Straw house withstands 120mph winds
Recent tests on the Balehaus at Bath, a low-carbon house made of straw-bale panels at Bath University, have confirmed that it is more than strong enough to withstand hurricane-force winds.
The Balehaus at Bath was built by industrial partners Modcell as part of a major research project to scientifically assess the performance of straw as a sustainable building material. The two-storey building was officially opened by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud last year.
The research team, led by Prof Pete Walker, director of the university’s BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials, has been monitoring the house since October 2009 for thermal performance and humidity levels, and has now tested the structure of the house for resisting winds up to 120mph.
The wind load was simulated using hydraulic jacks that pushed horizontally against the walls with a total force exceeding four tonnes - equivalent to the dynamic force of a hurricane. During the tests, the walls moved no more than 4mm under peak loads - well within design requirements and as predicted.
The researchers will use these data to develop a theoretical computer model of the house to simulate how a three-storey, or even higher, Balehaus building would withstand such winds.
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