Comments on: Hemcrete®: Carbon Negative Hemp Walls

By: arkitrekker

arkitrekker — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:25:00 +0000

Why does the URL for this article claim that the hemcrete is 7x stronger than concrete? Stronger in what respect? http://inhabitat.com/hemcrete-carbon-negative-hemp-walls-7x-stronger-than-concrete/

By: suenos

suenos — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:15:08 +0000

In all this debate and comparison of hemp to concrete no one really has said anything about the horrific realities of making concrete from Normal Portland Cement. For every ton of cement 80% of that weight is produced in CO2. So when one wants to make comparisons to this product as some kind of ideal lets not forget it is in reality one of the greatest environmental offenders on the planet if not the absolute worst. Few products have an 80% waste factor to their credit. Also do not forget the cement industry is one very cozy cartel that is controled by a very small group of very wealthy and very powerful people. Hence that basis of reality directly leads to some of the brainwashed BS comments we have read on this blog.

By: innovator42

innovator42 — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:23:13 +0000

Its ridiculous that the US maintains a huge volume of prescriptive regulations (including banning the farming of industrial hemp) each of which effectively squashes innovation – whatever the problem is. I have no issue at all with outcomes-based regulations (which we do indeed need) but to prescribe HOW to do things only makes it harder for the US to be that innovative culture it dreams about.

Some of the comments on this site underscore the skepticism about anything innovative (even when its been re-invented). Decades ago RCA gave away its flat screen TV technology to Japan because RCA management was fixated what a TV set was supposed to look like. We’ve been paying a heavy price ever since for that kind of corporate myopia.

By: NRSsaving

NRSsaving — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:00:03 +0000

Here in the UK I’ve become involved with a company that has the license for a new variation of a hemp building product. This is a timber frame/hemp block system. The hemp block encases the timber frame and can be therefore be used for any design. U values are 0.15 and the properties of the block means that the structure can breathe. Thus regulating temperature and humidity and creating a better environment for the end user.
If any one would like more information please go to http://www.easyecobuild.com and take a look.

By: WeBuildGreen

WeBuildGreen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:16:48 +0000

For all your GREEN home needs
http://www.greenplanetbuilding.com

Green Planet Building of Los Angeles
11965 Venice Blvd., Suite 203
Los Angeles, CA 90066

310-577-5000

By: montyp

montyp — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 09:03:49 +0000

economics, as always with any transaction, will dictate if this product grows into regular use. the strongest power for changing restrictive statutes is denying your purchasing power from companies whose products are destroying the Earth. Taking a re-usable bag with you when you shop s a first step, a second step is informing yourself about the owners of the products you do ‘buy’, if enough ‘potential purchasers’ desert an established product and create the demand for a ‘new’ (more sustainable) one ….economic power will bring it into production. So I repeat again, you have the power to change a society you don’t approve of, you carry that power in your back-pocket

By: Lodhizattva

Lodhizattva — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:14:51 +0000

This type of Hempcrete definately has its applications. Similar to concretes, ‘hempcretes’ have different ingredients depending on intended use. Concrete is made differently for sidewalks as opposed to load-bearing and pre-stressed beams, so is large-pour concretes. Check the chemical and mechanical properties first before opening your mouth/blog window to avoid misinformation and presenting yourself as ignorant.

The best way around the downfalls of ‘cellulose’ and organic properties that are not desireable for certain applications, just petrify the organics with a lime process or similar. A little knowledge can go a long way, and not only make better products, but make blog entries and replies less painful to filter through; if they would exist at all…

Aloha no, gotta go…
Lödi

By: eric cruz

eric cruz — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 07:07:32 +0000

will it be possible or economical to import to the philippines the processed material so we can have cheap substitute for concrete for our housing projects for the poor?

By: moviehouseboy

moviehouseboy — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:33:45 +0000

Does Canada Have any Dealers?

Can you smoke it?

Kidding!

jim in Kawartha Lakes

By: Dude! Canada to Build a Cannabis Car | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:25:59 +0000

[...] one way to get college students to go to class: assign them to build things with cannabis. Several Canadian companies are teaming up with polytechnic schools in Alberta, Quebec and Toronto [...]

By: Scotts_Contracting

Scotts_Contracting — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:19:24 +0000

Great Idea. Love the Green and Eco Friendly Product. I\’ll offer a free article submission at my green web site: http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com. Build Green Scotty

By: SpliFF

SpliFF — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:53:58 +0000

I’ve done a lot of research on this including visiting hemp farmers. I’ve seen, held and tested samples of different hemp manufacturing techniques such as ‘hemp paper’, ‘hemp board’, ‘hemp fibreglass’ and ‘hemp plastic’ created by extruding hemp cellulose or using fibres, often in combination with other materials.

Having seen the flexibility of hemp as a raw material I have an issue with people confusing the virtues of a single product like ‘hemcrete’ with the hemp industry as a whole. Ultimately the properties of one manufacturing technique says very little about the usability of hemp in construction. It is entirely possible to create stronger materials than concrete out of, or in combination with hemp. Again I have seen these materials.

There is a scientific basis behind hemps strength. Firstly hemp is approximately 70% cellulose – which is natures glue and the basis of plastic. Secondly it has long, very strong fibres which form the basis of reinforcement in fibreglass and many building materials. It isn’t the only plant with these properties but it is generally easy to grow, requires few chemicals and is capable of being selectively bred to enhance desirable properties.

Which brings us back to why it isn’t used. When hemp was banned it was entirely due to DuPont Chemical manipulating the US treasury. It was done to protect his interests in cotton, synthetic fibres (hemp was banned in 1938, the same year nylon was patented) and timber interests. The simple truth is powerful lobbies for timber and chemical industries have conspired to keep it out of the public’s reach ever since. Big business fears nothing more than regulation and competition and hemp is competition. It will never become legal in America as long as these lobbies have such power.

By: keepitsimple

keepitsimple — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:48:54 +0000

Have you seen the video on the hemp car? check it out. henry ford built it a long time ago. I am canadian and a farmer, a naber of ours grew a small plot of hemp a few years back. It cost a shit load to grow, well not to grow but to have cops and gov people patroling the thing 24/7. we stoled about 10 plants made us a big batch of oil out of it. 5 gal. of iso and not a drop of oil. plus if you tryed to hide a real pot plant in the crop it would just cross bread and go male. google the hemp car thing.

By: Shodo

Shodo — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:02:55 +0000

In the 1940′s (maybe 30′s) there was a campaign by other textile industries to outlaw industrial hemp, associating it with marijuana. Industrial hemp looks nothing like a m.j plant, and if they interbreed the product makes people nauseous when smoked. So it was a bald like.

I assume that Hemcrete uses industrial hemp.

A few years ago the state of Minnesota (under Gov. Jesse Ventura) legalized some experimental growing of industrial hemp. I don’t know what ever came of that, but it would be interesting to find out. Hemp involves very few chemicals in growing, even non-organically, and has other environmental benefits.

By: Frateco

Frateco — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:37:27 +0000

Folks, am late making these comments but ….

It’s comments by people who don’t know eg Dead Unicorns that make eco products a hard thing to promote.

Here’s the facts: Hempcrete is NOT 7x stronger than concrete. It does have loadbearing capacity but it’s not high. In fact, it can be loadbearing but it’s sometimnes easier just to say use it in non-loadbearing situations.

I have certification to say termites will not touch hempcrete, will not burrow through hempcrete so Dead Unicorns … GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!

Chrisp68 got it right – don’t compare it to concrete. It performs way better than concrete as a thermal insulator and relative humidity regulator. It is fire resistant, it does ‘breathe’ meaning it will allow vapour to phase change and then release.

Go to http://www.limetechnology.co.uk for great tech details.

Let me finish with this:

We are all looking to improve our lifecycle carbon output using insulation batts and recycled materials (eg recycled concrete) but if the carbon you save is less than the carbon output to make these products, aren’t we just kidding ourselves???

By: Hemp_4_Victory

Hemp_4_Victory — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:02:56 +0000

Hemp is very useful and was outlawed (labeled as marijuana) due to money, Politicians are afraid to try and make it sound good, after 70+ years of lies, propaganda, and rhetoric about how bad/dangerous this plant is from the government.

Good documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sknoKWsVlAA

Video made during WWII from United States Department of Agriculture, 1942 Hemp for Victory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jokV8xlJTNE

One of the most informing books on Hemp/Marijuana (The Emperor Wears No Clothes), and you can read it for free online. http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html

$100,000 Challenge to Prove Us Wrong!

If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as trees for paper and construction, were banned in order to save the planet, reverse the Greenhouse Effect and stop deforestation;

then there is only one known annually renewable natural resource that is capable of providing the overall majority of the world’s paper and textiles; meet all of the world’s transportation, industrial and home energy needs, while simultaneously reducing pollution, rebuilding the soil and cleaning the atmosphere all at the same time…

and that substance is the same one that has done it before . . .

CANNABIS HEMP! http://www.jackherer.com/challenge.html

Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country.”
- Thomas Jefferson

By: keentolearn

keentolearn — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:11:38 +0000

Hey Dead_Unicorns,

Would like to hear more from you regarding your negative comments on Hemcrete.
What are you judging by? Is it personal experience or internet research?

Hope you get back to me.

By: Ed Saukkooja

Ed Saukkooja — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:13:14 +0000

Noted by the retreat of our President concerning all things cannabis, it is evident big money and power are continuing to prohibit any industry from developing around the hemp or marijuana cultures. Once we as a nation are reduced to a third world status, hemp will be our only recourse.

By: bliss tick

bliss tick — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:24:43 +0000

Concrete will be replaced to some degree in time and jobs will be lost only to be replaced by new jobs. Anyone in the building trades including product manufacturing are wise if they stay up to date with technology and need. If the concrete industry is blind then they will find themselves in a hole in the ground. Maybe they could use the influance they have to promote and establish any alternatives that will arise so they will benifit and help to strengthen their comunities rather then turn to dust or rust. Peace power.

By: chrisp68

chrisp68 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:13:58 +0000

Then it should not be compared to concrete! It should be compare to stress skin panels instead. Just make large insulated walls of this stuff instead. Get the story and comparisons correct before the article is published!