Materials, Methods & Technologies, Volume 8, 2014

Abstract: The world today faces many challenges. The world population is growing, along with their needs, while natural resources are depleted and the environment threatened, sometimes beyond repair. What we need to do know is to go back to the past, reaffirm the models and materials used back then, but reinvent them in a contemporary context. Straw bales are by-products, almost free, but clearly proven in a series of studies to be a nearly perfect building material. This paper has explored the characteristics of straw bales relevant to construction. Based on the results, a broad specter of opportunities is opening for wide straw bale application in residential building.