Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 19-20) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes special report study. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

The earth home, in its many varieties and styles, played an important role in the development of the American Great Plains during the mid-nineteenth century. However, the lack of further study into the material culture of these homes has allowed many of these homes to be misrepresented in the historical record as temporary shelters. Not all of the earth homes constructed during this period were temporary. Further study of the materials used, the locations in which they were built, and their construction methods suggest that many of these homes were built to last. The three case studies used in this thesis represent a large number of earth homes still standing today. The findings of this study enhance the history of the region and open up new avenues for further research on earth homes as well as the possibilities and the importance of their preservation.

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This thesis seeks to put forth an alternative to conventional housing by taking advantage of the low construction costs attributable to prefabrication and the reduced cost of energy required by integrating passive solar devices in the unit. It is the assumption here that the already inflated cost of conventional construction and fuel can only increase, thus pushing the possibility of owning a home, out of reach of the average earner. The proposed guidelines and subsequent solutions stated are expected to prove themselves as an attractive and economical alternative to customers. Prefabrication methods and the use of passive solar devices are studied in depth to ascertain the optimum methods of use. The relevance of daylighting and natural ventilation are also evaluated. The selection of the final plan is achieved by analyzing predicted costs of heating each unit, taking into account building enclosure data. Guidelines for manufacture, transportation and erection of each unit are also proposed. / M. Arch.

Hay and straw bales can be stacked up like giant insulating bricks to form load-bearing walls for a wide variety of structures. The technique could provide home builders with inexpensive, energy efficient, long-lasting, fire-resistant, easily built, comfortable houses from a natural resource yearly renewable and locally available. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge regarding the structural properties of the bales and the wall systems incorporating them presents a major barrier to straw-bale construction. Without the quantitative information that standard engineering testing would provide, the wider use of bale construction will continue to be severely inhibited. This thesis examines the basic mechanical properties of individual straw bales (stress-strain behavior, ultimate strength, Poisson's ratio, etc ...), and prototype wall systems (vertical strength, in-plane lateral strength, out-of-plane lateral strength, deflection, creep, etc ...). The results of the tests on the individual bales as well as the wall systems are used to develop guidelines and equations for the design of straw-bale structures.

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No description available.