Straw bale construction; a solution for low cost energy efficient rural housing in the earthquake affected regions of Central Southern Chile?

Following the earthquake of February 2010 in central southern Chile almost 80,000 families have been re-housed in “mediaguas,” temporary timber emergency shelters 18m2, as they await the rebuilding of their damaged properties. Even before the earthquake, a survey conducted in 2007 by the Chilean charity, Un Techo para Chile recorded 28,578 families living in shanty towns. In addition a study conducted between the winter of 2007 and summer of 2008, showed that a large percentage of the Chilean population live during the winter in poor hygrothermal conditions with over 80% suffering problems with condensation and moulds. An affordable, renewable resource, with excellent insulation properties, currently burned as a waste material adding to carbon emission, straw bales could offer an affordable solution to providing energy efficient housing especially when considering rural locations. This paper presents the research of the authors regarding the hygrothermal performance of straw bales in central Chile, with results from physical test chambers, and the application of this construction typology to designs for permanent housing solutions