Bath researchers test straw as future construction material
15 July 2010BaleHaus, a house made of straw and hemp, is being tested by researchers at Bath University's BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials, to ascertain the viability of straw to be used as a construction material to meet future housing needs in the UK.
The house is made as a sleek, Scandinavian-style two-bedroom unit that uses panels made from tightly-packed straw inside lime-rendered wooden frames. Straw and cladding panels from ModCell, which are the sustainable straw bale and hemp cladding panels, has been employed in the house, providing an insulating system that meets the PassivHaus specification for zero heat homes.
Locally manufactured in controlled factory environments using locally available materials, BaleHaus is delivered directly to the site enhancing speed of construction. It is designed to be dismantled, re-used and recycled at the end of a typical 100-year life.
According to researchers, straw which is widely available, can also help to combat carbon emissions and is a good insulator. The ModCell system employed in the house outperforms Building Regulations requirements for fire and wind resistance. Researchers claim that using straw will help builders to reduce their carbon footprint, as it stores CO2 unlike concrete and brick, which are both energy intensive to make and transport.
Developing the BaleHaus will cost around GBP132, 000 ($200, 799 approx.). Researchers believe that the house could be cost-competitive, with the savings realized through lower heating bills.
BaleHaus is being monitored since October 2009 for thermal performance and humidity levels. It has managed to withstand test winds of up to 120mph. The research work on BaleHaus involves eight industrial partners including ModCell and has been funded by the Technology Strategy Board and Carbon Connections.
