Three years in the making for a major regulatory breakthrough on the use of hemp concrete in construction.
Last October, the Construire en Chanvre association commissioned a Lepir 2 test from the CERIB fire test centre in Epernon. The trial involved a timber-framed building with a non-load-bearing hemp concrete façade.
Extended scope of application to buildings over 2 storeys high
Already validated on buildings up to R+2, the test now confirms the possibility of using hemp concrete as façade infill on taller buildings. The test report is available on the Constuire en Chanvre website. According to Phillipe Munoz, project manager for Construire en Chanvre, “hemp concrete can be used to make walls and partitions during renovation work, or to fill in load-bearing structures made of concrete, metal or, preferably, wood”.
The success of the test confirms the benefits of using hemp concrete as an alternative to traditional façade infill materials. It is a ‘renewable material with excellent thermal, hygrothermal and acoustic performance’. And with good fire resistance, as we saw in October.
The results of the test will be presented on 19 January by Construire en Chanvre and CERIB.
If you have any questions, please contact Nathalie Fichaux, General Secretary of Construire en Chanvre
The European Hemp Cluster has set up a working group on hemp in the building industry, with the aim of finding ways to increase the use of hemp in both renovation and new construction, particularly in prefabrication. Find out more here.
