Hempcrete – (United Kingdom)

“Hempcrete is a biocomposite of hemp hurd or shiv together with lime. The mixture is prepared by combining the above components with suitable quantities of water.

The lime acts as a binder that coats the hemp particles and, once it reacts with the water, the lime glues the hemp particles together to provide a high material strength. Any excess moisture is removed from the blend.

The resultant residue is Hempcrete.

What differentiates Hempcrete from conventional construction composites is the fact that the binder in Hempcrete does not fill the voids between the hemp particles; it merely coats the particles and makes them stick to each other for a stronger consistency. When you look at the final mixture, Hempcrete has a lot of void space.

This makes the material breathable and lightweight.

By altering the proportions of the ingredients, Hempcrete can be produced which has varied structural, thermal and moisture-absorbent capacities. Each variant is suitable for construction of different structural components and insulation.”