TY - JOUR
T1 - Hygrothermal performance of an experimental hemp-lime building
AU - Lawrence, Mike
AU - Fodde, Enrico
AU - Paine, Kevin
AU - Walker, Pete
N1 - Volume title: Novel and Non-Conventional Materials and Technologies for Sustainability
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The use of hemp-lime as a construction technique is a novel approach which combines renewable low carbon materials with exceptional hygrothermal performance. The hemp plant can grow up to 4m over a four month period, with a low fertilizer and irrigation demand, making it very efficient in the use of time and material resources. All parts of the plant can be used – the seed for food stuffs, the fibre surrounding the stem for paper, clothing and resin reinforcement, and the woody core of the stem as animal bedding and aggregate in hemp-lime construction. The unique pore structure of the woody core (shiv) confers low thermal conductivity and thermal and hygric buffering to hemp-lime. The construction technique promotes good air tightness and minimal thermal bridging within the building envelope. All these factors combine to produce low carbon, hygrothermally
efficient buildings which are low energy both in construction and in use, and offer opportunities for recycling at end of life.
This paper reports on the hygrothermal performance of an experimental hemp-lime building, and on the development of a computerized environmental model which takes account of the phase change effects seen in hemp-lime.
AB - The use of hemp-lime as a construction technique is a novel approach which combines renewable low carbon materials with exceptional hygrothermal performance. The hemp plant can grow up to 4m over a four month period, with a low fertilizer and irrigation demand, making it very efficient in the use of time and material resources. All parts of the plant can be used – the seed for food stuffs, the fibre surrounding the stem for paper, clothing and resin reinforcement, and the woody core of the stem as animal bedding and aggregate in hemp-lime construction. The unique pore structure of the woody core (shiv) confers low thermal conductivity and thermal and hygric buffering to hemp-lime. The construction technique promotes good air tightness and minimal thermal bridging within the building envelope. All these factors combine to produce low carbon, hygrothermally
efficient buildings which are low energy both in construction and in use, and offer opportunities for recycling at end of life.
This paper reports on the hygrothermal performance of an experimental hemp-lime building, and on the development of a computerized environmental model which takes account of the phase change effects seen in hemp-lime.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863698321&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.ttp.net/978-3-03785-435-8.html
U2 - 10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.517.413
DO - 10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.517.413
M3 - Article
VL - 517
SP - 413
EP - 421
JO - Key Engineering Materials
JF - Key Engineering Materials
ER -