The aim of this study is to compare brick and straw bale wall systems from environmental, economic and energy perspectives. The choice of basic building materials is an important part of each project and is usually based on professional judgment, taking into consideration the importance of various criteria such as economic, environmental, functional, aesthetic and health aspects. Brick is the most commonly used building material worldwide; whereas straw, though widely available and having many advantageous properties, is still poorly exploited. In this study, wall compositions of both materials were examined assuming passive building standards.
Three values – Global Warming Potential (GWP), Primary Energy Input (PEI) and Acidification Potential (AP) – of environmental impact were calculated. It was shown that, considering environmental, economic and energy values, the use of straw bales is a good alternative to brick.
Authors:
- Larisa Brojan
- Alja Petric
- Peggi L. Clouston
