Hempcrete Blocks – light weight REPLACEMENT of Concrete

Hempcrete Blocks are basically made with the help of two ingredients i.e. lime as binding agent or binder mixed with the core of hemp plant.

After decades of modernization, advancement and innovation in science and particularly in construction engineering, the humans have realized that they had moved far away from nature resulting in so many complications and glitches to their lives consequently the future of their younger generations is at stack.

There is a word in science called entropy as per which everything in our environment was naturally in equilibrium. So whatever is being done by humans is damaging that equilibrium and resultantly a substantial disturbance had been enduringly spoiled our habitat.

Hempcrete Blocks an innovative replacement of Concrete
Hempcrete Blocks an innovative replacement of Concrete

Background

In recent times, words like sustainable construction, green buildings, energy efficient houses, recycled materials, CO2 emission criterions for buildings and many others; have struck the booming construction industry.

Today I’m going to share with you my research about a revived construction material that had been reborn now and is considered as the answer of so many questions being asked by environmentalists in terms of preserving the ecology of our environment.

Few years back, in France a bridge abutment of 6th century was being exploited. Therein a light weight construction material was rediscovered as being survivor of 14 centuries. Since that rediscovery it had struck the construction mentors and peers and now we are seeing it as a booming industry in Europe. They called that material as hempcrete.

What is Hempcrete Blocks?

Hempcrete is basically made with the help of two ingredients i.e. lime as binding agent or binder mixed with the core of hemp plant. The core of the hemp plate has high silica content and can thus bind with the hydraulic lime. The result is a lightweight cementitious insulating material weighing about a seventh or an eighth of the weight of concrete.

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Hemp used associated with lime to produce panels, bricks, blocks, insulation systems and plasters is achieving raising consensus in eco-construction world.

Among the plant fibres used as building materials, hemp boasts several advantages both for its specific characteristics, especially from an environmental point of view, and for its potential contribution to local economics.

Projected in the future of green building, processed hempcrete blocks stands out for its important ecological and economic characteristics. Ā In particular this material bears the following exceptional performances.

Advantages of using Hempcrete Blocks

  • Hempcrete blocks have excellent heat and sound insulation index.
  • It is lightweight, fire resistant and preserves a high level of breathability.
  • It is resistant against mold as it is moisture absorbent (one square meter of hemp wall absorbs up to 14 liters of water, which can be released into the ground and/or be collected and recycled).
  • It is microbe and insect resistant.
  • It is carbon synthesizer and tackles pollution by reducing CO2 emissions during the costruction process and ensures a healthy house living;
  • It is 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle and is totally biodegradable;
  • It is economic; adding to its insulating property which heavily contributes to energy saving, a hemp based building can cost up to 20% less compared to those built with current techniques.

Due to the above mentioned characteristics, hemp reveals itself asĀ  anĀ  innovativeĀ  solutionĀ  inĀ  theĀ  buildingĀ  sectorĀ  andĀ  asĀ  an insulationĀ  system.Ā  OnceĀ  overcomedĀ  itsĀ  cultivationĀ  andĀ  use prohibitions, hemp (Cannabis Sativa) is expanding its application inĀ  manyĀ  countriesĀ  throughĀ  theĀ  consolidationĀ  ofĀ  itsĀ  useĀ  inĀ  the processĀ  ofĀ  creatingĀ  newĀ  materialsĀ  impliedĀ  toĀ  constructĀ  new houses,Ā  ecologicallyĀ  renovateĀ  andĀ  revampĀ  existing infrastructures,Ā  thermallyĀ  andĀ  acousticallyĀ  isolateĀ  buildings,Ā  and createĀ  greenĀ  buildings.

InĀ  orderĀ  toĀ  doĀ  so,Ā  hempĀ  isĀ  normally associatedĀ  withĀ  limeĀ  toĀ  produceĀ  buildingĀ  blocks,Ā  whichĀ  once dried become very light and durable.

ExperimentalĀ  buildingsĀ  inĀ  woodĀ  structureĀ  andĀ  wallsĀ  builtĀ  with prefabricatedĀ  bricks and blocks Ā bio-composedĀ  inĀ  hempĀ  andĀ  limeĀ  are multiplyingĀ  and,Ā  mortars,Ā  plastersĀ  andĀ  insulationĀ  systemsĀ  are being experienced.

To produce these building materials both the woody and green parts of the plant can be used hence ensuring the sustainability of the products.

AsĀ  aĀ  resultĀ  ofĀ  thisĀ  process, increasinglyĀ  competitiveĀ  newĀ  hemp-basedĀ  productsĀ  areĀ  being created to the extent that in England, where these materials are widelyĀ  usedĀ  forĀ  socialĀ  housing,Ā  LimetechnologyĀ  companyĀ  was recently awarded with the 2014 Asden prize for its hemp building blocks.

Future of Hempcrete Blocks

TheĀ  extensiveĀ  literatureĀ  onĀ  theĀ  useĀ  ofĀ  hempcrete blocksĀ  forĀ  greenĀ  building demonstratesĀ  theĀ  successĀ  ofĀ  thisĀ  innovativeĀ  systemĀ  and providesĀ  withĀ  relevantĀ  informationĀ  onĀ  technologyĀ  centersĀ  and specializedĀ  agenciesĀ  activeĀ  inĀ  thisĀ  fieldĀ  asĀ  wellĀ  asĀ  presenting ideasĀ  asĀ  futureĀ  possibleĀ  buildingĀ  projectsĀ  forĀ  aĀ  sustainable territorial development.

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Saad Iqbal

Here I’m, Saad Iqbal – a civil engineering geek and a passionate blogger – with handy graphics designing skills. I’m in the online civil engineering community from over a decade now and have many fans, followers and friends throughout the world.

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