Laboratory Investigations into the Bearing Capacity of Straw Bales for Low-Rise Building Applications

Abstract

Investigations were carried out to study the mechanical performance under uniaxial load of unplastered and plastered straw bales. Results from tests on 30 rice straw bales indicated nonlinear load-bearing properties with large deformations and anisotropy. Since the deformations observed did not conform to the current building code requirements, the evaluation of ultimate bearing capacity through the maximum axial vertical load was not possible. To obtain the design strength of rice straw bales in composite walls, further 21 specimens of plastered straw bales were also tested in compression. The permissible deformation of the straw bales was evaluated. It is noteworthy that the large deformability of straw bales can reduce the damage to structures after an earthquake. Consequently, the straw bale use can widely enhance the seismic performance of low-rise buildings.