Jorge Alberto Durán Suárez

Hemp-Clay Concretes for Environmental Building—Features that Attribute to Drying, Stabilization with Lime, Water Uptake and Mechanical Strength

There are numerous parameters which define the mechanical properties of hemp concretes. Several authors identified significant differences in mechanical properties due to the quality, particle size, form and distribution of the hemp aggregates, and also due to the energy of compaction, binder dosage, density, drying conditions and drying time. The other factors which influence the mechanical properties of hemp concretes are the type of binders and their influence on the setting process of mortars containing plant aggregates. This research work has been done to encourage the use of hemp in construction industries that can reduce the usage of industrial binders and shift the focus on natural binders. The experiments were carried out to observe the drying kinetics, capillary water uptake and mechanical strength of hemp-clay concretes made with de-fibered or non-de-fibered hemp materials of industrial and domestic origin. The influence of addition of the lime on the mechanical performance of hemp-clay composites was also studied.