Students at Carleton University in Ontario, Canada are researching building materials with a low carbon footprint, including hemp.
One student, Robin Papp, is using recycled hemp biomass combined with water, lime, and other natural additives to create hempcrete, hemp blocks, and hemp panels.
Traditional hempcrete and hemp blocks provide exceptionally good insulation value, but provide little to no structural strength. However, Papp is discovering that with the right compression, hemp could also work as a structural material in walls.
Papp is using a small hydraulic press to experiment with denser, stronger hemp panels that could be used as a structural material.
“It’s very much a hands-on learning process, getting a feel for it and playing with different ratios and mixtures,” he says.
You can read more here.