Hemp In Construction

Hemp is one of the most eco-friendly and versatile plants around, it has the ability to be used for so many different applications. But did you know that hemp can be used in construction?

With the construction industry currently using around 40% of the world’s global energy and resources, it makes sense to find sustainable alternatives.

Traditional building materials like wood and concrete are usually taken from rapidly depleting forests or mined from the earth.

Hemp is a fast-growing crop that can mature in months, it can actually help to reduce the CO2 in its growing process. It needs no chemical fertilizer or bug sprays. Just growing hemp already removes 2 tons of carbon dioxide per acre!

Hempcrete is a product of hemp, as the name suggests, it is similar to concrete. It is made from the shivs ( the inner woody core of the plant) which are normally discarded.

The shivs are mixed with a lime composite, creating a product that can be used for internal walls, floors, and roof insulation. Not only is this product lightweight, but it is breathable with the ability to absorb and regulate internal humidity, avoiding trapped moisture issues and mold growth. And It also has excellent acoustic and thermal isolation properties.

Hempcrete was developed in France in the mid-1980s when people were experimenting to find an appropriate replacement for deteriorated wattle and daub in medieval timber-framed buildings.

Hempcrete is just one of many innovative ways that hemp is now being used, to find out more about hemp, take a trip to our museum, and learn about the history as well as the future.