What is hemp concrete? This is building material that is made from hemp (not to be confused with the intoxicating counterpart) and natural hydraulic lime. Hemp is a plant that has been used since ancient times for the production of paper, textiles, food and medicines. It is an excellent insulating material and has a number of special features. The hemp shives (the woody part of the plant) have the ability to absorb up to 5 times its own weight in water. This exceptional property allows for hemp to be an exceptional insulating material. The Lambda value is 0.057 . It is also called Hempcrete, Canobiote, Canosmose, and Isochanvre.
A paste on the basis of lime and hemp can be applied in layers in a typical concrete casing. In the same layer a wooden skeleton or timber frame is built as the load-bearing construction. This method can used to build new walls or against existing walls. This technique is particularly effective for renovations and to isolate the inside of old buildings. Applications for working with lime-hemp concrete in short:
- construction combined with framing
- indoor and outdoor insulation for renovations
- insulation for walls, floor and roof constructions.