Straw bale construction
It would be good to have some references for the claims about fire performance, or at least some details about the kinds of tests that have been done. All that straw provides a lot of combustible material: I would certainly want to be very sure that the claims above about fire resistance are well-founded before encouraging people to live in a straw-bale house.
Barbara Jones addresses this referencing tests conducted in Canada, US and UK. The conclusion was that properly compacted and covered with half inch plaster the wall does not contain "enough air to permit combustion." Barbara Jones 'Building with Straw Bales' ISBN 9780857842282 pp201-202
Ref. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Bob Platt 1997; New Mexico State Construction Industries Division; Amazon Nails UK Building Research Establishment 2007
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