Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Position polyester strapping over the top of the 1-8 m wide plastic and top boxing
down to the strapping fitted below the bottom boxing. Join the strap over the wall to the
strap below the bottom boxing, ensuring that there are no twists in the strapping. The
strapping has a red thread down one side of the strapping, so if you note its direction it
will help you install it without twists. Allow approximately 400 mm of excess length on
the strap at each side of the wall for the application of the tensioning machine. Pull the
straps hand tight on one side of the wall. It will not be necessary to pull the straps up on
both sides as the strap will slide over the top boxing at this point. Repeat this process
until all the straps at the floor have an adjoining strap over the top of the wall. The straps
over bales beneath windows should now be fitted and pulled up hand tight.
Straightening the straw bale wall
I use a large mallet to straighten the straw bale wall and realign the bales. Once the
strapping is in place, and the straps are pulled up hand tight the wall will be straightened.
Using a large wooden mallet known as a bale hammer, adjust the position of any bales
that are out of alignment. I am not aware of anywhere that bale hammers can be
purchased; however they are quite simple to make.
How to make a bale hammer
Take a piece of timber either
150 mm square or with 150 mm
diameter, approximately 250 mm
long, drill a hole large enough to
insert an axe or mallet handle into
it. Glue and screw the handle into
the hole (see Figure 4.7). Timber
this short and chunky is inclined
to split, so fix a piece of the
polyester strapping around each
end of the mallet head to reduce
the likelihood of the head splitting
and breaking. It is best to make
the head of the bale hammer as
light as possible. As opposed to
many hammers, it is not the
weight of the hammer that will be doing the work, it is your strength in wielding it. The
bulk of the head of the hammer is simply to prevent the hammer sinking into the bale
rather than applying force to the bale resulting in its relocation.
Figure 4.7
Bales protruding beyond the desired line of the wall are
re-positioned using a bale hammer
Tensioning the polyester strapping
Once the bales are in place tighten the compression strapping with the tensioning tool
until it is very tight. Watch the strapping where it goes through the buckle. If the
strapping begins to change in texture or shape you have tightened it a little too much, but
as long as it doesn't break this is not a problem. Progress around the complete house until
all straps are tight. While it is not necessary, it is better to use a tensioning machine on
