Category:

Author(s): Paulien de Bruijn, Peter Johansson

Keywords: building materials, climate, concrete, glass jar test, hemp shiv, humidity, lime-hemp concrete (lhc), moisture fixation, pressure, pressure plate apparatus, sorption isotherm, specific heat capacity, sustainability, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal properties testing, transient plane source (tps) method

Abstract: Lime-hemp concrete (LHC) is a sustainable construction material with a low environmental impact. In this study, the thermal properties of two lime-hemp mixes with varying levels of hemp were measured to analyze the material’s ability to be used on a larger scale in cold and wet climates. A TPS Thermal Constants Analyser measured the thermal properties of the lime-hemp samples using the Transient Plane Source (TPS) method. Results showed that the mix with a higher hemp concentration was more desirable because of its low thermal conductivity. Also, thermal conductivity increased with relative humidity, so the use of LHC in dry climates would be the most beneficial.

Reference: Construction and Building Materials, 47 (2013) 1235-1242

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.06.006