Load-bearing Straw Construction Mechanical Behaviour Testing Methodology

Written by esba

EN: Following the publication of the “straw construction” professional rules (RFCP et al., 2012), which have led to the recognition of straw as an insulating and plastering material, the “straw bearing” project aims to broaden the use of straw bales to enable them to directly take up vertical and bracing loads. In the mechanical part of the project, the first objective is to experimentally confirm the commonly accepted hypothesis of the behaviour in service of coated straw as a sandwich, then to test in real size and model this behaviour on walls with singularities (openings, angles, lintels, etc.) with a view to establishing the basis of recommendations for design and calculation. The second objective will be to verify and model a process suggested by the authors during the construction phases of a load-bearing straw structure. This is to study and characterise the transfer of vertical loads from frame/floor/operating/etc., initially applied only to the straw bales, to the render during the drying of the latter. This paper details the test programmes and methods proposed by the authors.

FR: À la suite de la publication des règles professionnelles ” construction en paille ” (RFCP et al., 2012), qui ont permis de faire reconnaître la paille comme matériau isolant et support d’enduit, le projet ” paille porteuse ” vise à élargir les capacités d’utilisation de la botte de paille pour lui permettre de reprendre directement les charges verticales et de contreventement. Dans le volet mécanique du projet, le premier objectif est de confirmer expérimentalement l’hypothèse couramment admise du comportement en service de la paille enduite comme un sandwich, puis de tester en taille réelle et de modéliser ce comportement sur des murs comportant des singularités (ouvertures, angles, linteaux, .) en vue d’établir les bases de recommandations pour la conception et le calcul. Le deuxième objectif sera de vérifier et de modéliser un processus émis par les auteurs lors des phases de construction d’une structure en paille porteuse. Il s’agit d’étudier et de caractériser le transfert des charges verticales de charpente / plancher / exploitation / etc., initialement appliquées uniquement sur les bottes de paille, à l’enduit au cours du séchage de ce dernier. La présente communication détaille les programmes d’essais et méthodes proposés par les auteurs.

Authors: Olivier, Myriam; Rojat, Fabrice; Forêt, Gilles; Hamelin, Cédric

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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.