DefinePK

Abstract

Around four million tons of rice straw- (an agricultural residue)- is produced in Egypt annually. A great percentage of this amount is disposed of by burning causing high degrees of environmental pollution known as the Black Cloud that causes seriously chronic chest diseases to the great population of Egypt. This paper explores the different architectural styles of straw bale construction worldwide, with an aim to reach an economic environmentally adapted system for wide application of straw bale construction in Egypt. The paper presents an economical comparison between a load bearing wall unit built with locally produced rice straw bales and a traditional load bearing wall unit built with cement bricks. A direct cost saving that reaches about 40% of the total construction cost is achieved, in addition to the indirect cost saving in energy consumption and thermal insulation.