Hempcrete: An Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Concrete

[Johnny]

Hempcrete: The Future of Concrete?

Did you know that more concrete is made each year than any other man-made material? It’s second only to water as the most consumed substance on the planet. It’s been reported that each year, more than one ton of concrete is produced for each person on earth!

Hempcrete is being billed as an eco-friendly alternative to concrete. Hempcrete is a generic term for a hemp-based building material that can be used in place of concrete. It consists of a mixture of hemp, lime, sand, plaster, and cement, and can be used in the same way as concrete.

There are a number of trademarked variations for hempcrete. Here are some of them:

Hemcrete

Hemcrete, or Tradical Hemcrete, is a trademarked version of hempcrete produced by Lime Technology in the UK.

Canobiote

Canobiote consists of hemp hurds coated with mineral salts. Canobiote is intended to provide insulation for wood-framed, closed lofts and floors . It’s particularly ideal for those that receive regular use.

Canobiote was patented by a group called La Chanvriere de L’Aube (LCDA). LCDA is a French company that specializes in production and processing of industrial hemp. Established in 1973, LCDA works together with many hemp farmers located in Champagne - the vineyard region in Eastern France.

Canosmose

Also patented by LCDA, Canosmose is a light-weight concrete made with hemp hurds and natural lime. Canosmose is intended for non-load bearing masonry, such as walls sectioned with wooden supports.

Isochanvre

Isochanvre was created by France Périer, who previously worked for LCDA promoting Canobiote. Like Canobiote, Isochanvre is typically used for acoustic and thermal insulation. It is also increasingly being used as a construction material.

The Difference?

These products appear to be quite similar. Isochanvre and Canobiote are slanted towards insulation, while Canosmose and Hemcrete are promoted as a construction material.

As with many proprietary products, it’s not absolutely clear what the technical difference is between these products. What we do know is that they are all hemp-based, and used for housing construction. We also know that hempcrete has some great benefits over concrete.

The Future of Concrete?

Who knows what the future of concrete will be. Given the sheer scale of the concrete industry, I think it’s unlikely that one solution will completely replace concrete. I suspect we’ll see more and more environmentally friendly versions of concrete. Hempcrete will be one of the many. But one thing’s for sure; hempcrete won’t make any headway in the U.S. until the U.S. government finally recognizes hemp for its outstanding potential.

Source: Natural Environment
Website: https://national-environment.com/

 

[Johnny]

Building Green: Local Company Using Hemp Concrete

Hemcrete could be the building material of the future — or the past, depending on how you look at it.

“It’s ironic how for a long time we were told that concrete is the best material for building walkways, and now its turned back to paving stones,” said Gail Moran, owner of Old World Exteriors, a building company.

“We’re cycling back to that traditional look and feel because it works better in some cases than the newer technology.”

Hemcrete, a building product made of hemp fiber and a lime binding agent, is another example of this irony.

The growth and cultivation of hemp, a cousin to the marijuana plant that lacks the latter’s psychoactive effects, is prohibited in the United States.

The first records of hemp cultivation and industrial use are from China, where the species most likely originated, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report. Migrating peoples likely brought hemp to Europe where, by the 16th century, it was widely distributed.

Hemp currently is grown in Canada.

Moran made her career building commercial structures in The Woodlands through a company named Caribe Properties. Although she built modern, functional buildings, her heart yearned for an older, traditional aesthetic created with natural materials.

While researching lime washes to create that quintessential European villa look, she found out about Hemcrete, which has been successful as the material for about a dozen buildings in the United Kingdom.

She said she knew immediately she wanted to be the first builder to try it in the United States.

On Monday, crews were hard at work mixing the hemp fiber with the lime in mortar mixers until it took on a look and texture similar to damp cedar chips.

Moran is using the material to construct a pottery studio and chapel adjacent to a courtyard, caretaker’s house and metal garage on her property.

Hemcrete eliminates the need for both sheet rock and insulation, creating 12-inch thick, yet breathable, walls on a wooden frame.

The material corners all three aspects of green building; it’s energy efficient, nontoxic and made from natural materials, she said.

On Monday, the chapel walls and ceiling were up and the interior was cool and peaceful. The thick walls almost eliminated the construction racket outside.

Moran said she feels strongly about the material.

“I am so desperately wanting to make a difference in the way we currently build,” she said. “I would like to see more people use natural products. I think they’re better for us and they look better.”

Article By T.L. Hamilton

Source: The Courier of Montgomery County (Houston Community Newspapers)
Copyright: Houston Community Newspapers Online 2008
Contact: Houston Community Newspapers Online - News - News Around Town
Website: https://www.hcnonline.com/

 

[weedyMcBong]

It's amazing how many uses we have for hemp.

 

[BlackThumb]

That does sound promising. It seems easy to recognize the noise and thermal transmission benefits over cold concrete.
It also sounds like she is building in the Houston area. Does that mean she can't have hemp in the US, but she can import Hemcrete once manufactured in its new form containing hemp product?
I guess that also implies that it would conform to US Building Codes against fire, electrical and plumbing problems also.
Not to her but, that might be a funny house fire to watch. See 50 heads racing to get downwind only going by smell and not knowing it was only Industrial Hemp.

 

[Johnny]

It's amazing how many uses we have for hemp.

Isn't it, Weedy?

Hemp has over 25,000 potential uses. It's a miracle plant.

Does that mean she can't have hemp in the US, but she can import Hemcrete once manufactured in its new form containing hemp product? I guess that also implies that it would conform to US Building Codes against fire, electrical and plumbing problems also.

Yes, Hemcrete is completely safe and legal from what I've learned about it. And you're right, if it didn't meet the U.S. Building Codes, they wouldn't use and market it.