<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hi Noé (and Bob and all),</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I wanted to respond to the first email on the subject, but knew it would take time to answer properly. Now that my name has been called out . . .</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Andy Mueller (on this list) and I and others (incl. Tina Therrien, also on this list) built the first SB building in <b>Haiti</b> in 2010-11.</div><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><font face="Arial"><br></font>We<font face="Arial"> had the same question about building with straw in Haiti that you have about Benin. </font>Haiti’s tropical climate includes periods of heavy rain, including hurricanes, and moderate to high humidity.</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br><font face="Arial" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To answer the question, we installed 29 moisture sensors in the walls in our Haiti SB building. Readings over its first three years showed good performance. Some readings, just before plaster, were over 20%, but over the first 2-1/2 years almost all readings stabilized between 8-14%. (I’ve attached a table of readings from 2010-2013.) Some readings where the bales are in contact with the gravel bag stem wall, including ones </font><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I</span><font> took at end of 2013, rose above 20%, but I feel this is a matter of detailing, not climate. </font></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><font><br></font></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><font>The building also withstood hurricane Matthew in 2016 with only minor repair needed in an exposed area of plaster at its gable end. However</font><font face="Arial" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> moisture readings have not been taken since then, and it took a hard but not direct hit from the powerful hurricane. More about the </font><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“</span><font face="Arial"><font face="Arial,sans-serif">Ti Kay Pay</font>”<font face="Arial,sans-serif"> (small straw house in Kreyol) can be seen at </font></font><a href="http://builderswithoutborders.org/">http://builderswithoutborders.org/</a> . A second SB building was constructed in Haiti in 2014 by an Italian organization but I don’t have information about its performance.</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">There are other examples of SB buildings in places of high rainfall and/or humidity worth looking at.</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Sri Lanka</b>: The first SB building in Sri Lanka<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> was constructed in 2005. </span>I’ve attached a technical paper, <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Performance of Straw Bale Houses in Tropical Climatic Condition</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">,</span> though it is more about its thermal performance than moisture issues. Here is a link to an article on the handsome building: <font style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thearchitect.lk/2009/10/a-house-of-straw-2/" style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.thearchitect.lk/2009/10/a-house-of-straw-2/</a> </font><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Piyal Ganepoal was the project manager. You might be able to obtain information about the moisture performance of the building from him via Facebook or Linked-In.</span></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Bali:</b> American architect Jeni Kardinal (copied here) designed and oversaw the construction (with husband Frank Hyde) of the first SB building in Bali (Indonesia) in 2014. You can read about and see this beautiful building (and its beautiful compression mould !) in a Last Straw article at <a href="http://thelaststraw.org/straw-bale-in-bali/">http://thelaststraw.org/straw-bale-in-bali/</a> . I’m not sure how it has performed regarding moisture, though when I saw Jeni at the 2016 ISBC in New Zealand I think she indicated so far there were no problems. Maybe she can offer more if she reads this. </div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Nepal:</b> Our BWB team plans to build the first straw bale building in Nepal in October (actually the second if a very temporary building by others is counted). Nepal has a monsoon season and moderate to high humidity. We have full confidence straw bale building is suitable in Nepal’s climate (which varies considerably with elevation) with normal care, given all I have stated above. </div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">I’ve attached humidity data for the above countries (including Benin) that is useful to compare. Sri Lanka has the highest average annual average humidity (79.8%) of these countries, and Bali and and Nepal have the highest single monthly average (85%). You might want to obtain and compare average rainfall data also.</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">I’ll add that SB buildings have existed for many years in the rainy (winter) northwest U.S., and humid (summer) climates in the northeast and southeast U.S. that have performed well, including the famous Burritt Mansion in Alabama, built in 1938.</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;">The bottom line for me is that high rainfall and high humidity by themselves will not cause a straw bale building to fail due to moisture. Good design/detailing, good construction, and reasonable maintenance are what allow all SB buildings to endure, maybe even indefinitely. <u>However</u>, if water enters a wall due to failure of one or more of the three good practices I just mentioned, a SB building in a climate with high rainfall and/or high humidity will be at <u>greater risk</u> of damage or failure.</div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></div><div class="" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font><font face="Arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
Best regards.</span></font><br><br><font face="Arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
Martin Hammer</span></font></font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div><b><i><font size="2">Martin Hammer, Architect</font><br></i></b><i><font size="2">Co-director</font><br><font size="2">Builders Without Borders<br></font></i><font size="2">Berkeley, CA, USA</font></div><div><font size="2">510-684-4488 (mobile US)</font></div><div><font size="2">skype: martinfhammer</font></div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><font style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><font size="2">www.builderswithoutborders.org</font></font></div><div style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><font size="4"><font face="Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial"><span style="font-size:12pt">
<br></span></font></font></div><!--EndFragment--></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; text-align:left; color:black; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt"><span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span> Gsbn <<a href="mailto:gsbn-bounces@sustainablesources.com">gsbn-bounces@sustainablesources.com</a>> on behalf of Bob Theis <<a href="mailto:bobtheis3@gmail.com">bobtheis3@gmail.com</a>><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Reply-To: </span> GSBN <<a href="mailto:GSBN@SustainableSources.com">GSBN@SustainableSources.com</a>><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span> Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 1:18 PM<br><span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span> GSBN <<a href="mailto:GSBN@SustainableSources.com">GSBN@SustainableSources.com</a>><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span> Re: [GSBN] Straw bale building in tropical areas<br></div><div><br></div><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">While working in Haiti I desperately wanted to test ways to create local roof insulation, to alleviate the infra red oven created by a tin roof. My principal concern wasn’t rot, but critters nesting in it. My first notion was to mix the local fibers with quicklime, but I didn't have a chance to field test it. <div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">But we DO have a 2010 field test of straw bale construction there: Martin Hammer, what do you hear from the little cottage?</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Bob</div><div class=""><div class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jul 11, 2017, at 11:49 AM, Derek Stearns Roff <<a href="mailto:derek@unm.edu" class="">derek@unm.edu</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">
I don’t have the experience in a very humid, continuously warm tropical environment, to propose a natural building solution. Looking at the current local solutions is always a good place to start. There is also the question of what materials are available.
But starting from a place of ignorance about the place, if I wanted to include lots of insulation where mold and moisture are a big concern, then I would consider blown-in fiberglass (NOT fiberglass batts), which has several moisture/mold advantages.
<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Best wishes,</div><div class="">Derek<br class=""><div class=""><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
Derek Roff</div><div class=""><a href="mailto:derek@unm.edu" class="">derek@unm.edu</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><br></div><div class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jul 11, 2017, at 2:25 PM, Noé Solsona <<a href="mailto:noe@anarchitecture.org" class="">noe@anarchitecture.org</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class="">Hello ballers,<br class=""><br class="">
Am still looking for advices on that topic because I have more request for building with bale in hot and humid climate like Guadeloupe, Benin, Sénégal.<br class=""><br class="">
Many thanks in advance.<br class="">
Noé…<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class="">Le 29 juin 2017 à 08:17, Noé Solsona <<a href="mailto:noe@anarchitecture.org" class="">noe@anarchitecture.org</a>> a écrit :<br class=""><br class="">
Hello Derek and Bill,<br class=""><br class="">
Thanks for your returns, and advice regarding analyzing the moisture effect.<br class="">
I definitely agree with you Bill, that’s why I wrote to the GSBN to ask how to do and if it’s possible or suitable to build with straw in tropical climate ? Because I don’t want to be dependent and risk the failure of the air conditioning.<br class=""><br class="">
So am very wondering if it’s possible to build with straw ??<br class="">
Would it be better with light straw ?<br class=""><br class="">
Thanks for your advices.<br class="">
Noé...<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class="">Le 28 juin 2017 à 19:47, Bill Christensen <<a href="mailto:lists@sustainablesources.com" class="">lists@sustainablesources.com</a>> a écrit :<br class=""><br class="">
Hi Noé, et al,<br class=""><br class="">
Over the years I've become a fan of the concept of passive sustainability: specifically, what happens to the building when power and mechanical systems such as air conditioning fail?<br class=""><br class="">
In the wall described below, you're creating a dependence on the air conditioning system, and therefore setting yourself up for potential wall failure if the A/C goes down for an extended period, whether due to something as simple as financial constraints or
as extensive as global apocalypse.<br class=""><br class="">
Better to build without such dependencies whenever possible.<br class=""><br class="">
On 6/26/17 4:26 PM, Noé Solsona wrote:<br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class="">But I also hear that it could be possible if we have a vapor block membrane in the outside, and clay plastering in the inside with a good and strong air conditioning system.<br class="">
What do you think ?<br></blockquote>
-- <br class="">
Bill Christensen<br class=""><a href="http://sustainablesources.com/" class="">http://SustainableSources.com</a><br class=""><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/billc108" class="">http://LinkedIn.com/in/billc108</a></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></span><div style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Arial, monospace;">On 6/26/17, 2:26 PM, "Gsbn on behalf of Noé Solsona" <<a href="mailto:gsbn-bounces@sustainablesources.com">gsbn-bounces@sustainablesources.com</a> on behalf of <a href="mailto:noe@anarchitecture.org">noe@anarchitecture.org</a>> wrote:</div><div style="font-family: Arial, monospace;"><br></div><blockquote id="MAC_OUTLOOK_ATTRIBUTION_BLOCKQUOTE" style="font-family: Arial, monospace; border-left-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-left-width: 5px; border-left-style: solid; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px;"><div>Hello Balers,</div><div><br></div><div>Hope you are all fine in the full season arriving ?</div><div><br></div><div>Back from the ESBG in Venise where I made great contact to go and give courses on plastering bales and mechanization of plastering, I got one request for building with bales in Benin.</div><div><br></div><div>Did any one of you did such experience or heard of such one in this kind of area’s ?</div><div><br></div><div>I know that I have always heard that we can build with bales all around the world where there is straw, but not in tropical places.</div><div>But I also hear that it could be possible if we have a vapor block membrane in the outside, and clay plastering in the inside with a good and strong air conditioning system.</div><div>What do you think ?</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you very much in advance for your brith advices ;)</div><div>Noé from France</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>CalyClay</div><div>Noé Solsona </div><div>ZI des Monts du Matin</div><div>100 rue des Lauriers</div><div>26730 EYMEUX</div><div>France</div><div>P. : +33 (0) 617 421 050</div><div>T. : +33 (0) 482 533 110</div><div>F. : +33 (0) 482 533 111</div><div><a href="mailto:noe@calyclay.com">noe@calyclay.com</a></div><div>www.calyclay.com</div></blockquote></div><div style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class=""><br class=""></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div><br></span></body></html>