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Natural Resources Defense Council 

The Natural Resources Defense Council works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth.
July 27, 1995

Walls

Introduction

NRDC uses two basic kinds of environmental wall systems: solid compressed straw panels and synthetic gypsum wallboard sandwiching steel studs. Straw walls are found in about 60% of the space, while the synthetic gypsum is in the rest. Gypsum was used in certain areas because the District of Columbia's building code limits the amount of contiguous space that can be built using "combustible" materials, and requires the use of non-combustible materials for egress corridors.

Compressed Straw Walls

Product Description

One of the D.C. office's most innovative features is the use of a solid straw wall system.. The 2¼ inch thick (standard gypsum office walls are 3 inches thick) is made by tightly packing wheat straw using high pressure. While under pressure, the straw is heated to 240° C, releasing a natural resin in that binds the fibers together. Each 4' by 8' panel weighs roughly 175 pounds. The paper facing used was 100% recycled content and is attached using a water-based non-toxic glue.

Environmental Benefit

Sixty million acres of wheat are grown in the U.S. each year. After the wheat grain is harvested, straw[4] is an environmental disposal problem in agricultural areas, because there are few uses for it besides small things, such as animal bedding. Currently most of the straw is disposed of by open air burning, which causes severe seasonal air quality problems over large regions of the country. What is not burned is tilled back into the soil. Conventional walls made of gypsum require mining in open pit mines, which can affect water quality, biodiversity and forest cover.[5] We estimate that the mining of 2,130 cubic feet of gypsum was avoided by using the walls. 

Performance

Because they are solid instead of hollow, the walls have better sound attenuation and are more insulating from heat and cold because they are solid, making rooms quieter and more comfortable.

Other Considerations

Although technically a flammable material, compressed straw is very resistant to burning because of its high density. It has passed a number of fire tests both here and in the United Kingdom. It has a flame spread rating of 60 according to the ASTM E-84 test, and has a Class 2 fire rating. It also passes the ½-hour fire test in the U.K..

The product has been successfully used for many different applications in more than 20 countries for over 25 years. Despite its success overseas, NRDC's office is the first application of this technology in a Class 1 commercial project in the United States. 

Cabinets and Shelving

Introduction

NRDC demonstrated several products for use as shelving and countertop substrate (the material underneath the finish or laminate). These products include Wheatboard, Gridcore and Medite II. These products mostly serve as substitutes or replacements for wood-based products containing toxic resins, such as plywood or particleboard. Over 95% of the conventional plywood and particleboard uses in the office were replaced by environmentally-preferable alternatives.

Product Description


NRDC's office was one of the first spaces in the country to demonstrate the use of Wheatboard, an agricultural product.. Wheatboard serves as a medium density fiberboard (MDF[12]) substitute in NRDC's cabinets, shelves, and countertop substrates. Wheatboard is manufactured using agricultural waste from wheat straw bound together with formaldehyde-free MDI (Polymeric Diphenylmethane Disocyanate) binder resins. The cabinets and shelves are laminated with conventional plastic laminate that is attached using non-toxic, water-based adhesives.[13]

Environmental Benefit


As a result of using these products in our cabinets and shelves, we eliminated the use of another couple of trees worth of wood for making particle board (250 cubic feet), avoided toxic formaldehyde emissions to our indoor air,[14] as well as reduced the air quality problems resulting from burning excess wheat straw. Using water-based glues and adhesives reduces off-gassing and improves indoor air quality for NRDC staff.

Performance and Cost


Due to the longer fibers, the Wheatboard actually has greater strength and stability than conventional particle board. On a board-foot cost, the Wheatboard costs about 5% less than conventional MDF. Gridcore costs almost five times as much per square foot as particle board,. Similarly, Medite II costs about three times as much on a board-foot basis.

Material costs were a relatively minor factor (about 5%), and in the case of the Wheatboard, a cost savings.

Natural Resources Defense Council