ABSTRACT
In Europe, the insulation value of straw bale walls has been tested by 3 different research teams in Germany, Austria and Denmark. The German test has been carried out in the 2003 by the Forschungsinstitut für Wärmeschutz (Danish Technological Institute 2003), according to DIN 52612 EN 12667 ISO 8301, that standardizes the method of thermal conductivity evaluation. This test is standardized also in Italy, under the name of UNI 7891. The straw is dried at 70° to loose humidity, then pressed into a wood frame of 50 × 50 cm, thickness of 10 cm, up to reach the density of 90 kg/m3. The sample is positioned between two heat flow-meters and two plates having a constant temperature; the two plates have a difference of temperature of 15°C. ISO 8301 is the standard reference for the heat flow-meters; ISO 8302 is the standard reference
1 INTRODUCTION
The interest in straw bale building technology is increasing mainly due to the low environmental impact of the material and the energy performances of the buildings. Straw bale walls have the capacity to control moisture, and its structural, thermal, and fire resistance performances are exemplary (Platts 1997).
