Stak Blocks use interlocking bumps and dimples to snap together. They work exactly like those colorful plastic blocks that you pick up off the kitchen floor every evening after the kids have been put to bed. But, instead of plastic, they are made almost entirely of straw. Though still in development, the product holds much promise as a structural insulating wall system according to BuildingGreen.comYou might expect that straw and structure are not going to make a good marriage. Not so, says the product developer. Oryzatech claims its stak block walls outperformed 2x4 stud walls in shear and lateral strength tests. Oryzatech, by the way, is taken from the Greek word 'oryza' which means 'rice'.
Anticipated benefits of the building system are:
- Renewable Resource. The blocks are made from 96% rice straw (a plentiful agricultural waste product) and formaldehyde-free glue.
- Energy efficiency. Preliminary tests assigned an insulating value of R-48 for the 12-inch thick, 30 pound blocks. This is roughly 3x the R-value of a typical 2x6 wood-frame wall filled with fiberglass.
- Health & Safety. The high level of silica in rice straw (up to 14%) is said to give it a high rating for fire resistance.
Will the product fulfill it's promise? That, of course, depends on questions that have yet to be asked and service conditions yet to be applied.
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