Compressed stabilized

earth blocks and straw

bale as sustainable
building materials
Abstract:

Global
warming
and
climate
change are hotly debated issues in
the current world scenario. The
world has already begun to
succumb to injuries inflicted by
climate change. So worldwide
efforts are on to tackle this
menace under the aegis of several
organizations. Every sphere of
human activity can contribute
towards this aim. It is here that as
architects of the future world our
contributions matter. Owing to the
phenomenal growth in the building
industry worldwide, there has been
an
unparalleled
level
of
exploitation of natural resources in
an unplanned and unchecked way.
Hence, in todays world, going
green has become a top priority in
our society. Integrating green
materials into building projects can
help reduce the environmental
impacts
associated
with
the
extraction, transport, processing,
fabrication, installation, disposal of
these materials etc.
The aim of the dissertation is to
conduct an analysis on two
sustainable
building
materials
namely, Compressed Stabilized
Earth Blocks (CSEB) and straw
bale, to identify their effectiveness
as sustainable building materials.
The materials are studied in detail,
its merits and demerits are

analyzed and required data are

collected through literature studies
and case studies. CSEB is a
building material that is gaining
wide acceptance as sustainable
material today. It is a special
technology in which blocks are
made
by
compressing
a
combination of earthen material
and added stabilizers. Its local
availability and ease of processing
makes it the most energy efficient
building material. Straw is one of
the finest renewable materials
available. In a country like India,
where
agriculture
is
widely
practiced, using the abundantly
available straw as a building
material can be advantageous.
When bundled together into a bale,
it becomes a solid block that is
highly resistant to decomposition.
These materials provide better,
efficient, durable and cost effective
construction
to
ensure
least
possible
degradation
of
environment.
1. Introduction
A Green building is a structure
that uses processes that are
resource
efficient
throughout
buildings life cycle: from citing to
design, construction, operation,
maintenance,
renovation
and
demolition. There is a need to
study about green technology as
green buildings aim at reducing
overall impact of built environment
on human health and natural
environment by: efficiently using
energy, water and other resources;
protecting occupant health and
improving employee productivity;
reducing waste, pollution and
environment degradation. Studying

it thereby helps to produce

sustainable designs ensuring a safe
future for the coming generations.
Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks
is a special technology in which
blocks are made by compressing a
combination of earthen material
and with added stabilizers. Its local
availability and ease of processing
makes it the most energy efficient
building material. Straw is one of
the finest renewable materials
available and is found around the
world in abundance. Its chemical
composition is primarily cellulose.
Straw bale construction is a
technique which is slowly gaining

acceptance
these
days.
This
method proves to be successful in
locations where moisture in air is
less as there might be pest and
termite attacks otherwise. Besides
being
eco-friendly,
the
other
advantages
of
using
these
materials for construction are;
Better functional efficiency; Cost
effectiveness; Better durability;
Ease of construction; Better finish;
Minimum waste; less maintenance
cost