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.

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 6^th 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.

 

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.  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 as  an  innovative  solution  in  the  building  sector  and  as  an insulation  system.  Once  overcomed  its  cultivation  and  use prohibitions, hemp (Cannabis Sativa) is expanding its application in  many  countries  through  the  consolidation  of  its  use  in  the process  of  creating  new  materials  implied  to  construct  new houses,  ecologically  renovate  and  revamp  existing infrastructures,  thermally  and  acoustically  isolate  buildings,  and create  green  buildings.

In  order  to  do  so,  hemp  is  normally associated  with  lime  to  produce  building  blocks,  which  once dried become very light and durable.

Experimental  buildings  in  wood  structure  and  walls  built  with prefabricated  bricks and blocks  bio-composed  in  hemp  and  lime  are multiplying  and,  mortars,  plasters  and  insulation  systems  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.

As  a  result  of  this  process, increasingly  competitive  new  hemp-based  products  are  being created to the extent that in England, where these materials are widely  used  for  social  housing,  Limetechnology  company  was recently awarded with the 2014 Asden prize for its hemp building blocks.

Future of Hempcrete Blocks

The  extensive  literature  on  the  use  of  hempcrete blocks  for  green  building demonstrates  the  success  of  this  innovative  system  and provides  with  relevant  information  on  technology  centers  and specialized  agencies  active  in  this  field  as  well  as  presenting ideas  as  future  possible  building  projects  for  a  sustainable territorial development.