In the search for a sustainable path and responsible materials committed to the environment, raw materials from renewable energies are emerging. The impulse in the search for a more sustainable path has led us, among other materials, to the cultivation of hemp.
A powerful thermal and acoustic insulator from agriculture.
Among many other companies with sustainable initiatives based on hemp, we find Monika Brümmer and her company in Guadix, Granada, Cannabric. From where they manufacture their own hemp block.
The most important thing for the manufacture of the blocks for construction in cannabis base, resides in the fiber. It should be noted that crops with high fiber yields do not contain the cannabinoid Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC. Normally and to this day, it is genetically difficult to find hemp varieties high in fiber content that contain THC.
To date and with the techniques used today, we can state that hemp construction is more sustainable than even fired clay brick, considering its composition and manufacture. Because the blocks derived from plant-based materials are more insulating than clay itself. The hemp is a perfect thermal insulator where we have to use less energy to cool or heat the room.
The result of such an advantage logically saves us a great amount of energy in trying to counteract the heat inversion between day and night. On the other hand, it is a great acoustic insulator.
Constructions with hemp blocks do not necessarily need complementary vertical structures to raise their walls. In addition, it is a very resistant material to fire and environmental humidity.
So, what is the problem of building with hemp?
The worst ally of industrial hemp is the lack of information and the stigmatization of the marijuana plant. As long as there is a collective concept in society that the cannabis plant is only a drug, it will hold back the potential and development that this powerful plant can have. The hemp plant has been used for thousands of years until its prohibition relatively recently. In the last few years, the plant has experienced an acceptance for different uses in some sectors such as bio-construction. It is important to be informed about the possibilities of this plant and the opportunities it offers.
