 The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Texas A&M University nearly $3.5 million to create environmentally sustainable engineering projects using 3D printing technology and “hempcrete”.
Hempcrete is made from a mix of hemp powder, fibers, lime and water. It’s considered to be a durable but lightweight alternative to traditional building materials. Petros Sideris, an assistant professor at the university who will serve as the project’s principal investigator, spoke about the benefits of using hempcrete as a building material. He said, …concrete requires large amounts of energy and releases large amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide), hempcrete is a net carbon-negative material, which can provide major environmental benefits … [it] has excellent fire resistance and thermal insulating properties that can reduce heating and cooling energy demands. [And] it is water-resistant and offers good acoustic properties.” The Department of Energy (DOE) is also sponsoring another, separate project to develop hemp fiber insulation to be better for the environment and public health. And last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a Washington State-based company a $100,000 grant to support the development of sustainable bricks made from industrial hemp. Comments are closed.
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