Building With #Hempcrete 101

Hempcrete is used as a highly insulative wall material. It is a carbon-negative, natural, and lightweight construction material that provides highly efficient temperature and moisture control. It is also formable, dynamic, one-seventh the weight of concrete, and cures within hours.

Author: William Brain // Last updated on September 5, 2023 4 Comments

Excerpt: "What Is in Hempcrete and Can I Source It Myself?

Hempcrete has three constituent parts: hemp, lime, and water.

Hemp, and Where to Source It

Here in #Australia, #HempShiv is only beginning to be farmed and brought to market. (A couple of notable enterprises being Hemp Homes Australia and X-Hemp in Tasmania where 80% of the hemp in Australia is currently farmed).

In Europe, a large industry is established and growing, with processing facilities in France, Holland, and Germany. The last house I built — working in Scotland — was made with Lithuanian hemp.

Over in the US, hemp production has exploded since the Agriculture Improvement Act or Farm Bill of 2018, finally allowing hemp cultivation after many, many years. [Alas, that is been severely curtailed. So much for Hemp For Victory]

The Binder

As you might assume, the binder is what binds the hemp shiv into a solid mass. The binder consists of either hydrated lime or natural #HydraulicLime. #HydratedLime (or air lime) has no impurities and is made by #kiln-firing limestone. The firing process removes the carbon molecules from the limestone and converts it into a dry powder. When you want to use lime as a binder or mortar, you introduce carbon dioxide again, essentially converting the lime back into limestone as it absorbs surrounding CO2. This is what’s known as the carbon cycle.

The other lime, hydraulic lime, is also kiln-fired using the same process. The difference being hydraulic lime has added or existing impurities known as #pozzolans."

Read more:
https://insteading.com/blog/building-with-hempcrete/

#SolarPunkSunday #DIY #Hemp #BuildingWithHemp #HempIsTheFuture

How to Make a #HempcreteBlock

Hemp In A Pot, Oct 4, 2022

"Putting together a small block of #hempcrete, also known as #hemplime, a lightweight insulating material that has a ton of benefits when compared with other insulating materials on the market today, and is also carbon negative, which can help with #ClimateChange.

The process involves mixing hemp hurds, hydrated lime, and water, then pouring the mixture into a mold to dry."

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB07P3yrQY8

Hempcrete kit:
https://www.hemptraders.com/SPC-p/spc.htm

#SolarPunkSunday #DIY
#Hemp #BuildingWithHemp #HempIsTheFuture

#Hempcrete sprayed with clay binder!

#Hempknowlogy, May 9, 2023

"Brief overview of the hempcrete clay spray system from #EcoPertica, an innovator in clay spray techniques. This is a cobbled together system that uses the three nozzle, nozzle from #Euromair, an Imer plaster/render pump and an insulation blower. Blowing dry hurd in the center and that hurd is wetted with clay by the exterior nozzles."

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne5ii975Mo4

#SolarPunkSunday #Hemp #BuildingWithHemp #HempIsTheFuture

How to spray #hempcrete?
Spraying Machine Demo

Jul 6, 2017

"Demo spraying hempcrete in England with #Euromair system

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCsdLQcB8Pw

#SolarPunkSunday #Hemp #BuildingWithHemp #HempIsTheFuture