STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION IN THE UK

Straw bale Construction in the UK

Straw bale Construction in the UK

This essay discusses over different views of Straw bale construction being done in UK using Straw bale techniques. This essay aims to analyze a straw bale construction emerging in UK. This essay also discusses over the impacts, consequences. This essay identifies building standards required in a contemporary building comparison with straw bale building and evaluates them with natural resources such as wind and fire. This essay critically evaluates a Straw bale construction from a socio-economic, technical and environment perspective, the dynamic dependencies of contemporary construction technology approaches against alternative innovative solutions. This essay also applies the concept of Supply Chain Management to the study of construction technique and the assembly of buildings. It also includes investigation and debates over the principles of material science building structures as well finding alternatives in determining resolution of contemporary technical problems at the time of construction. (D.A.Bainbridge, 2005, Pg.#451-459)

Straw is a natural product,grown by photosynthesis during a halforone-year period,fueled by the sun. Straw is currently produced in surplus to requirements, so it is cheap and easily accessible in most countries including UK. It is the end product of growing crops; so using it for building purposes present a sustainable and ecological

way of recycling. The use of strawbales as construction material has many advantages. Buildings with straw bales are energy efficient, durable, attractive and even fire-resistant. In UK, the public would generally accept straw dwellings, especially when supported by wide dissemination of information about the material properties of straw and the construction possibilities. Additionally, built environment professionals find straw to be an excellent construction material and recognize that some of it slim it at ions can easily be over come. (King 2003, 256)

A straw bale with out render readily ignites when subject to the same heat flux. Clearly, the render contributes to the fire safety of straw bale construction by providing an insulating barrier between the heat source and the straw and also provides a barrier to oxygen transfer from the atmosphere in to the straw. Straw bales have also been used to provide retro fit insulation for existing homes. The bales are much cheaper that a dobe and have become common in high end estate constructions in UK.

On the other hand, faced with the world wide shortage of forest resources, the construction industry of UK is showing interest in the production of straw bales (in particle board form) from agricultural residues. (Jones 2002, 409)

In recent years in UK, emerging resurgent construction of wooden houses using straw bales is occurring due to different reasons. This straw bales construction is mainly because they are healthier due to its low cost and the use of organic materials with low environmental impact.

The straw combined with the mud has been one of the oldest construction materials known. In fact there are still standing today many mud and straw houses which are more than 500 years old still in ...