[Strawbale] European Tehnical Approval of strawbale as a construction product

[asbn]

Dear Jure

As you know, 'Austria' has tested bales according to ETA
but 'Austria' in this case means: a company, named Waldland
(www.waldland.at), which is a cooperation of 750 farmers.

They 'produce' bales according to ETA out of bigbales baled by the Krone
Multibaler (defined), but these bales are just used in systemhausbau
(www.systemhausbau.at), which is a prefab-modular sb-system and a
cooperation of three companies in Austria: Kreativer Holzbau, Bauatelier
Schmelz & Salomon and my company d.sign Gruber & Partner. Why: because
prefabrication needs certified products...

But this ETA-certification doesn't mean, that Waldland or others can produce
certified 'Baustrohballen' all over Europe, it just means that they can sell
it all over Europe. Production is definded, sort of wheat is defined, weight
and moisture-content are defined (and have to be controlled), places where
they can harvest (parts of Austria) are defined, a
quality-management-process controls the quality of the bales in the
company-own testing-labor...

Yep, like any other certified building-product...

European building law means, that building-products that are used by
companies (at least for prefabrication of walls and/or modules) have to be
certified (CE) as any other (building) product in Europe. But: different
countries, different harmonizations to European building law. Austria has
harmonized its building law in this case, others will harmonize in the
future, some time... But at the end, all European countries will be
harmonized, except: something changes especially with the use of strawbales
as one of the main sustainable building-products (I would like that...).

You still may build with uncertified bales on site and in renovation but its
harder in Austria now to proof the thermal quality of uncertified bales
(especially when you want financial support for e.g. building a
passive-house). This is the disadvantage of a national or European
certification.

Now StrohPlus will build 'professional' loadbearing strawbale-houses in
Austria, made of bigbales and they will maybe adept ETA for bigbales and are
looking for partners to share the costs of the certification process. If you
are interested, you may contact Michael Gromer from Strohplus at
<gromer at baumeisterhoeller...>

Mit lieben Grüßen / warm regards
Herbert Gruber
-- 
asbn - austrian strawbale network
Österreichisches Netzwerk für Strohballenbau
3720 Ravelsbach, Baierdorf 6
Email: asbn at baubiologie...
http://www.baubiologie.at
> Does anyone know if strawbale has been applied for European Tehnical
> Approval for a construction product to European Organization for
> Technical Approvals (EOTA)?
> 
> Here is the link which says more about ETA
> http://www.eota.be/en-GB/content/what-is-an-eta/4/
> 
> Strawbale is not a standard construction product for which in most
> countries legacies lack Harmonised Standards.
> 
> ETA for strawbale would help all EU countries a lot I think. I would
> appreciate any info on this.
> 
> Cheers