Industrial Cannabis sativa (Hemp fiber): Hempcrete-A Plant Based and Eco-friendly Building Construction Material

This review paper highlights about the Industrial hemp (fiber type) used as a plant based building construction material, Hempcrete. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an emerging food and fibre crop. It is a non-drug variety of Cannabis sativa with low Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of less than 0.3 per cent. The use and performance of hempcrete suggested that hempcrete can be considered as an environmentally friendly material. In a first of its kind in India, an architect couple, Namrata Kandwal and Gaurav Dixit have built a house made of using hemp fibre- hempcrete in Uttarakhand state, India. Industrial Hemp (fiber-type) is both an agricultural and industrial commodity and stem supplies both cellulosic and woody fibers. Hempcrete is a construction material made from hemp fibres, lime and water. Hemprete showed a negative carbon footprint making it a suitable material in the construction industry. This composite, hempcrete breathes, as well as having a good thermal and acoustic-insulation properties. However, hempcrete does have several key drawbacks that make it less than ideal as a building material. In addition to poor mechanical performance, hempcrete also has a high capacity to absorb and retain water. Therefore, future in detail study is warranted for the commercialization of hempcrete as a building material.