Federal State

Thuringia

Project Title

Load-bearing straw bale construction for agricultural and residential buildings

Project description

Aim of the planned cooperation project is to develop the fundamentals and basic material informations for structural and thermal design of masonry, made of bales of straw. To achieve this, it is essential to classify the load-bearing straw bales in terms of their structural properties. The starting point for a classification will be preconditioned straw bales, to which defined strength and shape change parameters can be assigned. The conditioning is to be achieved through defined pre-stressing of the straw bales and the associated compression and a anticipation of time-depending proportions of the deformation. The targeted preloading is intended to create residual stresses (preloads) in the straw bales, which enable the wall building material to be classified independently of the properties of the starting material.

Final report

Results and the Final report will be found here, as soon as the project is completed.

Results focusing on practiceorientation

The proposed project should in long term provide the fundamentals and basic information for a later technical standardization and general technical approval or type approval. In the short term, the desired results can significantly simplify an approval in individual cases and thus promote the market potential of load-bearing straw bale construction. Load-bearing straw bale construction is predestinated especially for the rural area. The advantage of such straw bale constructions lies in the very simple wall construction. The straw blocks are installed time-saving and reusable without joint-mortar. Straw bales can be plastered on one or both sides, thus fullfilling all the properties, required for an outher wall without an expensive wooden structure.

Main funding source

Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013)

Project status

ongoing

Total budget applied for in EUR

465,999

Link 2

Project description

Link 3

project poster

NUTS3 CODE

DEG05 - Weimar, Kreisfreie Stadt