Hempcrete added to US building codes
In a very positive sign of the growing acceptance of the benefits of hempcrete in construction, hempcrete was added as an appendix to the US residential building code, which is used by 49 out of 50 states, and hempcrete will also be in the 2024 International Residential Code (IRC). According to the approval, “the committee considered that this is another technology similar to that of the straw bale and the cob wall construction. The industry will be able to provide safer building with uniform requirements being codified as an appendix as opposed to being an alternate method (where the architect or designer has to convince the building official that it is acceptable). This will make it easier for building departments to review plans for permitting this option.”
South African hempcrete high-rise reaches for the stars
As Oscar Wilde said, we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking to the stars. This is especially true in Cape Town, South Africa, where the world’s tallest hempcrete building is nearing completion (picture at top of post). In a global first, 84 Harrington Street is the world’s tallest building being constructed using hempcrete blocks and hemp building materials, in a partnership between two Cape Town-based companies, Hemporium and Afrimat Hemp. Hemp is 100% natural, it continues to absorb CO2 through the process of carbonation, and it’s energy-saving and durable. Hempcrete also offers superior acoustic performance, ensuring privacy between units. There’s more! Hempcrete has the amazing ability to absorb and release moisture, which assists with regulating the building’s internal humidity and maintaining healthy indoor air quality. Hempcrete is a win-win-win!
Ukraine is rebuilding – with hemp!
Hemp. Recover. Ukraine. is a non-profit fund, working to rebuild Ukraine using hempcrete. They’re currently building a 30-unit apartment complex specifically to house internally-displaced refugees and war orphans. This remarkable project is using crowdfunding to complete its ambitious construction programme, and it deserves your support.
Learn more
Treehugger: Hempcrete Gets a Boost in US Residential Building Code
Engineering News: Read about the world’s tallest hempcrete building in Capetown, South Africa
Hemp Today: As war destroys homes, Ukrainian hemp builder keeps on building
Photo credits
Cape Town hemp high-rise by Julian Kreuter.
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Founder and CEO at Hempoffset.com and TaoClimate.com.
Hempoffset works with hemp growers and makers worldwide, to capture and sequester CO2 at scale, while building a sustainable world.
Tao Climate works with companies and individuals that want to measure, minimise and manage their carbon footprints. Tao Climate is the way to carbon neutral.
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