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Straw Bale Construction:

arves ng s o en a as an or a e an

Energy Efficient Building Strategy

Environmental and Energy Study Institute Briefing

485 Russell Senate Office Building ,

Laura Bartels

President, GreenWeaver Inc.

With support from

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History

row

Building Performance

Future Opportunities

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photos: David Eisenberg, Dale Abrams, Luchessi Galati Architects, Inc.

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The amount of straw available annually issubstantial- 125 to 177 million tons.(Source: USDA Economic Research Service)

If half was available for building, it would create

over 10 million 2 000 sf homes annuall .(Source: Toolbase Services, NAHB Research Center)

number of US annual

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008

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An American invention older than jazz

Straw bale building

be an in the late 1800s

after the invention of

the baling machine.

The first U.S. patent

on bale building was

in 1880.


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Durable and Versatile

Built in 1936,Huntsville, AL

Listed on the National

Register of HistoricPlaces

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Development Center for Appropriate Technology

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-Many of these historic structures are still occupied


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49 U.S. States currently have straw bale structures

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Source: International Straw Bale Building Registry, http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/

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Over 40 countries

have straw balestructures

Ar entina, Australia, Belarus, Bel ium, Bul aria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Re ublic,

Denmark, Ecuador, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary,India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Neutral Zone, New Zealand,

Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States,

Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zambia

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Source: International Straw Bale Building Registry, http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/

The Last Straw Journal, www.thelaststraw.org

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Uses baled straw (not hay)

Straw is either structural

or non-structural

Plaster applied on both sides Well designed for moisture

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Drawing courtesy of Chris Magwood

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System

Wall Systems


Single Family Homes - CO & CAAffordable Housing Project, Guadalupe, AZ

Photos Courtesy of DCAT, Terralink Structures LLC& Martin Hammer

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[Straw bale building] is a powerfulstrate in creatin ener and resource

efficient buildings.

. , . ,

Vice President, HOK

#1 Architectural/Engineering Firm,

Engineering News-Record, April 21, 2008

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Courtesy of Bruce King, P.E.

Santa Clarita, CA Transit Maintenance Facility, LEED Gold

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erma

ORNL testing demonstrates R-value of 27 for 18 wall CA Energy Commission allows R-value of 30 for plastered bale wall

-

Structural

Compressive, lateral and seismic testing demonstrate impressivecapacity and that it is a nearly ideal seismic material

Plastered wall acts like a stress skin panel with optimal ductility

Acoustic

Testing shows straw bale wall to be excellent sound barrier

Fire Assemblies meet 1- and 2- hour ASTM fire ratings

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Summary of testing available at www.ecobuildnetwork.org

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Good thermal performance (reducing heating and cooling needs)

Low embodied energy Minimally processed

Local or regional, widely available

Passive Survivabilit Reduces likelihood of deaths from heat or cold in blackouts


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=R 3.14 + minimal mass VS. R 30 + distributed mass

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Source: Ken Haggard, San Luis Sustainability Group

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Embodied Energy of Insulation Materials

Straw insulation is:

- 126 times less the embodied energy

- 487 times less than polystyrene

1

Baled Straw

Fiberglass

Polystyrene

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

Source: Centre for Building Performance Research, Victoria University of Wellington

MJ/kg

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,

Achieved LEED Platinum using straw bale and rammedearth

nner, g er ormance u ng war , usta na e

Buildings Industry Council

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Luchessi Galati Architects, Inc.

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,

LEED Gold AIA San Francisco Design Award for Energy and

usta na ty,

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Dan Smith & Assoc., Architects

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Schools Choose Straw Bale to Reduce Cost and

Energy Use and Offer Healthy Environment


Photo Hord Coplan Macht

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,

67% of energy efficiency came from straw balebuilding envelope and passive solar orientation in

this net zero energy home - Dan Smith, Dan Smith & Associates Architects

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Dan Smith & Associates, Architects.

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Passivhaus Standards

Uses jumbo bales Structural straw walls

-va ue

Eliminates need for

conventional heating Requires 10 times less

heat than PassivhausStandard

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Catherine Wanek from Hybrid Houses, Gibbs Smith.

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Over 700 homes built Eliminated need for

coal in heating

Dramatically

resistance

2005 UN World

Habitat Award

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photos Kelly Lerner, One World Design Architecture

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USDA FARM WORKER HOUSING

-Zero interest loans from USDA

-Projected costs approx. $110/sf, reduced by occupant labor

(low in the context of CA earthquake code requirements)

-Straw bales displace need air conditioning

-Straw bale common wall in duplexes provide excellent sound and fire separation

-Plastered bale walls provide the seismic bracing

-Farm workers to assist with bale work, site built trusses, plastering


Frog Hollow Farm - Brentwood, CA

Photo Dan Smith & Assoc., Architects

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GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Development Center for Appropriate Technology & Courtesy of Bruce King

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Capital Cost +Operating Cost = Affordability

1. EnergyReduce utility costs for heating and cooling

Stretch energy assistance funding

Reduce imports of higher cost building materials

Create training & job opportunities

Create value added businesses

. Reduction of IEQ related medical expenses

Reduction of absenteeism from work and school


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Low Capital Cost +Low Operating Cost = Affordability

Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA


Staff Housing, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, CO

Photos Dan Smith & Assoc. Architects, Dale Abrams

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and Low Income Housing


Photo Todd Winslow Pierce

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US Dept of Housing and Urban Development

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

US Department of Agriculture

United States Post O ice


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. .

GreenWeaver Inc. 2008Photo Bill Steen

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urther ResourcesEcological Building Network - www.ecobuildnetwork.org

-

The Last Straw Journal - www.thelaststraw.orgDesign of Straw Bale Buildings: The State of the Art,

ruce ng, e or, reen u ng ress, .


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