluation of the performance of a straw bale house built in a temperate maritime climate
Authors: Carfrae, Jim De Wilde, Pieter Littlewood, John
Condition monitoring and durability assessment of straw bale construction
The use of straw bales in construction projects is still regarded by many as a novel technique with significant perceived …
Increase in buildings sustainability by using renewable materials and energy
Sustainable development could be seen as an indispensable condition for the survival of civilization. The construction sector is a field …
The Hygrothermal Environment and Potential for Mold Growth within a Straw Bale Wall
Authors: Holzhueter, Kyle Itonaga, Koji
On the hygrothermal performance of straw bale wall elements in Belgium
The present article investigates the hygrothermal performance of straw bale walls in Belgian climate conditions. The first part presents measured …
Acoustic absorption of hemp-lime construction
Hemp-lime concrete is a sustainable alternative to standard wall construction materials. It boasts excellent hygrothermal properties in part deriving from …
Understanding Passivhaus
Understanding Passivhaus is full of 2d and 3d details helping you learn Passivhaus principles – with all details available for …
Monitoring of the Moisture Content of Straw Bale Walls
This paper describes an investigation into moisture levels in straw bale walls used to clad a newly constructed building. The …
Re-Baling Straw for Better Insulation
Agricultural straw bales, produced as a co-product of cereal crops such as wheat and rice, have been used in construction …
Evaluation of the thermal performance of an innovative prefabricated natural plant fibre building system
Authors: Shea, Andrew Wall, Katharine Walker, Pete
Detailing the effective use of Rainscreen Cladding to Protect Straw Bale Walls in Combination with Hygroscopic, Breathable Finishes
Straw bale buildings are still a relatively unfamiliar sight within the UK‘s building stock. However, the drivers of sustainable construction …
Comparison of Vertical Light Wooden Constructions Insulated by Straw Bales
The main task of configuring engineer by designing enclosure construction is to set up performances of the wall to the …
Nearly Zero Energy Communities: Proceedings of the Conference for Sustainable Energy (CSE) 2017
This book addresses the main challenges in implementing the concepts that aim to replace the regular fossil-fuels-based energy pattern with …
Hygrothermal behaviour of straw bale walls: experimental tests and numerical analyses
Straw is an organic material with hygroscopic properties. The high capacity it has for storing moisture from the surroundings can …
Experimental Study on Hygrothermal Performances of Indoor Covering Materials
Several clayey materials were prepared in the Thermophysical Laboratory of Bari. Hygrothermal properties were measured according to technical standards. In …
Investigation of the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Straw as a Building Material
This article analyses how straw and straw buildings pass the basic requirements given in Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the …
An innovative straw bale wall for sustainable buildings: experimental characterization, energy and environmental performance assessment
Natural materials, such as straw bale and earth, have substantially less embodied energy than processed materials so that their use …
Moisture Properties of Plaster and Stucco for Strawbale Buildings
Straw, as a fibre, has been used as part of building materials for several thousand years. With the invention of …
Design, construction and validation of a guarded hot plate apparatus for thermal conductivity measurement of high thickness crop-based specimens
The search for sustainability achievement in the building sector led to the use of crop-based insulation materials. Among these, raw …
EU-Fire-Handbook-European-fire-standards-and-national-legislation
The European reaction-to-fire classification system was introduced in support of the Construction Products Directive (CPD) with the aim of achieving …
Load bearing Capacity of Straw Bale Walls with small Bales
Loadbearing capacity of strawbale walls – a summary of results from peer-reviewed literature This report is intended to provide useful …
Current Research of Fire Resistance of Straw Bale Structures at CTU in Prague
Authors: Ruzicka, Jan Pokorny, Marek
US-Strawbale Construction and Its Evolution in Building Codes
Strawbale construction – a wall system using baled straw as large, stackable blocks – was invented in the United States …
US-Straw Bale Construction and Building Codes
With today‟s emphasis on sustainable building construction, straw bale construction methods have received renewed attention in the United States. With …
US-Integrating Earthen Building Materials and Methods into Mainstream Construction Using Environmental Performance Assessment and Building Policy
Earthen building materials offer an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional materials because they are locally available, minimally processed, and waste-free. …
US-Ethics, Culture, and Structure in the Negotiation of Straw Bale Building Codes
This study explores building code negotiation between straw bale advocates’ ecology-oriented values and health and safety values that underlie building …
US – 2018 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings
Appendix to the International Residential Code (ICR) for Straw Bale ConstructionAuthor: International Code Council Inc. (USA)Link: https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/document/IRC2018/appendix-s-strawbale-construction
US – 2015 International Residential Code
This Appendix to the International Residential Code (2015) provides prescriptive and performance-based requirements for the use of baled straw as …
US – 2011 Oregon residential specialty code
The purpose of this appendix chapter is to establish minimum prescriptive standards of safety for the construction of structures that …
Achieving legitimacy: visual discourses in engineering design and green building code development
This paper examines the processes by which early alternative, green-oriented building codes – namely those for straw bale building – …
Green Building and Sustainability: Diffusing Green Building Approaches in the UK and Germany
Concerns over the need to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and resource use are increasingly encouraging a focus upon …
National technical assessment NTĮ-01-061:2013 published in Lithuania for Ecococon. Wooden frame panels with straw insulation
The technical approval is intended for timber frame external panels with a thermal insulation layer of straw manufactured by UAB …
Global Buildings Performance Network – Databases & Tools
Check out and browse our data on buildings energy performance policies through our interactive Databases and Tools. Link: https://www.gbpn.org/
Technical advice ISOPAILLE Ecovilla Mur
Isolation thermique de mur en panneau ou rouleau des produits à base de fibres végétales Thermal insulation of walls with …
CA-Sustainable earthen and straw bale construction in North American buildings: Codes and practice
The building industry accounts for up to 40% of the earth’s energy usage from material extraction through building operation; housing …
CA-Straw Bale Building and the National Building Code of Canada
Straw bale building is a highly sustainable, low energy alternative to conventional building methods that has existed for over a …
UP STRAW Building official Context and Policy Report
This report presents: A ‘snap-shot’ survey in 2020 of the CURRENT policy and regulations in the five project countries. It …
EPD – Environmental Product Declaration for Straw as insulation material
In this LCA, the production, including harvest, of 1 m3 of straw for the English market with a density of …
Analysis of the Fire Properties of Blown Insulation from Crushed Straw in the Buildings
Sustainable development in civil engineering is the clear and necessary goal of the current generation. There are many possibilities for …
Life Cycle Habitation – Sustainable housing and living in the community
The EU Life+ demonstration project “LIFE Cycle Habitation” in Böheimkirchen/Lower Austria is almost finished. The residential buildings made of wood, …
Certified Passivehouse Component for Benediktinierabtei Plankstetten
Manufacturer: Benediktinerabtei Plankstetten im Interreg-Projekt UP STRAW Category: Construction Construction type: Light (Straw) Window: The certification was done with the …
20 (25) years of Straw Bale Building: ASBN
20 years of straw bale building in Austria are a reason for the austrian strawbale network to celebrate – and …
Nonconventional and Vernacular Construction Materials
Straw bale construction offers a sustainable, bio-based insulation material for construction derived from a co-product of cereal food crop production. Even …
Steady state and dynamic hygrothermal performance of rendered straw bale walls
Wheat straw, in the form of compacted bales, is increasingly used as thermal insulation in the external walls of buildings. …
Straw buildings receive industry certification
Straw buildings receive industry certification from University of Bath on Vimeo.
A review of material properties and performance of straw bale as a building material
Straw bale constructions are considered a promising solution towards the goal of decarbonisation of the building sector. In particular, its …
Architecture Guide to the UN 17 Sustainabe Development Goals
The UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals represent the aspiration of the people of the United Nations for a more sustainable …
MOOC Building for change – Naturally
The European UP STRAW programme launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) all about building with straw: Building for change …
UP STRAW Report on external thermal insulation methods with straw (wrapping)
WP T3 Market developments for retrofitting existing buildings with straw insulation From a sustainability perspective, retrofitting existing buildings is in …
UP STRAW Research report on thermal conductivity and water migration
The application of bio-based insulation materials like straw requires a value for its thermal conductivity. It’s a physical property of …
UP STRAW Safety of strawbale walls in the event of fire
Report prepared for SNaB and UpStraw project. June 2020. Reaction to fire: clay and lime plastered strawbale wall systems have …
Straw Bale Construction Manual: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture
Building with straw bales is a technique pioneered a century ago in the state of Nebraska. In recent years there …
People are Future-proofing their Homes with Straw.
Straw bale wall systems stand up to fire twice as long than those built with standard materials. Author: Costley, Drew, …
Straw bale Buildings: A Good Compromise between Environmental Sustainability and Energy-Economic Savings
Some straw bale buildings, which combine eco-sustainability with versatility, low cost and fast construction times, have recently been built in …
MOOC Biobased Construction: Straw & Reed
Straw is a renewable material offering good thermal insulation properties and a much lower environmental impact than many current mainstream …
An innovative straw bale wall package for sustainable buildings: experimental characterization, energy and environmental performance assessment
Natural materials, such as straw bale and earth, have substantially less embodied energy than processed materials so that their use …
ActEco e-Learning Platform Straw Building, Clay, Training for Change
The Erasmus+ Project ActEco aims at integrating the already existing learning contents of STEP – Straw Bale Training for European …
Passiv House Certificate: Strawbale-Joist Construction Plaster-Plaster Passivhaus Zertifikat: Strohballen-Bohlenständerbau Putz-Putz
Passive House Certification Report Author: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Krick LINK to PDF
Bio-Based Materials for the Italian Construction Industry: Buildings as Carbon Sponges
This work brings together some recent research and results in activities aiming at investigating the environmental benefits of using bio-based …
Production of Sustainable Construction Materials Using Agro-Wastes
The construction sector, in modern times, is faced with a myriad of challenges primarily due to the increase in the …
Fire Resistance Evaluation of Pressed Straw Building Envelopes
Ecological construction has a tendency to increase. One of its directions is the straw bale-house. The safety of such buildings …
Physical Properties of Straw Bales as a Construction Material: A Review
Straw bale buildings provide significant benefits in terms of costs, human health, and environmental sustainability. Several studies in different regions …
European Straw Bale Gathering 2019 – Todmorden, UK. August 2019
The European Straw Bale Gathering (ESBG) is one of the most important meetings of straw bale builders, professionals and admirers …
Utilization of Alternative Building Materials for Sustainable Construction
The world population is growing at unprecedented rates and it is expected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050. Today, non-sustainable …
Leaflet on the processing of construction straw – Merkblatt Verarbeitung von Baustroh – according to European Technical Assessment
Leaflet on the processing of construction straw according to European Technical Assessment ETA-17/0247 Status: 28 October 2019 Merkblatt zur Verarbeitung …
DE-EN Strohbaurichtlinie 2019 – revised Straw Building Guideline 2020
EN This straw building guideline summarises the experience and knowledge of straw builders in Germany. It has been compiled by …