Will they use bonded concrete during the construction of the Olympic Village in Paris
Hemp building materials have become so popular in France that they plan to use them in the construction of the Olympic Village in Paris. At least, the tender committee calls for this, and the companies specializing in hemp construction have developed relevant projects and prepared the necessary project documentation for this.
The pages of the profile electronic publication of Ukrainian hemp breeders have already described how “ Innovative hemp technologies were used ” during the construction of Olympic facilities intended for the 2012 Olympics in London. This article highlights similar trends that appear in preparation for the construction of the Olympic Village, planned for construction in Paris.
The cultivation of technical hemp and the production of building materials from it from the point of view of French builders is advisable, first of all, from the point of view of environmental safety. Cultivation of industrial hemp in most cases does not require the use of pesticides, does not require the control of insect pests, diseases, hemp plant can do without irrigation and can be cultivated on almost all types of soils, including contaminated and infertile ones. The transformation of hemp into building materials does not require chemicals. Hemp concrete consists only of hemp wood and other parts of plants, agglomerated with lime and water, which is also an environmentally friendly material, since it “binds” carbon dioxide throughout the life of the building. Hemp is a renewable resource and represents an environmental alternative to the expected shortage of siliceous fillers (sand). The only drawback of various brands of hemp concrete is a rather significant drying time. This drawback is easily eliminated by pre-assembly of individual structures (drying is performed at the factory), by the creation of hemp bricks or building blocks. Such methods of manufacturing building materials have already found their practical application in France and have repeatedly confirmed their effectiveness.
Due to a number of significant advantages, hemp construction materials have become so popular in France that they are planned to be used in the construction of the Olympic Village in Paris. At least, the tender committee calls for this, and the companies specializing in hemp construction have developed relevant projects and prepared the necessary project documentation for this.
The leadership of several specialized colleges and universities at once set the task of mandatory use in the construction of natural materials, the lion's share of which in their composition contains hemp. This popularity was also facilitated by the fact that industrial hemp is a traditional agricultural crop in France, which occupies a leading position in cultivated areas in Europe, and for centuries has been a source of traditional building materials.
At the moment, in the construction industry, the use of hemp concrete is still quite limited due to the current technical standards for the operation of buildings, which are not entirely beneficial for bioresource materials. According to current requirements, the thermal resistance of materials, that is, winter insulation, and not their inertia, which determines comfort in summer, are first of all evaluated. Nevertheless, the latter indicator is of great importance in creating optimal conditions for the human body and reaches 10 hours for bone concrete, compared with 15 minutes for glass wool. Hemp concrete is not only a natural conditioner, it is also an incomparable water buffer. Currently, studies are underway to include this feature in the formula for calculating the current regulatory documents in construction, which will be positively reflected in the construction market for hemp products.
Hemp building materials are relatively fire resistant. Recent full-scale tests have shown that the fire resistance of walls with a wooden frame and concrete hemp filler is approaching a ratio of 3:30. This destroys the myth that these materials are weakly fire-resistant, in fact, the thesis that well-made bone concrete can perfectly withstand even an open flame is confirmed.
The price of hemp concrete is 3–10% higher compared to conventional building mixes. Such a pricing policy depends on the volume of production - if you massively build houses based on natural materials, then the cost will significantly decrease. The payback of houses built from hemp bone blocks is carried out after a short time in connection with the saving of heating costs. Residents need less heating and feel more comfortable. Experts are sure that at the end of the building’s life from the point of view of utilization, hemp construction will always be better than traditional materials.
Commentary of the Ukrainian Technical Hemp Association
Recently in Europe, a bid has been placed not only on the production of finishing materials, but also on the manufacture of load-bearing structures of buildings from biological raw materials. Modern technology allows you to create residential and industrial facilities exclusively from hemp building materials. Such premises do not contain harmful compounds, which contributes to both preserving human health and increasing the level of productivity of his mental and physical labor.
This issue is quite relevant, interesting and promising for representatives of the domestic hemp and construction business, therefore, as part of the Hemp University, a specialized association of Ukrainian hemp growers is planning to hold a round table this fall on the topic: “Hemp raw materials: technologies for its use in construction and the production of biocomposite materials and furniture. "