Construccion con fardos

I N F O R M AT I O N G U I D E TO STRAW BALE BUILDING
F O R S E L F - B U I L D E R S A N D T H E C O N S T R U C T I O N I N D U S T RY © AMAZON NAILS 2001

Amazon Nails, Hollinroyd Farm, Todmorden, OL14 8RJ. Tel/Fax: 0044 (0)845 458 2173 barbara@strawbalefutures.org.uk www.strawbalefutures.org.uk

CONTENTS
section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 INTRODUCTION...........1 ~ 4 DIFFRENTMETHODS......................5 ~ 11 BALE SPECIFICATIONS.........12 ~ 15 BALE PLANS......16 ~ 18 FOUNDATIONS.........................................19 ~ 26 WALL RAISING..................27 ~ 33 WINDOWS AND DOORS..........34 ~ 36 PLASTERING.......................37 ~ 44 PLANNING PERMISSION.......................45 ~ 46 BUILDING REGULATIONS...............47 ~ 52 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...............53~ 55 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING.......56 ~ 60 FIFTEEN CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS

Scroll through page by page or click on the section you want to go to

roof..........31

bales..........12 wall/roof plates.........30 plastering...........36

electrics.........32 windows & doors..........33 wall raising..........27

foundations..........19 plans..........13

This document has beenwritten with funding from the DETR under the FAST Track: Innovation in Construction Scheme.

All illustrations & diagrams are by Juliet Breese of Deaftdesign deaftdesign@zen.co.uk fax: 00 44 1706 812190

INTRODUCTION

Straw bale building is a smart way to build. It’s more than just a wall building technique that has yet to come into its own. It’s a radically different approach to the process ofbuilding itself. Like all innovative ideas, it has been pioneered by the passionate, and used experimentally by those with the vision to see its potential. Its background is grassroots self-build; it is firmly based in that sustainable, ‘green building’ culture that has brought to the construction industry many new and useful ideas about energy efficiency and responsibility towards theenvironment. It is now at a pivotal point in its development, ready to be taken on by construction firms who see its value in terms of cost-effectiveness, sustainability, ease of installation and energy efficiency. As you will see from this document, the building method itself is based on a block system, making the designs very easy to adapt from one project to another, and giving great flexibility in itsuse. The accessible nature of straw means that people unfamiliar with the building process can now participate in it.This opens the door for interest groups to work together on joint projects. Housing Associations and Local Authorities etc., are ideal managers for self-build straw projects that won’t take years to complete, and which will engender an excitement and motivation that gets the jobdone.The atmosphere on a strawbale building site is qualitatively different to that found on the vast majority of other sites. It is woman-friendly, joyful, optimistic and highly motivated. Knowledge and skills are freely shared, and co-operation and teamwork predominate, all of which has a positive effect on health and safety on site. Working with straw is unlike working with any other material. It issimple, flexible, imprecise and organic. It will challenge your preconceptions about the nature of building and the correct way of doing things; not everyone will be able to meet this challenge. Its simplicity can be disarming, or alarming. If you need complexity for security, then this may not be for you. Don’t be put off by nursery tales about the big bad wolf – we should be wise enough torealise that the wolf probably worked for the cement manufacturers! And don’t pay too much attention to colloquial tales about ‘hippie’ houses – read on, and make your own mind up. page

1

introduction

Straw as a building material excels in the areas of cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency. If used to replace the more traditional wall-building system of brick and block, it can present...