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Building with HempCrete?

 
pollinator
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Location: Barre, MA and Silistra, Bulgaria
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Hey there friends,

I can't seem to find the info I'm looking for.  I want to know the weight of a standard hempcrete panel either cast in situ or to be used (cured) as infill.  I'm wondering if the weight would be way too much for a tiny house (THOW) frame or whether that could be a viable option.  If not, can a mix be made lighter and retain at least the insulative value?  What would have to be added (if anything) to maximise flex in the walls for moving the structure?  

I'm just thinking out loud here.  Trying to be a mad scientist (possibly failing).  Wondering how far we can push the envelope with innovative materials.  It seems that a lot of THOW and tiny houses are built using high-embodied energy materials.  But what a great opportunity to explore the use and efficacy of cheap, renewable ones, eh?

What do you think?
 
pollinator
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Location: Bendigo , Australia
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Here are some sites oif interest, do they help?
https://www.thehempbuildingcompany.com.au/
https://www.hempcrete.com.au/
 
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To have a decently solid hempcrete wall, it needs to be about 340kg/m3 (21.2 lbs/ft3). To have a decent insulation it needs to be at least 6" thick, so then you are at 10.6 lbs/ft2, which is a little heavy for a  THOW and only about R-14. Maybe better to think about using hemp batt or wood fibre insulation instead.
 
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