<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">My home caught fire during construction with all bales stacked, the day after windows were set. Time from ignition to total structural collapse on our two story home was roughly 7 minutes. This is indeed a real concern, but like most legitimate concern careful prevention is the key. In our case a halogen lamp was used without a proper stand and the results were instantaneous. Other than proper fire safety, I don’t have any great solutions.<div class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div class="" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><div dir="auto" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><span class=""><span class="">Thanks, August</span></span></div><div class="" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class=""><b class=""><br class=""></b></span></div><div class="" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class=""><b class="">August Hasz, P.E., </b>LEED AP<br class=""><i class="" style="font-family: Helvetica-LightOblique;">President + Principal Engineer</i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="" style="font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><div dir="auto" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class=""><span class="" style="font-size: x-large; color: rgb(148, 17, 0);">REG</span></div><div class=""><font color="#941100" class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Resource Engineering Group</font><br class="">Direct: 970.713.0984</div><div class="">Office: 970.349.1216</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="" style="font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Cell: 970.275.3603</div><div class="" style="font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="mailto:hasz@reginc.com" class="">hasz@reginc.com</a> </div><div class="" style="font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="http://www.reginc.com/" class="">www.reginc.com</a></div></div></div>
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<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Aug 3, 2018, at 8:14 AM, Pete Walker <<a href="mailto:P.Walker@bath.ac.uk" class="">P.Walker@bath.ac.uk</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: 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; text-decoration: none;"><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Hi<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">I am writing on behalf of a leading straw bale builder in UK who has run into concerns from a fire safety consultant concerning exposed straw bales during construction. The consultant is happy to accept the fire performance of load bearing straw bale walls once rendered, but is concerned that the exposed (unrendered) straw bales present too high a fire load risk during construction. To limit this risk the consultant is requiring that the 2 and 3 storey bale walls are rendered in stages as the construction progresses (in sections of around 250 bales per time), rather than all in one go after completion of all the bale walls (around 750 bales in total), as is more usual practice. This will cause significant programming issues for the project.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Therefore, I am writing to enquire:<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;" class=""><span class="">1)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span>Has anyone else had similar experiences? If so, how did it work out?<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;" class=""><span class="">2)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span>Has anyone had experience of straw bale buildings catching fire during construction? If so, how did it work out?<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;" class=""><span class="">3)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span>What other fire protection measures have you experienced? Are your walls/bale stockpiles covered by a fire protection layer during construction, before rendering?<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;" class=""><span class="">4)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span>Does anyone have data/information on fire performance of unrendered straw bale walls?<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;" class=""><span class="">5)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span>Any other words of advice?<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">many thanks and best wishes<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Pete Walker<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: 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; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" class="">_______________________________________________</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: 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; text-decoration: none;" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: 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; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" class="">Gsbn mailing list</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: 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; text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="mailto:Gsbn@sustainablesources.com" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">Gsbn@sustainablesources.com</a><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: 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; text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/gsbn" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/gsbn</a></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>