Sustainable masonry elements based on hemp–lime composites
Sustainable masonry elements based on hemp–lime composites

Author(s): Aurelia Bradu, Alexandra-Marina Barbu
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Architecture, Sociology, Environmental interactions
Published by: INCD URBAN-INCERC
Keywords: bio-based building materials; sustainable construction; hemp; lime; hempcrete;
Summary/Abstract: Climate change has intensified significantly in recent decades, requiring increased attention and urgent measures to mitigate its environmental and socio-economic impacts. The consequences of these changes affect the global population, particularly communities located in vulnerable areas that may face relocation in the future. The building sector plays a major role in this context, being responsible for approximately 32% of global energy consumption and around 19% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, reducing the environmental footprint of construction activities has become a major objective of sustainable development policies. One important approach in this direction is the gradual replacement of conventional construction materials, particularly those based on cement, with environmentally friendly alternatives characterized by lower embodied energy and reduced carbon emissions. Among the potential sustainable solutions, the use of bio-based construction materials obtained from renewable resources has gained increasing attention. In this regard, lime-based composites incorporating vegetal waste, such as hemp stalks, represent a promising alternative for the production of non-structural masonry elements. The mixture of hemp, lime and water forms a natural lightweight biocomposite characterized by favorable thermal mass and vapor permeability properties. Furthermore, due to the ability of hemp plants to absorb carbon dioxide during their growth cycle, hemp–lime composites can contribute to reducing the overall carbon footprint of building materials. In addition, these materials demonstrate good adaptability to a wide range of climatic conditions. This study investigates the main properties of masonry elements produced from lime-based composites incorporating vegetal waste. The analysis focuses on the evaluation of density, compressive strength, as well as thermal and acoustic performance.

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