[Strawbale] Overhead bales

[Chug.]

Hi Hw

when we were in Friland Denmark for the ISBBC 04 there was a timber frame 
building on which I lead a workshop to put the SB walls up and at the same 
time the owner and some of her Danish friends were putting whole bales in 
the roof and covering them with a hemp/lime mix, and there was at least one 
other builing on the Friland site that also was putting whole bales in the 
roof. Rene Dalmeijer and myself were trying to explain to the owner that an 
air space he was intending to leave was also a possible fire tunnel. 
http://www.dr.dk/dr2/friland/

bale on
Chug
chug at strawbale-building.co.uk
http://www.strawbale-building.co.uk/
.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stone Tool" <owly at ttc-cmc.net>
Cc: "SB REPP" <STRAWBALE at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 2:26 PM
Subject: [Strawbale] Overhead bales


Has anybody tried using strawbales between ceiling joists like you would
glass bats?   I'm preparing to build a fair size shop building which
will have a number of main structural posts to support roof load with
rafters that consist of straight beams on a grade (33%) serving as
rafters.   Between these "rafters" which will be truss beams 24" deep
spanning 40', will be 24" deep built up wood I-beams (lumber & osb )
such as are used in floor joists frequently.  Roof will screw down to
these, insulation will be between them, and ceiling will attach to the
bottom side.   They will be constant chord...... probably also 24" deep.

My thought is that strawbales could easily be placed between the joists
or perlins or whatever you want to call them.   I have been thinking
about putting fiberglass bat with foil backing above the bales & below
the metal roof.   The bottom side would probably be plastered.

The rest of the structure will be built as an infill structure with
what amounts to post and beam construction and bale infill.   I'm
looking at building using the large 30"x30"x60" (500 pound) bales of
cheatgrass.   Please don't bother bring up the "hay as food" nonsense...
It is of no concern to me nor will I waste time debating it (been there
before).   This is not about my choice of materials but about the
possibility of using straw overhead as insulation.

The real concern I have is a development of a method of gunning the
cement or stucco on.   Living 100 miles from the nearest city, hiring a
gunnite crew is a bit impractical......nor is it probably ideal.  I will
not be hand applying the approximately 9500 square feet of surface
(approximate total inside and out).....it would take all summer.  It
will probably use cement based stucco...... again I am not interested in
debating embodied energy issues...(of NO concern to me)... only how to
apply it and what means can be used to improve breathability, and
provide suitable expansion joints.

I'd like to hear ideas and suggestions............

H.W.


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