This blew my mind. Now I know what to do with all my stems besides compost. I am pouring some footing for a new creek bridge and I am going to use hempcrete, and see how it holds up.
3/4 chipped stems
1/8 water
1/8 lime. Lime is way cheaper than concrete. Mix until it’s like lumpy pizza dough.
Problem to think through first…Fire safety… if it catches gire you might get to stoned to get out in time. Just saying sometime there are unintended consequences. LOL
Life is like Chess…you better be thinking 3 moves ahead or your dead. Some of my dads widsom.
They say it’s not flammable but a fire barrier. Crazy.
From article 1:
*Hempcrete is fire-resistant, meaning it doesn’t melt. Rather, it decomposes because it’s made of several ingredients. For hempcrete to heat and decompose instantly, it needs very high temperatures of up to 900 degrees.
The fire resistance of hempcrete makes it a suitable choice for homes that are at risk of fires such as homes within a wildfire zone.*
From article 2:
“Maui, they’re starting to build. They reached out to me to see what we can do to help build some temporary homes there. Why? Because it’s smokeproof and a fire retardant,” she said.*
Who knew…?
I think @ConcreteBudz might have a little appreciation for this one.
Just because you can make it doesnt mean its the best way or the most feasible way.
How many acres required? Etc…
Mostly, its pourus and retains water and its longevity is untested.
I just get a pucture in my head of Charleston Heaton ( the ten commandments) trudgeing in the mud pit mixing straw to make bricks. Guess we need to get some old hippies for that now.
He can have my twigs, ill donate to the cause.
They say it works because cannabis stems are high in silica and silica and line bind hard together. I am just making a footing for a bridge over my creek. It’s worth a try with this years pile of stems. It’s like a 2foot x 3foot pour. 50 pound bag of lime is like 8$. I am Curious now.
From the article:
The hemp core (also hemp hurd or shiv) has a high silica content that allows it to strongly bind with the lime.
And:
In fact, there’s a historic hempcrete house in Nagano, Japan that was built in 1698 and it’s still in good condition. Only a strong, flexible compound can withstand the elements for such a long period.