Structural development and testing of a prototype house using timber and straw bales

One approach to reducing embodied carbon dioxide of buildings is the increased use of plant-based construction materials such as prefabricated straw bale panels. This paper presents findings from the development and structural testing of an innovative load-bearing prefabricated straw bale building. Work on panel development is summarised ahead of presenting two numerical computer-based models that support the building design. The computer models are validated using data from a full-scale simulated static wind load test on a two-storey building. The prefabricated straw bale structural system is shown to be suitable for two- and three-storey domestic structures in a range of locations.