Opportunities & challenges of hempcrete as a building material for construction: An overview

Abstract

The building and construction sector is responsible for global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Hence the use of environmental-friendly building materials is becoming increasingly important. Several studies have stated that Hempcrete is an enviro-friendly building material that reduces waste and decreases natural resources and energy use. Despite its many benefits, Hempcrete does have a few disadvantages that make it less than ideal as a building material. For instance, the porous structure of the Hempcrete decreases its mechanical performance and increases its ability to retain water. Though these issues are not so befouling as to prevent the use of Hempcrete within the construction sector altogether, they do provide substantial limitations regarding what it can be used for. Although Hemp does not increase structural strength by what we had assumed, it does exhibit structural properties like fiberglass. The paper examines the opportunities and challenges associated with using hempcrete as a building material. The paper is based on secondary sources and gives an overview of hempcrete research and identifies the gaps, thereby suggesting a further area of research.