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Cereal straw, including wheat, barley and rice, offers a renewable and sustainable resource stream for a variety of construction products, including compressed board panels, thatched roofing and bales. The successful use of straw bales as thermal insulation within the external envelope of buildings has been demonstrated by the increasing number of successful contemporary projects around the world. However, the warranty, insurance and financing of such projects is often still not as straightforward as competing solutions, which can be attributed to concerns relating to the long-term durability of the straw. This paper presents findings from an ongoing experimental study into the condition monitoring of modern straw bale construction, and also reports on a study investigating the degradation behaviour of wheat straw cyclically exposed to elevated humidity levels. The findings of the study provide encouraging insight into the robustness of straw bale construction.

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.

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Rational selection of building materials for their optimal performance and minimal environmental impact is complex, as materials are multi-functional. Beyond the primary function for which a material or product has been identified, such as insulation, the contribution to additional aspects of building performance may be conservatively overlooked. For example, important properties, such as latent and hygrothermal performance, are rarely considered when selecting insulation materials. Consequently, if materials are to be used optimally, there is a need for reliable and robust ranking methods based on a multi-criteria analysis. This will help to facilitate the most optimal selection of materials for building performance, environmental impact and occupant well-being. This paper describes four statistical methods of comparing and ranking different building materials. A critical appraisal of these methods is presented following implementation with a reference material data set. Finally, recommendations for future development and adoption of material selection tools are outlined.