SB: Baling in the tropics

[Matthew Falkiner <Exchange@ibw.com.ni>]

dear list members...

  4 months ago in the midst of a coastal dry tropical forest on the pacific 
side of Nicaragua in the midst of the dry season a client of mine suggested 
using bales in the house we were to build.   Having seen bale buildings in 
the uk and read all the standard texts and codes I wondered about the 
feasibility here in central america.   We have 2 string rice bales 
available  24lb,  33"x18"x15".

I see the pros as follows:  ready and cheap availability of the 
material,  creates cool shady interiors with deep reveals,  labour and not 
material intensive especially when combined with earth stuccos, favorable 
seismic resistance characteristics.  So far so good. The con is the weather.
Nicaraguas dry season is very dry. it lasts from december to may... during 
this time we had no doubt that straw bale had a long future ahead of it 
Nicaragua.    How quickly we forget the rainy season.  I have had an 
architecture practise for 7 years in Nicaragua and I know that its 
difficult in the blistering dry heat of april to remember the days of 
tropical downpours.    This year the rains have started with a 
vengeance.  Today we have a relative humidity of 94%, a high temp of 82F 
and in 24hours 130mm of rain has fallen.

We are still committed to the bales. Having worked in many different low 
cost housing programmes I am keen to find out whether or not baling is 
viable here, always on the look out for an alternative to  the reinforced 
concrete beam and block construction which dominates all construction 
sectors here.   My beach house client is waiting for the green light  - we 
have a warehouse of bales waiting. The plan is to build a roof structure on 
eucalyptus poles  and use infill non load bearing bale walls.  That good 
detailing is essential goes without saying, that the walls should be 
protected from driving rain, and be built well above surface water flooding 
level also goes without saying. The question seems to come down to the 
straws resistence to high humidity over prolonged periods.    Unlike 
northern climes there is no issue of moisture migration due to temperature 
differentials inside and outside.   Indoor and outdoor humidity and temp 
levels vary very little from one another in both dry and wet season.

Does anyone know of any positive experience of bale building in the 
tropics?   Supposing that a breathable stucco is used - lime or earth, what 
are the major problems that we could encounter with bale performance and 
durability?    I would be grateful for any advice or encouragement or 
indeed warning bells from list members.

thanks.


Matthew Falkiner
Simplemente Madera Arquitectos
Managua. Nicaragua







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