Tirebale owners/builders?

Greetings,
I am looking to start construction on a large tirebale outbuilding (to start). Any tirebale afficionados willing to knowledge share?
Thanks!

I have some decades old experiences to pass along, with lots of learning-by-failing.

1. Round bales are very hard to work with. Pay extra for the square bale machine. Even then, it is a very irregular final product, and very large. This means you will need heavy equipment to do absolutely anything. The compressed square bales  are so large and heavy they are a danger to fragile human bodies up close.

2. Use stainless wire, thickest possible gauge. Rusting is a long term time bomb, wire failure during construction is basically an explosive event. Extreme danger to humans again. When the wires snap, the tension released whips them about at supersonic speed. Any contact with body parts results in instant amputation/decapitation/evisceration. Did I mention dangerous?

3. Icky. Forever. The smell will never go away. 100% effective encapsulation is necessary, if humans are going to be breathing the air of an enclosed building. Can you achieve a barrier that's 100% effective? For the lifetime of the building?

4. In most jurisdictions, you will face absolutely implacable denial, resistance and stonewalling from zoning and building permitting authorities. Get every approval upfront before even investing in the equipment. You will need engineer approved plans, etc. - very expensive. Or build in the Wild West areas of no zoning or building permits.

5. Consider the sidewall removal machines. They are much smaller, cheaper and simpler. The 3 pieces created are useful in completely different ways than bales, and much easier to work with. Human scale, much less dangerous.

Thanks B!

Yep all addressed. I probably should have dropped our specs in the last post.


Specs - 7500 sq ft main floor/loft (north exit doors) tirebale demonstration building/community hub

split level/stacked tirebale with vertical glazing
south sloped roof with panel and solar hot water
north loft (br, bath, storage)
polywrapped exterior bermed walls
shotcrete interior walls with 2x4 interior stud for electrical/plumbing chase
ventilation hoppers in north roof or east/west
earth tubes (cooling)
insulated dark soycrete stained hempcrete hydronic floor
underground root cellar
south side greywater grow planters and vertical microalgal chambers
bermed rainwater cisterns
biomass boiler for radiant heat/biochar
biochar producing cooking surface/oven
DC sunlight drive solar w/ nickel iron battery bank
humanure toilets

Been planning this for a while...