Comparative study of brick and straw bale wall systems from environmental, economical and energy perspectives

Comparative study of brick and straw bale wall systems from environmental, economical and energy perspectives
Written by esba

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:

  1. Larisa Brojan
  2. Alja Petric
  3. Peggi L. Clouston

Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266618563

About the author

esba

The European Straw Building Association is an independent European association, devoid of any profit making motive. The object of the Association is to promote and develop the use of straw, as a sustainable way of building in all the senses of the term “sustainable”: renewable, ecological, healthy, energy and climate efficient, social and economic.
The Association is a federation composed of organisations and people particularly concerned with the use of straw in buildings.