Seismic load-resisting capacity of plastered straw bale walls

Straw bales have been incorporated into buildings for centuries, but only recently have they been explored in academic settings for their structural potential. Straw bale building is encountering a growing audience due to its social and economic benefits. Plastered and reinforced straw bale wall assemblies have been found comparable to wood frame construction in resisting vertical and lateral loads. A number of straw bale residences have been constructed in the highly seismic state of California, while recent efforts have expanded its presence to quake-prone areas in developing countries like Pakistan and China. As this is a burgeoning arena of research, only empirical tests have been conducted. This thesis introduces a computer simulation of a wall assembly under lateral loading, using two techniques: a multi-layer shell element and an equivalent compression strut frame in SAP2000. The models assume homogeneity, and based on the results, areas for improvement and further research are suggested.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Hsiaw, Jennifer S. (Jennifer Sing-Yee)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jerome J. Connor.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60773

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/60773