Hemp, a plant from the cannabis family, could be used to build carbon-neutral homes of the future to help combat climate change and boost the rural economy, say researchers at the University of Bath.
The combination of hemp fibres bound together by a lime based adhesive creates a lightweight building material that could be used for the walls of houses.
The hemp plant stores carbon during its growth and this, combined with the low carbon footprint of lime and its very efficient insulating properties, gives the material a ‘better than zero carbon’ footprint.
The researchers at Bath will be looking into the properties of the hemp-lime material such as its strength, durability and energy efficiency to see if it could replace traditional building materials.
Using renewable crops to make building materials makes a lot of sense - it only takes an area the size of a rugby pitch four months to grow enough hemp to build a typical three bedroom house.
Check out the BBC for more information.
Image from the National Non-Food Crops Centre
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