Nov 19 2009
Research professionals from the University of Bath conducted a fire resistance test on a pre-fabricated panel incorporated in the Balehaus@Bath building material derived from renewable sources.
The Balehaus@Bath or the low carbon straw house made up of hemp panels and preassembled straw-bale, passed this fire safety test as it was proved to be on par with houses constructed with regular building materials. During this test, the Balehaus@Bath was exposed to temperatures of more than 1000°C for no less than 30 minutes before it was finally adjudged as meeting the resistance standards. The test proved the strong fire resistance capability of the panel beyond doubt as it was able to successfully resist heat for more than two hours.
The fire resistance test was conducted as part of a new research project focusing on understanding the utility of inexhaustible building materials such as straw and hemp in the construction of houses. The Technology Strategy Board and Carbon Connections are the financial sources for the research on Balehaus@Bath The low carbon straw house will be observed by researchers Christopher Gross and Katharine Beadle from the BRE Centre of the University of Bath for a period of one year. These researches will study properties such as air tightness, sound insulation features and humidity levels of the straw house to ascertain the properties of its building materials.
Balehaus@Bath will be formally inaugurated on 19 November 2009 by Kevin McCloud, the builder of the ModCell BaleHaus system. The ModCell BaleHaus system is a similar low carbon building system whose design was furnished by Integral Structural Design in Bath and White Design in Bristol. This system was implemented by Kevin McCloud in 2008 to construct an environmentally friendly house within six days. The ModCell BaleHaus house was exhibited at the Grand Designs Live. The ModCell BaleHaus was made of preassembled panels that were, in turn, constructed using a timber frame consisting of hemp or straw bales along with a lime-based system that allows air to pass through. Modcell was manufactured to be carbon negative by virtue of the superior insulation characteristics of its panels. The system is capable of reducing the need for additional heating and serving to lower CO2 emissions by 60 percent and household heating expenses by as much as 85 percent.
The director of BRE Centre Innovative Construction Materials, Professor Pete Walker, commented that the renewable properties of straw and the ability to derive the crop as a by-product of farming make it an ideal eco-friendly building material. He also said that this is the first time during a research project involving ModCell panels when data from a complete building structure is being studied. Walker expressed hope that the project will trigger the widespread use of renewable materials in the UK housing construction sector. He added that straw can be grown in local conditions and helps to maintain low carbon footprint in the vicinity of the buildings in which it I deployed, owing to its CO2 absorption characteristics.
The director of ModCell, Craig White, expressed disappointment in the fact that about 27 percent of CO2 emissions emanate from household energy consumption and felt that this trend cannot be sustained in the future given the level of energy consumed in the production process. He said that a large-scale rethinking on home design is necessary to demonstrate adequate seriousness on becoming carbon-free. White expressed pleasure on the progress of the research project and hoped that projects such as Balehaus@Bath will stand testimony for the feasibility of using sustainable building materials and bring about reduced use of processed materials in the construction sector.
Even as people across the globe are following the project online, Bath researchers have commenced data collection on the straw house and dissemination of information on the progress of the project, via blogs.