Thermal Transmittance and the Embodied Energy of Timber Frame Lightweight Walls Insulated with Straw and Reed

Thermal Performance and Durability Evaluation of Arundo Donax towards an Improvement in the Knowledge of Sustainable Building Materials

“…Researchers around the globe have examined the potential of using reed as building thermal insulation [10,[17][18][19]. Some studies have looked at the thermal capabilities of boards containing reed as a component of bio-based materials [18], while others have focused on boards made entirely of natural reed [19].…”

“…Researchers around the globe have examined the potential of using reed as building thermal insulation [10,[17][18][19]. Some studies have looked at the thermal capabilities of boards containing reed as a component of bio-based materials [18], while others have focused on boards made entirely of natural reed [19]. Regardless of the form it takes, reed has been found to have a satisfactory thermal performance, with thermal conductivity values ranging from 0.045-0.056 W/m.K [5].…”

“…Concerning the solutions achieved using only reed, Miljan et al [19] used reed (Phragmites australis) to construct an insulated test house and study the thermal properties of the walls. They found that the thermal transmittance of the walls ranged from 0.130 to 0.257 W/m 2 .K.…”

“…According to the study carried out by Miljan et al [19] using Phragmites australis as the thermal insulation material, the boards tested in the horizontal direction achieved more expressive results (better thermal performance) when compared to the boards tested in the vertical direction. According to Miljan et al [19], the laying of reed insulation vertically is a complicated procedure (technically) and may provide more vertical voids between the reed stalks, thus facilitating convective air movement inside the board and, thus, a higher heat transfer. Miljan et al [19] built a test house insulated with reeds using only reed stalks.…”

Hygrothermal Behaviour of the Timber-Framed Sauna with Straw-Bale Walls

“…One of the tested wall elements was constructed from 500 mm thick straw-bales and rendered with 40 mm clay plaster outside and inside. Calculated thermal transmittance of this test element was U = 0.182 W/(m²·K) [6], but the result from the office with straw bale walls located at Tammistu (in Tartu county) was U = 0.092 W/(m²·K ) [7]. Having compared our results to those obtained in Germany we were intrigued to continue this research, and the master thesis was written about constructing the sauna and performing measurements.…”