Friday, June 24, 2011Good morning,
Why is hemp still illegal? There are so many environmentally friendly things it can do, it is almost a crime not to exploit them.
Fuel, lubricating oil, paper, textiles...and now building material. A French entrepreneur has come up with a recipe using hemp for a building material that is lighter and stronger than concrete.
Thanks for reading,
Your Living Green editor
Email the Editor***Hemp hurds are uncommonly rich in silica. When mixed with lime, hemp hurds change from a vegetable product to a mineral. In this mineral state it is often referred to as hemp stone, and it weighs between 1/5 and 1/7 that of cement based concrete.
Sometimes the hemp hurds are mixed with lime, water and either gypsum or river sand. When it is poured it hardens, and becomes mould and insect resistant. It can be used in drywall construction between formwork, as an interior and exterior insulation or be poured as a floor. The formwork can be removed within a couple of hours.
One advantage of hemp concrete is that it makes it unnecessary to have several layers of conventional building materials ? it is outer and inner wall, and insulation all in one ? it can replace bricks or cement-concrete, a vapour barrier, insulation, and plaster board or panelling.
One of the most popular hemp concrete products is Isochanvre, a French product. To hear more click below:
Hemp Bricks