A review of material properties and performance of straw bale as building material

Abstract

Straw bale constructions are considered as a promising solution towards the goal of decarbonisation of building sector. In particular, its use as an alternative thermal insulation and load-bearing material has been promoted. This study provide a thorough review of material properties of straw bale including mechanical, thermophysical and hygric. Furthermore, mechanical, hygrothermal, energy and acoustical performance as well as life cycle assessment of straw bale constructions are reviewed and discussed. The critical evaluation of the recent research confirms that straw bales can provide satisfactory results as thermal insulation material compared to conventional materials, while in parallel reflects a high potential for constructions with low embodied emissions. The potential of straw bale is tackled by the lack of consistent representation of material properties, which is controversial to the significant amount of the relevant scientific results that have been reported during the last years. This review provides a systematic framework that can function as basis for future research on straw bales as building material.